Park Slope Participatory Budget Funds Senior Fitness Playground

PARK SLOPE, NY — A fitness playground for seniors at Prospect Park and a women's self-defense workshops were funded by Councilman Brad Lander's under this year's participatory budgeting process.

Lander announced on Monday the neighborhood projects voted by residents to spend more than $1.5 million on in his district — Park Slope, Gowanus, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Kensington, Windsor Terrace and Borough Park — for this year's budget.

On the capital side, projects include $400,000 to install exercise equipment geared towards seniors at Prospect Park near Ninth Street, $500,000 to repave Kensington's Ablemarie Playground and $200,000 to replace the broken gates at Park Slope's P.S. 118, according to Lander.

Residents also voted to allocate $5,400 for a series of self-defense workshops for immigrant and Muslim women around Kensington, $14,000 to add new computers and photography equipment to the Park Slope Women's Shelter and $7,600 to study endangered bats who call Prospect Park home.

Participatory budgeting launched in the city 2012 giving residents the ability to choose how at least $1 million of their City Council members discretionary funds were spent.

Residents who live in the district that are 11-years-old and up were able to cast their vote online or in person at spots around the neighborhoods throughout April.

Image: Kristin Borden/Patch