Prospect Park's 3rd Street Playground Gets An Upgrade

BROOKLYN, NY — As part of its "Re:New Prospect Park" initiative, volunteers from the Prospect Park Alliance on Monday refreshed the 3rd Street Playground's sandbox, weeded its pathways and collected trash from its grounds.

Prospect Park Alliance, a nonprofit that maintains the park, started "Re:New Prospect Park" to improve its conditions in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Park's staff said on Twitter.

"Due to the pandemic, both Prospect Park Alliance and NYC Parks lost critical funding, which resulted in a reduced workforce and resources. This combined with an increase in park visitors led to the park getting much more love than it can handle," Prospect Park Alliance said in a statement. "However, thanks to the support of our community of donors and volunteers over the past year, the park has been able to weather the storm, and the Alliance is placing much-needed funds to renew the park in time for our busiest season."

The initiative is made up of park maintenance, including cleanings on peak weekday and weekend evenings through October; park improvements, such as renovated restrooms and new barbecue grills; and additional volunteer programs that encourage park visitors to clean up trash, according to its website.

"We know how important the park is to our community and the role (it) serves in recovering from the challenges of the past year," Prospect Park Alliance President Sue Donoghue said in a statement. "Prospect Park is showing serious signs of wear and tear, and without our normal workforce, we are so grateful for our community, who over the past year has pitched in to help sustain this cherished green oasis."