Greenburgh Renames Veteran Park Center For Retiring Commissioner

GREENBURGH, NY — The Greenburgh Town Board voted to rename the multipurpose building at Veteran Park.

At its Dec. 18 meeting, the Town Board unanimously approved that the Multipurpose Center at Anthony F. Veteran Park will now be called the Gerard J. Byrne Center.

Byrne served as commissioner of parks and recreation for the town’s Department of Parks and Recreation for more than three decades.

He started as deputy commissioner in July 1986 and was promoted in 1989 to commissioner.

Byrne will be retiring at the end of December after a 44-year career in public parks and recreation.

Officials said renaming the building in Byrne’s honor was appropriate because he was a key proponent of the need for the facility which serves all town residents.

As commissioner, he was responsible for planning, promoting and overseeing a department made up of 45 parks, four park preserves, numerous buildings, 30 tennis courts, six multipurpose sports fields, seven outdoor pools, 10 pickleball courts and a permanent cricket pitch.

Byrne was instrumental in nearly tripling Greenburgh’s park system from 233 acres to 634 acres. In 2022, for the Elmwood Preserve Development next to East Rumbrook Park, he lobbied the town board to accept 14.1 acres for parkland from the developer rather than opting for taking money in lieu of land. The area is now earmarked to become a park in 2024, which will expand the town’s park system to 648 acres.

In the spring, the town will host a formal dedication of the Gerard J. Byrne Center.