Central Park's Billy Johnson Playground To Reopen With Upgrades

CENTRAL PARK, NY — One of Central Park's most-visited playgrounds, which draws families from all over the city, is set to reopen Friday afternoon following a major renovation project that features upgraded play structures and improved accessibility.

The Billy Johnson Playground — located near East 67th Street and Fifth Avenue — resembled a construction site Thursday, but the Central Park Conservancy's Studio Director in the Department of Planning, Design and Construction Bob Rumsey told reporters he's "confident" the facility will be ready to accommodate playing children starting Friday.

When the playground is reopened it will feature added water elements, new swing sets and restored "rustic elements," Rumsey said. The Central Park Conservancy — which is responsible for the upkeep of all the park's playgrounds — also made the playground more accessible and brought original play structures into compliance with modern safety requirements, Rumsey said.

While many improvements have been made to the playground, the Conservancy's design team worked to preserve the vision of the playground's original architect M. Paul Friedberg, Rumsey said.

One of the playground's most popular elements — a 45-foot granite slide embedded into the park's hilly landscape — will be complemented by an additional granite slide for younger children and children with limited mobility, improved timber steps, better sight lines and an area for wooden benches.

Water elements at the playground have also been enhanced, but will not be turned on until warmer weather. The playground's enhanced amphitheater is now fitted with a dozen water jets that are controlled electronically to release water at different speeds and heights at the push of a button.

Friedberg's original design for Billy Johnson Playground drew inspiration from the landscape of Central Park itself. A bridge structure in the center of the playground resembles the famed Gapstow Bridge and most of the structures within the park were made from natural materials such as wood and stone. The renovated park enhances Friedberg's original by restoring original rustic elements such as a wooden gazebo and featuring new wooden pergolas. A new wooden entryway resembles the original, but has been widened for greater accessibility.

The new swing sets were also made from wood to give off a rustic vibe.

In addition to widening the entryway, the Central Park Conservancy repaved the playground at more even elevations, regraded a once-steep path leading from Fifth Avenue to the playground and replaced inaccessible sand pits with sand carpet, which also provides a safe padded surface.

Better accessibility was one of the main goals in the playground renovation, Rumsey said. The other goals included better integrating the playground with the landscape, bringing the facility into compliance with safety regulations and enhancing Friedberg's vision for the playground.

While the Central Park Conservancy is planning to reopen the playground on Friday, the renovation will not be fully completed until early 2019, Rumsey said. A custom-made wooden net climber is still being built and will be installed in an area of the park that used to feature a sand pit. A smaller sand pit as well as an accessible sand carpet and water element will be opened in the meantime.

The Billy Johnson Playground was the first playground created by the Central Park Conservancy after the organization took over responsibilities to maintain the park. The conservancy manages all 21 of the park's playgrounds, which are visited by more than three million parkgoers each year.

Funds for the playground renovation were raised as part of a $300 million campaign for capital projects launched by the Central Park Conservancy in 2016.

Photos by Brendan Krisel/Patch