Renovation Completed At Central Park's Billy Johnson Playground

CENTRAL PARK, NY — Central Park's Billy Johnson Playground reopened last fall after a series of upgrades were made to make the play space more accessible, but the playground's renovation wasn't declared complete until last week.

A custom-made net climbing structure was installed in the "destination playground" — located near East 67th Street and Fifth Avenue — last week and features elements such as climbable cables and nets, a rope bridge, stairs, sloped embankments and platforms. The new element will compliment the playground's signature granite slide.

The Central Park Conservancy — which is responsible for the upkeep of all the park's playgrounds — renovated Billy Johnson Playground through as part of the $300 Forever Green campaign for capital projects launched by the Central Park Conservancy in 2016.

The net climber is designed for children between the ages of 2 and 5, but will likely appeal to older kids as well, according to a Central Park Conservancy press release. A rustic sand table and user-activated water feature were installed near the net climber as compliments.

The Central Park Conservancy reopened Billy Johnson Playground in November with features such as added water elements, new swing sets and restored rustic elements. Billy Johnson Playground was also made more accessible and original play structures were brought into compliance with modern safety requirements.

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, Central Park Conservancy's Studio Director in the Department of Planning, Design and Construction Bob Rumsey told reporters last fall.

Read more about the playground's renovation here.