FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 18-99
October 22, 2018
deppressoffice@dep.nyc.gov, (718) 595-6600

New York City Joins Council Member Brad Lander to Cut the Ribbon on New “Green” Playground at P.S. 282 in Park Slope

Former Asphalt Lot Has Been Transformed with Green Infrastructure to Capture Nearly 1 Million Gallons of Stormwater Annually and Improve the Health of the Gowanus Canal

Photos are Available on DEP’s Flickr Page

Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Vincent Sapienza and New York City Council Member Brad Lander joined NYC Parks Borough Commissioner Martin Maher, P.S. 282 Principal Rashan Hoke and students today to cut the ribbon on a new “green” playground at P.S. 282 in Park Slope. The former asphalt lot has been transformed with the addition of green infrastructure and trees that have the storage capacity to capture nearly 1 million gallons of stormwater annually and will help to improve the health of the Gowanus Canal. The playground improvements include a turf field, running track, spray shower, drinking water fountain, basketball hoop, and benches. Council Member Lander provided $250,000 in funding and DEP allocated $350,000.

“The new green infrastructure at this playground is not only absorbing stormwater and helping to improve the health of our surrounding waterbodies, it is also providing a fun, safe place to play,” said DEP Commissioner Sapienza. “We are proud to partner with Council Member Lander to transform this asphalt playground into a beautiful new green space for the whole community.”

“I’m thrilled that a new green playground has now officially opened to finally replace the asphalt lot at P.S. 282 in Park Slope,” said Council Member Brad Lander. “This has been a long time coming and is a true victory for the neighborhood and community. Not only will this playground provide a great new place for kids from the school and community to play, its green infrastructure will absorb stormwater and improve the health of the Gowanus Canal. I thank DEP Commissioner Vincent Sapienza for partnering with my office to fund this important project that will help make sure that Gowanus is a vibrant, sustainable, mixed-use neighborhood for decades to come.”

“Thanks to the efforts of Council Member Brad Lander and DEP, Park Slope Playground has been given an amazing upgrade,” said NYC Parks Brooklyn Borough Commissioner Martin Maher. “With so many new amenities, and the added green infrastructure, this playground is fun and environmentally friendly. We are proud to open it back up to the community as a renewed place to gather and play.”

‘We’re super excited that the children of PS/MS 282 and the whole community will have a brand-new, green, playground for recess and play this year and for generations to come,” said Principal Rashan Hoke. “On behalf of all the children, parents and staff we thank Mayor de Blasio, Councilman Brad Lander, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Parks Department, and our incredible community of collaborators and parent advocates for bringing this state of the art play space to life.”

“It’s an incredible gift,” said P.S. 282 PTO co-president and alum Una La Marche. “The blacktop before the renovation had been much the same for 30 years. I played hopscotch there with no hopscotch court and ran wild around it without a track. But I'm a parent now, and I want better for our kids. This remodel is more than I ever could have imagined.”

Park Slope Playground is located along Berkeley Place between 5^th Avenue and 6^th Avenue and is a shared NYC Parks site with P.S. 282. Stormwater that falls on the playground and basketball areas is now being directed towards drainage under the turf field. By keeping up to 1 million gallons of stormwater out of the neighborhood’s combined sewer system every year, this playground will help to reduce Combined Sewer Overflows into the Gowanus Canal.

The Park Slope Playground renovation is one of many playground projects that feature green infrastructure design elements funded by DEP. DEP has committed approximately $50 million in funding for green infrastructure installations at Community Parks Initiative sites and partners with the Trust for Public Land to rehabilitate asphalt playgrounds throughout the five boroughs. Thus far, more than 45 playgrounds have been completed with another 89 currently being designed. In addition, DEP builds green infrastructure at New York City Housing Authority sites, along roadways and sidewalks, and provides funding for private property owners to build their own green infrastructure.

DEP manages New York City’s water supply, providing more than 1 billion gallons of high quality drinking water each day to more than 9.6 million residents, including 8.6 million in New York City. The water is delivered from a watershed that extends more than 125 miles from the city, comprising 19 reservoirs and three controlled lakes. Approximately 7,000 miles of water mains, tunnels and aqueducts bring water to homes and businesses throughout the five boroughs, and 7,500 miles of sewer lines and 96 pump stations take wastewater to 14 in-city treatment plants. DEP has nearly 6,000 employees, including almost 1,000 in the upstate watershed. In addition, DEP has a robust capital program, with a planned $19.4 billion in investments over the next 10 years that will create up to 3,000 construction-related jobs per year. For more information, visit nyc.gov/dep, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.