Upper West Side Playground Reopens After $7M Renovation

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — An Upper West Side playground that went without serious investment for decades reopened this weekend after a $7.1 million renovation project, city officials announced.

The renovated Bloomingdale Playground on Amsterdam Avenue and West 104th Street features new ADA-accessible play equipment, upgraded safety surfaces a new turf field and basketball court and a reconstruction restroom, city Parks Department officials said. The project was funded through the city's Community Parks Initiative, which allocates money toward fixing up under-funded playgrounds in densley-populated neighborhoods throughout the city.

"As our 45th completed Community Parks Initiative project, Bloomingdale Playground marks significant progress in our work to create a more equitable park system," City Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver said in a statement. "Like all of our Community Parks Initiative sites, the renovated playground is a reflection of the creative visions and ideas of the community it serves."

The Bloomingdale Playground renovation is the 45th completed project funded through the Community Parks Initiative. Funders included Mayor Bill de Blasio, who contributed $4.8 million for the playground and $1.5 million for the restroom, City Councilmember Mark Levine ($600,00) and Borough President Gale Brewer ($220,000).

De Blasio launched the Community Parks Initiative in 2014. The program will invest $318 million into renovations at 67 city parks.

"I’m proud to have contributed funding to this renovation of Bloomingdale Playground," Brewer said in a statement. "It’s said that parks are New York City’s ‘lungs’ and keeping them clean must be a priority for city government."

In addition to the upgrades to play equipment and restrooms, the city Department of Environmental Protection outfitted the playground with environmentally-friendly infrastructure, city officials said. The department contributed $340,000 to the project.

Bloomingdale Playground opened in 1962 and was transferred to the Parks Department one year later. The playground was initially named after the neighboring PS 145, but was renamed in the 1990s.