NEW YORK—Rockaway children can finally run through a squiggly, mustard yellow, and fire-hydrant red playground that gently splashes cool water through its colorful tubes. The dream was delayed, but is now a reality.
Mayor Bloomberg and former Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe cut the ribbon for the opening of the renovated public Rockaway Park at the eastern end of the Rockaway Peninsula Monday. The new park was destroyed in March this year by vandalism. It took $100,000 to rebuild it, pushing back the opening by months.
Rockaway Park was one of eight parks being revamped under the PlaNYC initiative. The city spent nearly $30 million on the Rockaway project, which includes a 15,700-square-foot skateboard park, ball court, playground, climbing wall, synthetic turf field, and a new public bathroom with lime green walls on the inside and out.
“It was fun. It’s a better experience than where we usually play,” Jonathan Gonzales, 12, said after a football game. Gonzales plays for the Rockaway Ravens, the area’s youth football team. The Lady Ravens cheerleaders said they were also excited about their team’s “new home.”
