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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 18-75
July 23, 2018
deppressoffice@dep.nyc.gov, (718) 595-6600

Department of Environmental Protection and Council Member Lander Announce Construction Underway for New “Green” Playground At P.S. 282 in Park Slope

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

A Rendering of the new Playground is Available on DEP’s Flickr Page

Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Vincent Sapienza and New York City Council Member Brad Lander today announced that construction has begun on a new “green” playground at P.S. 282 in Park Slope. The former asphalt lot will be transformed with the addition of green infrastructure and trees that has the storage capacity to capture nearly 1 million gallons of stormwater annually and help to improve the health of the Gowanus Canal. Set to be completed by the end of the year, the playground improvements will include a synthetic turf field, a running track, a spray fountain and drinking water fountain, a basketball hoop, and benches and trees. Council Member Lander provided $250,000 in funding and DEP allocated $350,000.

“We are proud to partner with Council Member Lander to transform this asphalt playground into a beautiful new green space for the whole community,” said DEP Commissioner Sapienza. “The green infrastructure that will be built at the playground will not only absorb stormwater and improve the health of the Gowanus Canal, it will also provide needed shade and help to lower summertime temperatures.”

“I’m thrilled that a new green playground will soon take the place of an asphalt lot at P.S. 282 in Park Slope,” said Council Member Brad Lander. “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.”

The Park Slope playground is located along Berkeley Place between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue and is a shared site with P.S. 282. The centerpiece of the upgrade will be a new synthetic turf field featuring a subsurface broken stone storage layer and perforated distribution pipes to promote infiltration. Stormwater that falls on the playground and basketball areas will also be directed towards the engineered drainage under the turf field. By keeping up to 1 million gallons of stormwater out of the neighborhood’s combined sewer system every year, the 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.

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