FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 19-011
March 4, 2019
Contact: deppressoffice@dep.nyc.gov; (718) 595-6600

Department of Environmental Protection Joins NYC Parks to Cut the Ribbon on New Green Little Claremont Playground in the Bronx

Green Infrastructure will Absorb 1.5 Million Gallons of Stormwater Each Year, Improve Health of Bronx Kill and Harlem River, and Improve Air Quality

Photos are on DEP’s Flickr Page

New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today joined NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP, City Council Member Vanessa Gibson, students and staff from P.S. 42 and community members in the South Bronx to cut the ribbon on the reconstruction of Little Claremont Playground, a Community Parks Initiative (CPI) site. The new and improved playground was funded with $3.7 million from Mayor Bill de Blasio and DEP.

DEP has committed approximately $50 million in funding for the construction of green infrastructure installations at CPI sites citywide. The green infrastructure will manage the precipitation that falls on the parks, and some of the surrounding streets, keeping it out of the combined sewer system and helping to reduce combined sewer overflows that sometimes occur during heavy rainfall. New York City has the most ambitious and aggressive green infrastructure program in the nation, with thousands of installations currently under construction across the city. In addition to managing stormwater, green infrastructure helps to improve air quality while also providing shade and lowering summertime temperatures.

“DEP is proud to be a partner in NYC Parks’ Community Parks Initiative which is transforming neighborhood parks across the city,” said DEP Commissioner Vincent Sapienza. “The newly installed rain gardens, permeable pavement and synthetic turf field at this park will help to reduce stormwater runoff by 1.5 million gallons annually, improve the health of the Bronx Kill and Harlem River, and beautify the neighborhood.”

“The transformation of Little Claremont Playground is an incredibly important improvement for this community, and especially the students and staff at P.S. 42 who use this space so frequently,” said Commissioner Silver. “The enhancements to the play area, the addition of the multipurpose field, and most importantly, the outdoor classroom, make this playground the perfect destination for play, discovery, physical activity and learning.”

“I am excited to see the official ribbon cutting of Little Claremont Playground, thanks to the Administration’s Community Parks Initiative. Approximately $3.7M, was invested to provide new amenities such as children’s play equipment, a water play area, a multipurpose synthetic turf field, and an outdoor classroom space for P.S. 42 students,” said Council Member Gibson. “This new open space will promote recreation, health and wellness to the Claremont community and I am thankful for this commitment to enhance open spaces for our children, seniors and families, and I look forward to more investments in our parks across the community. Congratulations to everyone involved in this investment in Little Claremont Playground.”

New amenities in the park include play equipment for children aged 5-12 years old, a water play area with in-ground features and spray posts, a multipurpose synthetic turf field, an outdoor classroom with a stage, and landscape enhancements and improvements to the community garden.

Launched by Mayor de Blasio in October 2014, CPI strives to make NYC Parks a more equitable and accessible parks system by investing in smaller parks that are located in New York City’s densely-populated neighborhoods with higher-than-average concentrations of poverty. Through CPI, the City is investing $318 million in capital dollars to make renovations to 67 parks citywide that have not undergone significant improvements in decades.

DEP manages New York City’s water supply, providing approximately 1 billion gallons of high quality drinking water each day to more than 9 million residents, including 8.5 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 $19.7 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.