City Celebrates the $92 Million Investment for a New Recreation Center in Roy Wilkins Park in St. Albans, Queens

Parks: Meghan Lalor, (212) 360-1311, pressoffice@parks.nyc.gov
DDC: Shoshana Khan, 718-391-1251, KhanSho@ddc.nyc.gov

(Queens, NY – December 17, 2021) The NYC Parks Queens Borough Commissioner Michael Dockett joined NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Assistant Commissioner Lucy Wong, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr., Council Member I. Daneek Miller, Community Board 12 Chair Reverend Carlene Thorbs, and Executive Director of the Southern Queens Park Association Jacqueline Boyce today to celebrate $92 million in funding from Mayor Bill de Blasio to build a brand new recreation center in Roy Wilkins Park.

“Fairness and equity have always been a cornerstone of this administration, and Mayor de Blasio’s investment of $92 million to build a brand new recreation center in Roy Wilkins Park further demonstrates that commitment,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Gabrielle Fialkoff. “This new center will be a space where community members from St. Albans and the surrounding neighborhoods can socialize, get fit, learn, and have fun. We look forward to beginning our design process next month with a public input session to hear directly from the community!”

“Using the design-build method of construction, we will complete this project a full two years faster than if we used the traditional method of lowest bidder contracting, and we will set ambitious goals for contracting with Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises,” said NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Acting Commissioner Thomas Foley. “We look forward to building a fabulous recreation center that will make the community proud.”

The new recreation center will be located on Merrick Boulevard between 116th Avenue and Baisley Boulevard. It’s envisioned to be approximately 35,000 square feet with spaces such as a gym, fitness rooms, and multipurpose rooms. Construction will be led by DDC using the design-build method. A community input meeting to gather ideas on the design for the new center is planned for January 25, 2022.

Thanks to an additional $1.63 million in funding from Mayor de Blasio in FY22, Parks will hire 26 full-time and seasonal staff to provide maintenance, enforcement and programming in Roy Wilkins Park. This funding also includes vehicle and equipment purchases to meet the needs of both Operations and Parks Enforcement Patrol (PEP). In addition to this FY22 funding, the mayor baselined $1.10 million to maintain staffing and equipment for FY23, FY24, and FY25.

Roy Wilkins Park is well-loved for its diverse features. When the weather warms up, the park's handball, basketball, and tennis courts are filled to the brim. Named after the famed civil rights activist and former Executive Director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), this unique public space is a cultural touchstone for all of New York City.

About the NYC Department of Design and Construction
The Department of Design and Construction is the City’s primary capital construction project manager. In supporting Mayor de Blasio’s long-term vision of growth, sustainability, resiliency, equity and healthy living, DDC provides communities with new or renovated public buildings such as firehouses, libraries, police precincts, and new or upgraded roads, sewers and water mains in all five boroughs. To manage this $15.5 billion portfolio, DDC partners with other City agencies, architects and consultants, whose experience bring efficient, innovative and environmentally-conscious design and construction strategies to City projects. For more information, please visit nyc.gov/ddc.