Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro and Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe today broke ground on the $70 million Ocean Breeze Track and Field Complex at Ocean Breeze Park in Staten Island. The park is one of eight regional parks being improved as part of PlaNYC, and the new complex will be the first public indoor track and field facility on Staten Island. Joining Mayor Bloomberg, Borough President Molinaro and Commissioner Benepe at the announcement at Ocean Breeze Park were Assembly Members Michael Cusick and Janele Hyer-Spencer, State Senator Andrew Lanza, and Council Members Vincent Ignizio and Deborah Rose.

“Today we are breaking ground on our third PlaNYC regional park project – the long-awaited Ocean Breeze Track and Field Complex,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “This 135,000 square foot complex will feature a competition quality eight-lane track, two long jump pits, a pole vault, a high jump, and two shot-put and weight throwing areas. The building will help meet the goals of PlaNYC while addressing the needs for open space and recreation for an expanding population.”

“This new track and field facility will rival any in the nation,” said Commissioner Benepe. “It will join Carl Icahn Stadium and the Armory Track and Field Center as premiere competition and practice facilities, providing a home and training ground for children, high school students, collegiate and professional athletes, as well as an extraordinary year-round resource for the Staten Island community.”

The Ocean Breeze Track and Field Complex will be able to host a range of competitions from elite level meets to large regional amateur events.  The 200 meter track will have eight lanes, six of which can be hydraulically banked for elite competition.  Additional field space will be designated for two long jump pits, one pole vault, a high jump, and two weight throwing areas.  Support facilities and seating for 2,500 spectators will also be provided.

In keeping with the sustainability goals of PlaNYC, Parks is seeking a LEED Silver, or higher, rating for the building, and has incorporated features to conserve energy and water into the design. A new planted wetland will capture rainwater from the field house roof and provide a new habitat for wildlife. The sand dunes, wetlands, grasslands and shrub forest comprising much of Ocean Breeze Park will be preserved.

The master plan for Ocean Breeze Park was a winner of the 2010 New York American Society of Landscape Architects awards.  The Track and Field Complex is also a winner of the 2010 annual award for Excellence in Public Design, awarded by the New York City Public Design Commission.

The facility will be located on a 10-acre parcel of the 110-acre Ocean Breeze Park.  It includes part of a 26-acre parcel of state parkland that was transferred to the city in December 2009 to be part of Ocean Breeze Park.  Carol Ash, Commissioner of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation, worked with the city to move this project forward.

The Ocean Breeze Track and Field Complex is anticipated to complete its construction by the end of 2012.  It is one of eight regional parks projects included in PlaNYC, Mayor Bloomberg’s plan for enhancing the sustainability of New York. The eight regional parks, including Ocean Breeze, will play a critical role in addressing the needs for open space and active recreation for an expanding population.

Other regional parks that will be developed as part of PlaNYC are the High Bridge and Fort Washington Park in Manhattan; Soundview Park in the Bronx; McCarren Pool and Calvert Vaux Park in Brooklyn; and Highland Park and Rockaway Beach in Queens.