Council Member Won announces $12 million for Queensbridge Park renovations

City Council Member Julie Won and Speaker Adrienne Adams announced the new funding for Queensbridge Park on Saturday with a check. Photo by Gerardo Romo

Aug. 28, 2024 By Iryna Shkurhan

During Queensbridge Family Day on Saturday, Aug. 24, elected officials announced they allocated $12 million in funding for capital improvements at the waterfront Queensbridge Park.

The project, led by NYC Parks, will provide a new walking track and upgrade the natural turf ball fields and sports lighting. In an effort to mitigate flooding at the waterfront park, the path near the field will also be reconstructed with climate resiliency in mind.

“As climate disasters occur with more frequency, it’s critical that we build protections and climate-resilient infrastructure,” said City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, who contributed the larger chunk of funding.

The initiative was sparked by Council Member Julie Won, who met with NYC Parks Queens Borough Commissioner Jackie Langsam and Queensbridge Houses Residents Association President Corrine Haynes-Wood last September to start discussing potential renovations.

Council Member Won and her team also distributed 200 backpacks filled with school supplies to local children ahead of the first day of school. Photo by Gerardo Romo

Won, who has represented Western Queens since 2022, allocated $1 million for the project from her own capital budget. She says she urged Speaker Adams, who allocated $11 million, to invest in the park, which sits across from the Queensbridge Houses.

“I will continue advocating for deep infrastructure and programming investments in the Queensbridge Houses and other public housing in my district to correct the pattern of disinvestment NYCHA residents have experienced for far too long,” said Won in a statement. “Thank you to Speaker Adrienne Adams and our neighbors at the Queensbridge Houses for partnering with us to prioritize the long-term needs of NYCHA residents.”

Speaker Adams presented the $12 million check alongside the neighborhood’s representatives on stage inside the “beloved” park. State Senator Kristen Gonzalez, Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani and New York City Comptroller Brad Lander were also in attendance.

“Parks are sacred to New Yorkers and vital to our health and well-being,” said Speaker Adrienne Adams. “I thank Council Member Won for her partnership in securing funding for Queensbridge Park and look forward to working with stakeholders across our city so that we can enjoy our parks today and for years to come.”