Here's a look at the work to date...
According to a landscape architect with the Parks Department (from a presentation in February), there's a lot of "asphalt structural damage," and it "needs to be replaced and repaired. And the only way to do that is to take all the asphalt down to the sub base and put new asphalt down."
The new walking/running track has garnered the most reaction from readers. This track will be painted on the new asphalt, not a rubberized coating.
Additions also include new benches (the 1939 World's Fair models!), a kickball court, a high-low fountain that kids and adults can use simultaneously, and three new basketball backstops at the eastern end. And moving forward, the space will no longer host permitted sports, including hockey in the fall or softball in the spring-summer.
According to Quartersnacks, the assortment of ramps, rails and boxes that the skaters used were placed in storage (at least the ones still in decent shape).
And some thoughts on the new era of the TF via Quartersnacks...
Tricks that were learned over those cracks in the asphalt took some people around the world. Lifelong friendships were forged on those benches. Over time, new cracks will form in the ground, and new friendships will form on the benches between people who never sat on the old ones. Regardless of how mystical you want to get about the place, it was a profound part in the life of anybody who spent time there. It's not disappearing, but it's changing.
Posted signs say the work will be complete by Dec. 1... though the Parks website still lists June 2024.
Previously on EV Grieve:
As always with parks department contractors there will be many days that no work will be performed at all, not related to weather. Just corruption. It was remarkable watch the renovation of the PS19 playground few years ago. The renovation was performed by contractors hired by the Trust for Public Land. They showed up for work daily at 8:00 AM, worked 6 days a week, rain or shine or snow. You could see progress daily. Not in this case. When Parks Department renovated Sauer Park they fenced it off in September but actual work started in December, we passed by it daily and saw how many days workers didn't show up and no work was done (Sep-Mar, before the pandemic).
ReplyDeleteMay this be our only problem in life.
DeleteThe famous skateboard Bench was stolen some time in August 2022. Anyone know where it is now? It would be hilarious if it reappeared in time for the reopening of this space.
ReplyDeletePretty sure it was last seen in Philly!
DeleteI predict a Dec 2024 completion. All the work will take place between Sept - Nov 2024 with nothing occurring in the interim.
ReplyDeletePainted walking track? As long as it's just paint I withdraw my objection.
ReplyDeleteWhy are they getting rid of permitted sports? Again, they took half the playing fields in the East River. Why take away an active sports field in Tompkins. Is this just the lawyers and insurance people ruining everything again?
ReplyDelete@11:46 cause most of the permitted sports people are corrrrrrrny. Paddleball corny post-grad types who infiltrate LES.. No room for them right now.
ReplyDelete