Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
NYC Parks officials tell us that the nearly 20-month renovations of the Tompkins Square Park field house are expected to be completed by the end of the month or early February.
According to the NYC Parks' Capital Project Tracker (renovation PDF here), the work started on-site in May 2023 and is 93% complete. The original timeline listed a completion date of September 2024.
Here's background on the work via Parks officials:
The reconstruction of the field house in Tompkins Square Park will result in the complete renovation of the building's interior and exterior, including all mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. Accessibility improvements include reconfiguration of interior layouts, new entryways, and ADA-compliant ramps. The first aid room, lifeguard locker room and maintenance areas also have been renovated.
The $5.6 million funding for the much-needed renovations — the field house rarely had heat or hot water — came from the mayor's office.
Here's a look at the area on Friday...
"These upgrades are part of the overall project to bring the building up to current codes and standards, enhance accessibility, and create more effective spaces for maintenance and operations," Press Officer Kelsey Jean-Baptiste told us.
For the past 20 months, the busy 10.5-acre park has been without the field house restrooms, which, pre-renovation, looked like sets for a low-budget horror film. For relief, there were portable toilets. Sometimes, there were three porta-potties for use; sometimes, there were none. (This post has more about the Tompkins toilet drama.)
The Tompkins Square mini pool was also out of commission for two consecutive summers. However, the pool itself was not part of the renovation project.
Expect a new pool in the years ahead, though. Last August, Gov. Hochul announced nearly $150 million in capital grants to fund 37 projects as part of the New York Statewide Investment in More Swimming (NY SWIMS) initiative.
Tompkins Square Park will receive $6.1 million for a new in-ground pool, which will double the current capacity of the above-ground model for children and their guardians. The project's start date has not been announced.
The Tompkins Square Park field house will likely return to service before an official ribbon-cutting ceremony.
$5.6 million ? DOB needs to simplify their regulations and the city needs to monitor the costs of projects. That’s a ridiculous amount of money.
ReplyDeleteAgreed! 5.6 million, my gawd.
DeleteAnd 5.6 is the low bid. That's how bad it is with city contracts.
Delete5.6 is probably the total funding allocated. Lowest bid would have to be less. Job is not done yet so that can't be the final cost.
DeleteHopefully the bathrooms will be improved above the current standard of "worst public bathrooms in New York"
ReplyDeleteAnd according to photos, we get a water fountain with a bottle filler?? Yes! Truly excited for this perk since the lay grounds don’t have them.
ReplyDeleteHope we can help the long neglected area behind here flourish and come back to life this spring too!
Go go Friends of Tompkins Square Park group.
I’m surprised there are no bars (yet?) on the windows.
ReplyDeleteIs that a whole new water feature (where before was the constantly water-logged sprinkler area)? Are those new trees?
ReplyDeleteLooks like a better quality Porto-Potty.
ReplyDeleteApparently a cafe/restaurant was in the works back there pre pandemic according to my friend that works for the Parks Dept.
ReplyDeleteWhat a joke. Rarely ever saw any workers there. This project could have been finished in two months in another part of the country.
ReplyDeleteA water bottle filler is great!
ReplyDeleteI hope the 9th Street pathway is repaved.
ReplyDeletethis has to do with some other nyc situations that have impacted quality of life.
ReplyDelete