Parks to present 3 options for Tompkins Square recreation area

Photos from this summer by Stacie Joy 

The Parks Department will present three options for the reconstruction of the Tompkins Square Park mini-pool, basketball courts and fitness area at a Community Board 3 committee meeting tom orrow evening (Oct. 15). 

The presentation marks the next step in a project that has prompted concerns among some park users, particularly those who want the existing fitness equipment preserved. 

As previously reported, a petition asking the Parks Department to remove the fitness area from the reconstruction plans had collected more than 2,600 signatures. 

Supporters say the outdoor workout area, near 10th Street and Avenue B, serves a diverse community of regulars who use the equipment year-round. Several told EVG's Stacie Joy this past summer that they worry replacement equipment won't meet their needs.

The larger reconstruction project calls for replacing the existing above-ground mini-pool with a new in-ground pool that would double its capacity, along with improvements to the basketball courts and fitness area.

Thursday's presentation should offer a clearer picture of what Parks has in mind for the three spaces. The options have not been made public yet.

The Parks, Recreation, Waterfront & Resiliency Committee meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. at the BRC Senior Services Center, 30 Delancey St. between Chrystie and Forsyth streets. The meeting is open to the public, with a Zoom option. 

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Petition to preserve Tompkins Square Park fitness area tops 2,000 signatures 

• Plans unveiled for reconstruction project at the Tompkins Square Park mini-pool, basketball courts and fitness area