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.)
Here's a look behind the field house. The space, which includes the
Slocum Memorial Fountain, has been closed to the public during renovations. The photos include shots of the refurbished locker rooms for the mini pool (
yes, Tompkins has a mini pool!) and ADA-compliant ramps...
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.
