New Prospect Park Initiative To Address Pandemic Wear And Tear

PROSPECT PARK, BROOKLYN — Even the city's parks need a moment of recovery after the chaos of 2020.

The Prospect Park Alliance has announced a new "Re:New Prospect Park" initiative that it hopes will help Brooklyn's backyard recuperate from the wear and tear of the coronavirus pandemic, which brought budget shortfalls just as more Brooklynites than ever were taking refuge in the park grounds.

The project will bring extra staff, volunteers, trash bins and other upgrades to spruce up the park through a series of donations, officials said.

“We know how important the park has been to our community and the role it serves in recovering from the challenges of this past year,” Prospect Park Alliance President Sue Donoghue said. “Prospect Park is showing serious signs of wear and tear, and without our normal workforce, we are so grateful for our community, who over the past year has pitched in to help sustain this cherished green oasis."

Like many of New York City's parks, Prospect Park lost critical funding last year due to cuts to the city's Parks Department and the lack of its usual sources of revenue through park attractions.

The organization lost $3.2 million in revenue from March through June in 2020, had to lay-off or furlough 20 staff members and hold off on hiring season staffers who care for the park in the spring and summer.

To fund Re:New, the Alliance will use donations from parkgoers as well as from Amazon, the Leon Levy Foundation, NYC COVID-19 Response and Impact Fund in the New York Community Trust, NYC Green Relief + Recovery Fund.

A big part of the new initiative will be managing the park's trash, including new receptacles in key areas of the park and new signage to encourage parkgoers to clean up after themselves, according to the Alliance.

The organization will also hire four seasonal groundskeepers and will boost maintenance on peak days with the help of ACE New York, a nonprofit that helps provide employment to men and women who have overcome homelessness.

“Throughout the pandemic, Prospect Park has provided badly needed, outdoor refuge to Brooklyn families. Unfortunately, this has meant wear and tear on the park at the exact time resources are strained," said Carley Graham Garcia, Amazon’s New York Head of External Affairs. "By partnering with ACE, Prospect Park Alliance will create job opportunities, while ensuring this local gem remains a resource for our city and borough.”

Re:New will also upgrade certain areas of the park in the spring and early summer as the Alliance prepares for its busiest time of year.

Projects include renovating restroom facilities at the Lincoln Road and Children's Corner, new barbecue grills, new fixtures and furnishings at the Picnic House and Bandshell barbecue areas and installing new benches and landscaping at the Drummer's Grove, a historic area of the park that hosts the Congo Square Drummers and their drumming circle.

The Alliance also announced the launch of a new "Fix-It" crew of staff and volunteers that will work on repainting benches, cleaning historic structures, fixing broken fences and taking car of park lawns.

Volunteers can also sign up to help using the "Green and Go Kit" and “It's My Park Monday” programs.

Find out more about Re:New Prospect Park here.