City Council Member Robert Holden and Borough President Melinda Katz join representatives from the Public Land Trust and P.S. 58Q students to break ground on the new playground. (Council Member Robert Holden)
June 12, 2019 By Laura Hanrahan
Local leaders gathered in Maspeth on Monday to break ground on a new student-designed playground for P.S. 58Q School of Heroes.
The new $750,000 design, which will transform the school’s current asphalt play area into a state-of-the-art green playground, calls for several major changes, including a large turf field with trees and game tables lining the edges.
Surrounding the field will be a three-lane running track with a nearby volleyball court, basketball hoops and ping pong table.
The new playground will also include space for an outdoor classroom.
The students at the K-6 school, located at 72-24 Grand Ave., have been working on the design since 2017.
“I’m thrilled that the School of Heroes is receiving this much needed upgrade to their playground with so many unique features that the local community will enjoy,” said Council Member Robert Holden at the groundbreaking.
The transformation comes as part of the Trust for Public Land’s Playgrounds Program, which aims to bring educational and engaging playgrounds to children across the city. The Trust for Public Land includes students in the design of the playground, allowing them to voice their ideas on what their school needs.
The playground will also be made open to the community. About 13,400 Maspeth residents within a 10-minute walk of a park, according to the Trust.
The project is funded by contributions from Katz, Holden, former Council Member Elizabeth Crowley, and the Department of Environmental Conservation.
Construction is underway and the new playground is expected to be ready for the coming school year in September.
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This is terrific news. The current playground is basically a drab parking lot – there is not enough field space in this city and it’s good to give kids something a bit different. And surprisingly cheaper than I expected.