Coney Islanders are getting a new place to play.
The Parks Department will transform the parking lot next to Surf Playground into a public play and exercise area within the next three years thanks to $2.5 million secured by Councilman Mark Treyger (D–Coney Island). The local pol said the upgrade to the lot at Surf Avenue and W. 25th Street — the second phase of the playground’s makeover — will provide a new space where locals can exercise while enjoying the outdoors, and help make up for a legacy of neglect.
“Parks in Southern Brooklyn have been ignored and neglected for many years. I have worked hard to change that because I believe residents here deserve clean, safe, and modern green and recreational spaces,” Treyger said. “We already saw the completion of the first phase of reconstruction, and I’m excited to see work beginning on the second so our community can take advantage.”
The upgrade will bring a walking track, synthetic-turf field, basketball courts, adult fitness equipment, and other new features to the site, according to Parks Department spokesman Maeri Ferguson, who added that agency reps and Treyger held a public input meeting at the neighborhood’s PS 288 last November to gather ideas before the year-long design process.
The agency expects to begin the nine-month procurement process — which involves awarding the contract to a contractor — by November, meaning the 12–18 months of construction should begin at some point next summer, according to Ferguson.
The Parks rep added that the parking lot is the agency’s property, and allowed it to be used as a parking lot temporarily “with the understanding that it would eventually be reconstructed into a playground.”
The playground’s first phase of reconstruction — funded by $480,000 from the Mayor’s Office — included the installation of new pavement, fencing, and play equipment at the existing playground.
Surf Playground is one of three in Coney Island’s West End that Treyger secured funding to upgrade — including Poseidon and Nautilus playgrounds — in 2016.
