It’s a No. 1 priority!
Locals can barely hold in their excitement now that the city is pushing through a plan to redo the crappy bathroom at Bayview Playground in Canarsie, relieving park-goers who haven’t had a place to answer nature’s call, said one area day care operator tired of evacuating the park every time her kids had to go.
“Instead of using the bathroom there at the park, we usually go to the school and its an inconvenience when the kids come to play at the park so were so happy they are going to have a bathroom,” said Tameka Simpson.
The relief station has been closed for five to 10 years, a Parks Department spokeswoman said — though area residents estimated it was longer.
The repairs are the result of a local movement — neighbors from the nearby Bay View Houses raised a stink to Councilman Alan Maisel (D–Canarsie), and the political whiz got the city to produce, he said.
“Six months ago we were told by the tenants’ residents association that the bathroom had been closed — I pass by there 100 times, I never knew that the bathroom was closed,” he said. “So we’ve asked Parks to do this bathroom. We’re very, very grateful. These things don’t come cheap.”
Workers are removing lead paint, making the toilets handicap-accessible, and installing new fixtures and tiles, officials said.
The flush-with-cash mayor’s office is funding the $350,000 fix-up, which should be completed by June 2017, according to a Parks Department spokeswoman.