The oft-delayed renovations of J.J. Byrne Park’s handball courts are finally done — and just in time for winter!
“It’s great they fixed it, but now it’s too cold to use them,” said Mike Martinez, who has played handball at the courts for 35 years. “If it’s above 50, then we’ll be out there.”
The $1.6-million renovations were paid for by developer Shaya Boymelgreen, who agreed to renovate the dour southern part of the park after being allowed to seize it as a staging area for his 12-story Novo condo tower on Fourth Avenue between Fourth and Fifth streets.
The new park includes restored handball courts, new basketball courts, a dog run, a garden and a skate park, said Parks Department spokesman Phil Abramson — and the work was long overdue.
The city will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Dec. 3 for the renovated park, as well as a ground-breaking ceremony for the synthetic turf field.
The city will also formally rename the greensward “Washington Park.” J.J. Byrne was a former Brooklyn Borough President.
