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Pumping cash into Cadman: Mayor funds first significant makeover of Downtown park in decades

Pumping cash into Cadman: Mayor funds first significant makeover of Downtown park in decades
Community News Group / Lauren Gill

He’s doling out green for the greensward!

The city is spending millions to makeover the top end of Downtown’s Cadman Plaza Park for the first time since the 1950s, Mayor DeBlasio announced at a town-hall meeting in Brooklyn Heights on Oct. 18.

“I’ve been to Cadman Plaza Park many times, but I didn’t know until this week the last time the northern part of the park got a physical rehab was in the ’50s. I think it’s time,” Hizzoner said.

City officials provided $6.4 million to renovate the green space bounded by Cadman Plaza East, Prospect Street, Cadman Plaza West, and Tillary Street. Upgrades include landscaping, new benches, resurfacing pavement, fencing, stairs, and installing water fountains.

New York City acquired the meadow in the 1930s and though park officials replaced much of its grass with artificial turf in 2007, the last time honchos significantly revamped the space was in 1952, when they opened the huge World War II memorial in its center.

One of the park’s stewards thanked the mayor for earmarking moolah to spruce it up, applauding the arrival of the much-needed drinking stations in particular.

“I really think water fountains will help,” said Toba Potosky, president of the Cadman Plaza Park Conservancy, which maintains the meadow in conjunction with the city.

Now that the money is in the bank, the city is putting together a timeline for the renovation, according to a parks department spokeswoman.

And the enhancements aren’t the only changes coming to the green space.

Workers will begin a $4-million overhaul of the war memorial in spring 2018, which includes installing an elevator from the ground level to the basement bathrooms and adding ramps that make it accessible to everyone.

Reach reporter Lauren Gill at lgill@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260–2511. Follow her on Twitter @laurenk_gill