Deputy Mayor Wolfson, Borough President Marshall, Council Member Dromm, Garden School, and Park Advocates Announce Purchase of Athletic Field in Jackson Heights, Queens

Jackson Heights, NY, March 22, — In what is a major success for the neighborhood of Jackson Heights, a deal was reached to preserve the last remaining open space in a congested community which has one of the worst ratios of persons to park space acreage in the City. Seizing a once in a lifetime opportunity to bring more parkland to the area, City officials quickly began negotiations with the Garden School as soon as their athletic field was put up for sale over a year ago. The agreement reached with the City is a win-win for Jackson Heights and the Garden School, who negotiated in good faith to ensure that the lot remained an open space for the area. At 25,000 square feet, the Garden School athletic field is a significant addition to neighboring Travers Park. The lot was purchased for $6 million of which $4 million was secured by Council Member Dromm. The Mayor’s office and the Queens Borough President’s office contributed $1 million each. “This is a great deal for both the residents of Jackson Heights and the Garden School,” said Deputy Mayor Howard Wolfson. “All sides worked together to ensure that this land will be preserved as open space that both neighborhood residents and the school can use. This is an outstanding example of how government and the community can collaborate to achieve the best possible result.” “Every New Yorker should have access to adequate parks and recreational opportunities and Jackson Heights was in dire need of additional park space,” said Dromm (D-Queens). “The opportunity to preserve this open space and expand Travers Park was simply too great to pass up. I commend Deputy Mayor Wolfson, the Garden School board members and Borough President Marshall for their commitment to the Jackson Heights community and their extraordinary effort in making this deal come to fruition. The residents of our neighborhood deserve this.” “This was a wonderful collaboration between the City, community members and our private school,” said Garden School Headmaster Dr. Richard Marotta. “Everyone wins with this arrangement and it is a perfect example of what can happen when the public and private sectors work together.” “When Councilman Dromm approached me with this proposal I immediately saw the benefit and was happy to provide $1 million in capital funding to help make this project become a reality,” said Queens Borough President Helen Marshall. “This deal will benefit both the Garden School and the public and provide much-needed open space in this community.” “Today, we’ve set in motion the acquisition of an important addition to the adjacent Travers Park and a vital piece of recreational space.” said NYC Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe. “Jackson Heights needs additional open space, and I want to thank the neighborhood park advocates, local elected and community officials, the Garden School, Mayor Bloomberg and our colleagues in City Hall who all worked together to move the process forward.” “Getting the whole community involved is what made this park expansion a reality. Thousands of Jackson Heights residents banded together to encourage the Garden School to sell this land to the City. Thank you to Council Member Dromm for his vision and leadership. And thank you to Mayor Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor Wolfson, and all the City employees who worked on this deal, for their dedication and perseverance,” said Will Sweeney of the Jackson Heights Green Alliance. “We are ecstatic to be getting more parkland in our neighborhood. This cherished space will be enjoyed by generations of Jackson Heights residents and families to come.” The environmental consulting firm AKRF provided pro bono services that will help expedite the Uniform Land Use Review Process (ULURP) at a cost savings to the City. The ULURP process is required when the City acquires private land. “In 1965 my grandfather – Jack Kaplan – teamed with the City of New York to create this town’s first vest-pocket park, on West 128th Street in Harlem. So I’m particularly pleased today to celebrate another public/private partnership to bring open space to neighborhoods that need it most,” said Peter Davidson, Chair, J. M. Kaplan Fund. “The Fund for the City of New York is delighted to be able to help the Garden School and the New York City Parks Department preserve this important space for the public,” says Mary McCormick, President of the Fund for the City of New York. This is a great example of collaboration and innovation on the part of the City and an important nonprofit.” Dromm and community advocates, with the approval of Queens Community Board 3, have already secured permission to permanently close the adjacent street (78th Street). When combined with the purchase of the Garden School lot, the existing parkland will almost double in size. Press Release