NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP today joined Staten Island Deputy Borough President Ed Burke, New York State Assembly Member Charles Fall, City Council Member Debi Rose and community members to cut the ribbon on new amenities and upgrades to Faber Park through the Parks Without Borders (PWB) Initiative, funded by Mayor Bill de Blasio. The project is one of more than 800 completed under Commissioner Silver’s leadership, advancing the City’s mission to build a more equitable 21st century park system.
“Through Parks Without Borders, we’ve restored vibrancy to Faber Park’s entryways to create a more welcoming community space,” said Commissioner Silver. “As Commissioner I’ve prioritized working to ensure that all New Yorkers have access to quality parks, and it’s outstanding to see these underused spaces transformed into community assets. Thanks to Mayor de Blasio and Council Member Rose’s investment, this beautiful waterfront gem will now serve as a more accessible and inviting resource for the children, families, and residents of North Shore.”
“We celebrate the continued enhancements at Faber Park which provide a diverse range of parks experiences for the community,” said Staten Island Deputy Borough President Ed Burke. “We applaud Commissioner Silver for his dynamic stewardship of this project and so many others on Staten Island. His efforts to improve and re-imagine our parks large and small will be enjoyed for generations to come.”
“With the completion of this Parks Without Borders project, we are opening up a new space that is welcoming and draws the surrounding community in. This Faber Park improvement is a significant investment not just in physical space here, but in the lives of the children and adults who will enjoy the space — today, tomorrow and for generations to come,” said Council Member Debi Rose. “I want to thank everyone who has made this space possible, especially all our partners in government who are dedicated to creating, sustaining and improving our green spaces.”
The $6.5 million project, funded by Mayor Bill de Blasio and Council Member Rose, lowered the fencing and widened entrances along the street to make the park more inviting and open. The park now features a multi-use path, universally accessible play areas, and a multi-use oval plaza with an amphitheater. Spray elements were incorporated into the amphitheater seating to create a cooling environment for patrons in the summer months. In addition, the project also provides ADA-compliant pedestrian access from Richmond Terrace downhill to the pool.
Parks Without Borders, part of OneNYC, was announced in November 2015 with a call for community involvement. NYC Parks asked New Yorkers to nominate the sites that would benefit the most from a PWB improvement project. Utilizing an online survey and 37 conferences with citizens, Parks received more than 6,000 nominations for 691 parks—approximately 30 percent of our parks. The eight selected showcase projects, sharing $40 million in funding from Mayor de Blasio, were revealed in May 2016; and an additional $10 million has been applied to another 40 capital projects in progress.
The other PWB projects are: Fort Greene Park (Brooklyn); Prospect Park (Brooklyn); Van Cortlandt Park and Hugh Grant Circle / Virginia Park and Playground (Bronx)Jackie Robinson Park and Seward Park (Manhattan); and Flushing Meadows Corona Park (Queens).