NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue joined Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato, Council Member Joann Ariola, Community Board 14 Chair Dolores Orr, representatives from USA Pickleball, children from camp P.S. 317 and the Millennium Development Summer Program, and members of the community to cut the ribbon on the brand new adventure course and pickleball court in Rockaway Beach. The new adventure course and pickleball court are part of continued efforts to rebuild Rockaway after hurricane Sandy in 2012.
“As Rockaway continues its revitalization since Hurricane Sandy devastated the region, we are thrilled to cut the ribbon on the newest amenities to the peninsula, bringing a new adventure course and the first designated public pickleball court to the neighborhood,” said Commissioner Donoghue. “I’d like to express our sincere gratitude to all of our partners involved on this project, including the community, who’s vision aided our design which has now become a reality.”
“The opening of this Adventure Course park is emblematic of Rockaway Beach’s comeback from both Hurricane Sandy and the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. “Both events underscored the importance of being together as a community and of having access to parks and recreational facilities that allow children and adults to be active and enjoy the outdoors. Our parks and playgrounds are the anchors of our neighborhoods, and the families of Rockaway Beach deserve nothing less than to have a first-class park like this one to call their own.”
“It is exciting to see the improvements we continue to bring to the Rockaway community after Hurricane Sandy devastated much of the area nearly 10 years ago. However, out of that devastation we were able to build the Rockaways back better than they were before, and this project proves it,” State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo Jr. said. “This new adventure course will bring fun and excitement to residents of all ages, and we were even able to incorporate the new national craze of pickleball into this project by unveiling the first designated public pickleball court in Rockaway. This could only have been accomplished with the hard work of my partners in government, the NYC Parks Department, the vital FEMA funding, and input from the community members. I encourage everyone to come enjoy these new facilities!”
“As far as I’m concerned, my district has the greatest beaches in all of New York State, and beyond. With the 10 year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy approaching, I am proud of the continued collaboration with elected leadership and the NYC Parks Dept. to continue to invest in the Rockaway community and our beaches. Today’s ribbon cutting for this new and innovative adventure course and pickle ball court on Shore Front Parkway shows that our recovery is not just about surviving, but thriving and being stronger than before,” saidAssemblywoman Pheffer Amato.
“The people of Rockaway have been waiting a long time for this adventure course and pickleball court to finally open, so it’s great to be here and see this long process through to completion,” Councilwoman Ariola said. “These new amenities represent yet another step in the now near-decade long recovery process post-Sandy, and add even further to the stunning rebirth we’ve seen from this incredibly resilient community.”
With major support from FEMA for post-Sandy revitalization, a new adventure course has been built between Beach 102nd and Beach 101st Streets along Shore Front Parkway in the Rockaways. The design includes both active and passive spaces to offer a diverse environment for people of all ages 13 and above. The western portion of the site includes a pickleball court, the first designated public pickleball court in Rockaway, with a spectator seating area. The middle portion of the site is dominated by an obstacle course, designed to be a complete circuit and giving users a challenging full body workout. The space also includes numerous seating opportunities under both metal shade structures and trees along with planting beds to provide seasonal interest.
The $4.7 million Shore Front Parkway Adventure Course and pickleball court was made possible with $4.072 million from FEMA through the Sandy Recovery Act, $407,264 from the Office of the Queens Borough President, and $175,000 from City Council.
Last month, NYC Parks unveiled two newly constructed plazas in Lower Manhattan. Take a look inside Rapkin-Gayle Plaza in SoHo Manuel Plaza in NoHo. Sunset Cove, Broad Channel, unveils newest phase of Development. And McCarren Park unveils a new Cafe’!