NYC Parks Opens New $1.25M Amusement Park-Themed Playground in Rockaway

Queens Parks Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski today joined State Senator James Sanders Jr., Council Member Donovan Richards, children from the Sorrentino Recreation Center and members of the Rockaway community to open the reconstructed Beach Channel Playground.

"The new Beach Channel Playground recall's Rockaway's history -- with a creative design inspired by the Playland amusement park that once stood nearby," said Queens Parks Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski. "It also helps to protect Rockaway's future -- with more trees and more permeable surfaces to absorb water and prevent runoff. I would like to thank State Senator Sanders and Council Member Richards for allocating the funding that helped make this project possible."

This project converted a mostly asphalt lot into a new amusement park-themed playground. It was funded with $1.25 million allocated by former Council Member, now State Senator, James Sanders, Jr. and Council Member Donovan Richards.

The playground provides separate areas of playground equipment for children ages 2-5 and 5-12. It includes interactive midway game elements - such as skee ball and milk bottle games. It also includes a carousel-inspired spray shower, a Ferris wheel-themed climber and a "fun house" area. New benches, fencing, trees, plantings and upgraded utilities were added to the site as part of this work. 36% of the park is constructed from permeable materials that can capture stormwater and reduce runoff. This project was designed by NYC Parks'' landscape architect Steven Whitesell.

Photo Credit: Malcolm Pinckney/NYC Parks