The Poor Get Richer: Brownsville Park is slated for a $30M makeover

Rundown Betsy Head Complex Is One of Five Green Spaces Citywide to Benefit from Major Parks Department investment

August 18, 2016 By James Harney Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Betsy Head is the recreational heart of Brownsville. Eagle photo by Lore Croghan

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Good times are ahead for Betsy Head — the long-neglected park that is the recreational heart of one of the city’s poorest neighborhoods is set to receive a $30 million rehab.

The de Blasio administration announced plans Thursday to invest $150 million — $30 million each — to make major improvements in five city parks, one in each borough.

The beneficiaries of the money — earmarked for new running and hiking trails, soccer fields and other fixes — are Betsy Head in Brownsville, St. Mary’s Park in the South Bronx, Astoria Park in Queens, Highbridge Park in Washington Heights and Fresh Kills Park on Staten Island.

“Park users can look forward to major new assets afforded by large parks, including soccer fields, baseball fields and trails,” said Sam Biederman, a spokesman for city Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver.

Silver himself told the Wall Street Journal that the city made a conscious effort to give a major infusion of cash to the five parks because “spending $30 million in each park really gives you the kind of transformation where the neighborhood sees the difference.”

And at Betsy Head, the site of a large public pool frequented by thousands of Central Brooklyn youths each summer, residents are anxious to see such a difference.

“The $30 million in renovation work is much needed; the park is in a totally dilapidated condition,” said Richard Swinson, 64, a lifelong local resident who describes himself as “a community activist and longtime mentor of youth in Brownsville.”

“Pieces of the track and field in the park have just totally crumbled and disappeared in places,” said Swinson, who uses the park for his daily exercise. “The baseball diamonds have been neglected so long they’re literally dustbowls.”

But Swinson quickly added that there is no recreational destination in the area other than Betsy Head, and that any renovation work — no matter how badly it’s needed — must take place in phases so that the park could stay open.

“This park is an essential piece of the Brownsville community,” Swinson said. “In addition to the pool, there are youth softball and football leagues that play there. Closing it would be devastating to our youth recreationally.”

Duane Kinnon, chairman of the Friends of Brownsville Parks advocacy group, said: “We are extremely excited that Betsy Head Park will receive $30 Million for renovations and upgrades. This is a tremendous investment by the Mayor responding in support of a community that has so many needs and a deficit when it comes to quality active spaces and programs for families and children.

“Betsy Head Park is the largest park in Brownsville and because of this designations as an Anchor Park, it will be a real Hub for quality health, fitness, recreation, sports and entertainment activities for generations to come,” Kinnon added. “The full scope of the funds and the plan for the park are not available as of yet, but we have a solid network of residents, organizations and community leaders who are organized and ready to support the Parks Department in developing a strategy for the parks design, long-term maintenance and alternative programming while the renovations are happening.”

Biederman told the Brooklyn Eagle that “the entire park will not be shut down at any point, only the portions of the park in which work is taking place.”

He added that the next step in the renovation process “is talking to the communities served by each of these anchor parks to learn what they want to see.”