McGolrick Park playground to reopen, but without the whale

August 29, 2018 By Raanan Geberer Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Monsignor McGolrick Park. Eagle file photo by Lore Croghan

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The playground at McGolrick Park in Greenpoint is slated to open in mid-September, the Parks Department said. It has been closed for reconstruction since September 2017; and, when finished, it will include new play equipment, spray showers, benches and plantings, according to the Greenpoint Post. The revamp is costing more than $2.6 million, with more than $1 million coming from Councilmember Stephen Levin and Borough President Eric Adams, the Greenpoint Post reported.

However, some neighborhood residents are upset because the playground’s beloved, blue-painted cement whale, which includes a slide for the kids, is being removed.

“There are legal issues with safety, and when a playground is renovated, Parks removes the cement animals,” the McGolrick Park Neighborhood Alliance said last year. The alliance also has been operating a temporary pop-up play space in the playground’s absence.