Little Neck Breaks Ground On $1.5 Million Eco-Friendly Playground

LITTLE NECK, QUEENS — Little Neck is getting a new, student-designed green space and playground.

The non-profit Trust for Public Land and Queens officials broke ground Tuesday on a $1.5 million playground at P.S. 221Q. The project will turn an asphalt lot into a green space with playground equipment, game tables, a turf field and a running track.

Nearly 7,000 Little Neck residents will live within a 10-minute walk of a park once construction finishes this fall, according to a press release.

"This playground represents a significant investment in the future of Little Neck and will be used by local schoolchildren and by other neighborhood residents for decades to come," Queens Borough President Melinda Katz said.

The playground will capture more than 23,000 gallons of stormwater each time it rains, in an effort to improve the health of the nearby East River; untreated stormwater can overwhelm sewer systems and end up in nearby rivers and bays.

The playground will serve as an outdoor classroom for P.S. 221Q students and be open on weekends, after school and during school breaks, like all city playgrounds.

"Easy access to green space is critical for all New Yorkers, as parks have a proven impact on overall health and well-being, particularly for young people," Carter Strickland, New York State Director for the Trust for Public Land, said in a statement.

Funding comes from the city's Department of Education, Department of Environmental Protection and School Construction Authority, as well as the offices of Queens Borough President Melinda Katz and City Council Member Barry Grodenchik.