NEW YORK CITY— The City will launch a new Parks Department crew to tackle small but long-delayed repairs at parks, playgrounds and recreation centers.
The "Renew Crew," a team of 24 painters, electricians, plumbers and other workers who will handle repairs within three weeks or less, according to the Mayor's office.
The crew will focus on fixes that don't require lengthy capital projects, including repairing broken water fountains, patching basketball courts and power-washing benches.
The department's capital-project tracker lists 499 active construction projects across the City, ranging from design work to active construction.
The department also lists 225 proposed projects and 128 partner projects involving another agency or private entity.
"New Yorkers shouldn't have to wait months for the basic repairs that make our parks better," Mayor Zohran Mamdani said. "We're going to get the job done quickly and make sure every neighborhood has public spaces that New Yorkers can be proud of."
The team will make smaller repairs that can improve parks without sending projects through the City's lengthy capital-construction process.
The department plans to hire additional workers for the program in the spring.
The Renew Crew will launch at Dry Harbor Playground in Glendale, Queens.
Workers planned to repair two basketball courts, shuffleboard, bocce and horseshoe courts, a water fountain and fence posts.
Crews also planned to install protective flooring on playgrounds and improve landscaping around a 9/11 memorial, according to city officials.
The Parks Department already has a list of sites for the first round of repairs.
Officials also want New Yorkers to identify other locations that need attention.
New Yorkers can submit a maintenance complaint through 311. Include the park's name and location and describe the problem so Parks crews can identify it.
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