Modern playground equipment, new shrubbery and more are on tap for the Devoe Park renovation project, which is expected to begin this spring and take about a year to complete.
Approximately $2.1 million has been allocated to the project from the pool of water bond money made available by the construction of the water filtration plant in Van Cortlandt Park, according to Barbara Stronczer, chair of Community Board 7’s Parks Committee.
According to Ashe Reardon, a Parks Department spokesman, the project includes redevelopment of the park’s east and west ends.
“We’ll be creating a tot lot on the park’s eastern edge, while the west section of the park will be completely renovated with new playground equipment and two showers,” Reardon said.
There are also plans to refurbish the existing comfort station, which includes a rest room and park house. The station will include improved accessibility for the handicapped as well as an upgraded central air system.
Work on the comfort station is expected to be completed after work on the east and west sections of the park is finished.
The plans were given a unanimous thumbs up by Board 7 after Stronczer presented the plan at the board’s monthly meeting last Tuesday. Board Chairman Gregory Faulkner said he looked forward to the project as an opportunity to boost area employment.
“We need to see some Bronx vendors and jobs provided to the Bronx,” Faulkner said. “Parks are key because those are immediate jobs being made available—but there has to be training first.”