Whalen Park quietly re-opened to the public in June with a colorful, brand new playground that features two slides, monkey bars, and toddler-friendly climbing blocks. To the delight of parents, the area previously known as the “sitting park” was revamped into a more traditional playground.

Though the project was first proposed seven years ago, building the Norwood park took less than a year, an unusual time frame given the city Parks Department’s poor track record in completing projects promptly. In 2017, there had been seven projects delayed since 2009, including a bathroom for Ferry Point Park that had been in the works for more than 10 years, according to a report by the Daily News.

Iris Rodriguez-Rosa, commissioner of the Parks Department for the Bronx, is thankful for the smooth, speedy construction. “By the grace of God we did not meet up with any impediments in terms of unusual circumstances that sometimes delay a project,” she said. “We didn’t have any impediments, and Commissioner [Mitchell] Silver is committed to doing the best that he can with the agency to try and fast-track any and all projects moving forward.”

A review by the Norwood News shows completion times for several projects were severely delayed in the past, sometimes for upwards to a year or more. Delayed projects included the reconstruction of basketball courts at Soundview Park. That project took an extra three years to be fully completed. In Norwood, residents had to wait an extra two years for the Oval Park Recreation Center to be renovated. The original completion date was summer 2011. It did not open until November 2013.

Barbara Stronczer, the Parks Committee chair for Community Board 7, explained that the Parks Department has been working to “expedite” the building process, and that could be why Whalen’s construction was rapid. “The average time [to complete a project] is usually five years, or it has been in the past,” Stronczer said. “What actually happens is they start off with a certain amount of money in the budget, and then it takes three, four, five years. And by the time they get to that fifth year, more money is needed. That sort of slows the process down also.”

A small park that rests at the corner of East 205th Street and Perry Avenue next to the Mosholu Library, Whalen Park was one of 61 parks that benefited from a $42 million initiative to improve parks between 2010 and 2017, and its $1.6 million renovation created not only a playground for children, but also a ring of benches adjacent to the playground. Funding for the project stretches back to the Bloomberg Administration, and to former Councilman Oliver Koppell, who represented Norwood. The Bronx Borough President’s Office also contributed.

The park is named after Henry A. Whalen, a World War II veteran and local activist who lived a block away and was famous for lobbying the federal government to bring the James J. Peters Veterans Hospital to Kingsbridge. Whalen’s daughter, Eileen, has seen the park evolve over time. “My friends and other mothers sat there to watch their kids. Those kids are all in their 40s now,” she said in a telephone interview with the Norwood News.

Eileen is concerned that the elderly who have always enjoyed reading and socializing on the benches will be chased out by the noise, but believes the playground will be good for the community. “It was always a nice park, so I’m just glad it’s being taken care of,” she said. “People would get tired of sitting in their apartments and sat in the park… Now there are kids running all around and that makes me really happy.”

Whalen Park was on a downward spiral for the last several years leading up to renovations. When ground broke for the project in 2017, former Deputy Borough President, Aurelia Greene, referred to the park as being “plagued with drugs and homeless individuals,” and in 2010 a homeless man who frequently sat on one of Whalen Park’s benches was believed to be beaten to death.

“If the Parks Department follows through and locks it at dusk, it’ll be fine. If it’s left open all night, it may create a problem,” said Stronczer. “And I just heard that the 205th Street [D] station is going to be closed for a while for renovations. So that may help a lot because the park used to attract homeless from the train since it was right at the last stop.” Rules posted at the park’s entrance prohibit adults from entering the playground section of the park without a child, making it safer for families.

At the park, Sophie Henderson, a long time resident, remembers the days when Whalen Park was simply a place to sit down. “Before, we’d just sit here, you know. The kids had nothing to do; they used to bring their scooters,” she said.

Parents, including Kana Sugamori, appreciate the park’s close proximity to their homes, compared to the seven-minute walk to the other nearby park. “It’s a good location for me because I usually go to Oval Park, which is a little far,” Sugamori said.

Henderson agreed. “It’s very nice, you know. When it’s not too hot, I’d walk up there [to Oval Park], but I only live right around the corner,” she said, laughing. She was also surprised that it was opened without any apparent announcement. “I kept googling it and it didn’t give me any opening dates. My daughter was coming out of the train one day and she said, ‘Ma, it’s open already.’” Henderson added that she goes to Whalen Park early in the day because later on it becomes crowded.

Maria Florencio, a resident who was sitting in the circle of benches, believes the sitting area could have been smaller to allow for “some swings for the kids.” Florencio was also concerned about park goers who need to relieve themselves. “There should have been a small bathroom, at least,” she said. “Every park has a bathroom. Those are things that could have been improved.”

A ribbon cutting ceremony for the park is expected on July 24.

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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.