Council Member Eric Dinowitz (C.D. 11) was joined by members of the NYC Parks department, Bronx Community Board 7, community leaders, school leaders, and students across the Bedford Park neighborhood and beyond on Wednesday, May 7, for a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the unveiling of the newly renovated Harris Park.

 

Described as a vital neighborhood green space the park has been transformed thanks to a $2.6 million capital investment secured with the support of the council member, his office said.

 

Attendees included NYC Parks Bronx Borough Commissioner Jessenia Aponte, Bronx Community Board 7 District Manager Karla Cabrera Carrera, and several school principals and school athletic directors, whose students utilize the athletic fields for organized sports.

According to the councilmember’s office, the upgrades to the park’s multipurpose field include regrading the subgrade stone, repainting field lines, and enhancing access to four baseball diamonds, two softball diamonds, football fields, and other areas used for general recreation and physical education. The project also includes improvements to the seating area, making the park more inviting and accessible for residents of all ages.

 

“Harris Park has always been a central gathering place for our community – from students and families to seniors and athletes,” said Dinowitz. “This $2.6 million investment ensures that our residents and students have a high-quality space to play, exercise, and connect. These fields are more than patches of grass; they are places where pride, teamwork, and wellness come to life.”

Addressing those gathered on the day, the councilman said he had been asked to advise students “no cleats on the artificial turf. It’ll ruin it.” He added in part, “We have a number of schools across the Reservoir, and schools from all over that come here to have class, to have their sports, their sports competitions, and practices, and that’s what New York City is about. It’s making sure we have spaces to be our best selves and do what we want to do, and I think celebrating our investments in our community is especially important now.”

 

Dinowitz used the occasion to compare the local investment in Harris Park with the federal government’s contrary divestment from education. “They are divesting from food security, they are divesting from housing and health security, and they are divesting from public spaces,” he said. “But, we, in New York City, know what’s important, and one of the things that we know is important is our public spaces and our public parks.”

 

Thanking the Bronx Parks Commissioner Jessenia Aponte, and all those who contributed to the renovation, he added that it was really important and special to have people in government “who care, who get it, who understand what these investments mean for our community.”

 

For his part,  Assemblymember John Zaccaro, Jr. (A.D. 80), who was not present for the unveiling, later said, “Growing up near Harris Field, I hold my memories of playing Little League close to my heart.” He said the reopening meant future generations are now afforded that same opportunity and demonstrated what he described as the ongoing commitment to ensuring that The Bronx’s parks are healthy, resilient, robust, and meet the increasing demands of the community.

Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson said as the greenest borough in New York City, The Bronx took great pride in protecting and enhancing open spaces like Harris Park. “This $2.6 million investment ensures that our families, students, and seniors have a vibrant, accessible place to play, exercise, and connect,” she said. “When we invest in our parks, we strengthen the health, well-being, and unity of our communities.”

 

Aponte said the newly refurbished artificial turf field would provide an improved recreational experience for the many Bronx schools and sports leagues that regularly use Harris Park. “These investments in our park amenities enhance public safety, bring communities closer together, and improve quality of life, and Parks is committed to providing the highest quality recreational spaces for all New Yorkers to enjoy,” she said.

 

According to the Parks’ department, the recently completed capital project fully reconstructed the turf and shock pad for the field. Additional work included a regrading of subgrade stone and a repainting of the field lines.

 

At 170,899 square feet, Parks officials said the playing surface is one of the largest artificial turf fields in The Bronx, and added that the multipurpose sports field is used for soccer, baseball, softball, and lacrosse and provides extensive permitted hours to a variety of local sports leagues and neighborhood schools.

 

Harris Park was acquired by Parks in 1940. Labor provided by the Federal Work Projects Administration developed the site as an athletic facility that included four baseball diamonds, two softball diamonds, fields for football and other sports, and a sitting area.

The park’s neighbors include Lehman College to the south, the Bronx High School of Science to the north, and the subway yards of the Lexington Avenue Line of the Interborough Rapid Transit, which opened in 1917.

 

A $555,000 renovation funded by Council Member June Eisland was completed in 1997. Additions to the playground include new asphalt paving, fences, benches, trees, picnic tables, and a water supply system.

 

For her part, Cabrera-Carrera thanked the councilman on behalf of CB7 for investing in renovating the turf field. “Our community, especially students, utilizes the green space for recreation and physical activity,” she said. “These renovations to Harris Park reflect the needs and voices of our community, and I’m thrilled to see it realized.”

 

Marie Curie High School for Medicine, Nursing, and Health Professions Principal Peta-Gaye Williams said the school’s scholars deserved facilities that matched their talent and ambition. “Thanks to Council Member Dinowitz’s unwavering support, this $2.6 million investment will finally bring the long-needed renovations our school and sports programs have waited for,” Williams said. “As a proud Bronx high school principal in our community school district, I know these upgrades will not only benefit our scholars, but also strengthen the ties between school, families, and the wider neighborhood, ensuring a healthier, safer, and more inspiring environment for all.”

Bronx High School of Science Assistant Principal Michael McGrath said the school’s athletics department thanked the councilman for his continued support of the school community and for the investment for its “PSAL teams” and physical education classes. “The students, parents, teachers and coaches are very thankful and are looking forward to competing on the new Harris Park fields,” he added.

 

Meanwhile, High School of American Studies at Lehman College Principal Alessandro Weiss, “The High School of American Studies regularly uses Harris Field for our PE classes and PSAL activities. We are so grateful that the field has been renovated, since this will benefit our students for many years to come.”

 

Later Norwood News spoke to Abebe Morris who teaches special education at the Marie Curie High School, who said in part, “This is definitely good for the community, but most importantly, it’s good for the students.”

 

Meanwhile, Luke Alvez, paraprofessional and softball coach, said, “I think this is a wonderful opportunity, not only for the adults and the people in the area but for our youth. This gives us a safe space for them to play, and just experiencing different things. The Bronx is growing, and that’s the most important piece, especially in the times we live in. This is great. This is a great opportunity.”

Describing the main improvements, Alvez said, “First of all, the field itself. At one point, because I coach the team, and in the original field, we had to duct tape the ground. There were games canceled because you know the field conditions were horrible. We used to duct tape the ground because the field would come off.

 

He added, “So you know, coming home with field residue….so this is great. You know what I mean? Like like councilman said, no cleats. So you know we’re gonna make sure this feels nice and protected from here on out.”

 

We also talked to three softball players, Janna, 16, Kimberly, 17 (turning 18), and Ameena, 16, from the Mary Curie High School Crugars flag football team who play in the “PSAL” softball league. Asked where they were in their league table, they mentioned Division A and added that they have played a lot of games so far this season.

 

Asked what difference it made to have the renovated park, one of the three said, “Definitely no more tripping on the old grass, and it’s a big difference because you have more of a grip on the floor, and less sliding around. I think it’s amazing, and we definitely needed this.” They said it was also very convenient because school was not far away.

Unveiling of Renovation of Harris Park, Bedford Park, May 7, 2025

Asked generally about girls’ participation in sport in general and a tendency for girls sometimes to drop out of sports when they get to high school, one of the students said, “Women or females in sports in general tend to get overlooked. Like, I feel like female sports have definitely contributed a lot to PSAL or just sports in general over the years. So, I think more girls and women should definitely be in sports more. I think they contribute a lot.”

 

Asked if they had suffered from a lot of injuries playing and if the astro-turf was painful to skid on, they said, “Yeah, just bruises… a little. Depends how you skid.”

 

Asked if they found playing sport helpful to their mental health in terms of detaching from studying, they said yes. “Especially students,” one said. “Like, I feel like we’re under a lot of pressure with school, so actually like I know I enjoy running around or just being in the sun to get away from the stress of school, and I think that it’s like that for a lot of people, not just females, but a lot of students in general.”

Another student added, “It’s very stress-relieving. Tying back to what Ameena said, it’s just something I guess, comforting. Like me, I think of softball as like my safe place where I could just, if I have a bad day at school or just like a tough time doing work, or with the teachers, I go to play and I just I guess soak in the game and just let everything go.”

 

The $2.6 million project was funded by the New York City Council.

 

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