By MATTHEW MUSOLINO
City Parks Foundation’s cleanup event at Bensonhurst Park on Wednesday brought out local volunteers, but one says the refurbished park still “could use all the help it can get,”
The September 23 cleanup attracted a small group of neighborhood residents. Senior Community Engagement Coordinator Karley Chamblee did not attend due to other foundation events held that day in Brooklyn.
City Parks Foundation, otherwise known as CPF, is a program built upon improving NYC Parks. It hosts sporting events, art shows, and educational programs. The foundation’s goal is to create an accessible and safe park for each community. The programs CPF provides are located in more than 330 parks, recreation centers, and public schools across New York City.
Bensonhurst Park is a 17.5 acre park on Cropsey Avenue between Bay Parkway and 21st Avenue. The park contains baseball fields, basketball and handball courts, fitness equipment, playground and sprinkler system. It’s close to P.S. 101, Joseph B Cavallaro Middle School, Saint Peter Catholic Academy and other schools.
The park has undergone drastic transformation over the past five years. Then-Councilmember Justin Brannan announced a massive renovation project in 2019. According to the Brooklyn Paper, then-Mayor Bill DeBlasio, Councilmembers Brannan and Mark Treger raised $7.86 million in funding for the renovations.
The park’s initial repairs included replacing outdated and worn out benches, repaving walk-through areas, sprinkler system equipment and improving playground equipment. It was completed in January of 2021.
Long time Bensonhurst resident John Silas has been volunteering at the park since before there were any organizations to do so. He found “It’s My Park” through an Instagram post of a volunteer. Silas cleans up garbage and gardens whenever needed.
“I’ve been living in this neighborhood for 43 years and have been going to this park forever,” Silas said. “It’s the least I could do.”
Silas said there the park had a distinctive character but knew it was inevitable given the park’s poor condition. “I used to really like the way the park used to look, but now it kind of looks like any other park,” Silas said. “But change is good. The park is better for it.”
There are problems still within the park. Caesar, who chose not to give his last name, is another volunteer and parkgoer. He said the bathroom has been a real issue. He claimed that the bathroom re-opened with the renovations and it satisfied the park’s needs. It closed due to plumbing and cleanliness issues. It remained closed for months and recently re-opened.
“If a park is open and the bathroom doesn’t work, how does that make sense?” Ceasar said
Ceasar also mentioned that security has increased but does not prevent people from drinking and doing drugs in the park. “This place is a playground and there are still people who think of it as a partyhouse,” Caesar said. “It’s just not safe for people and families.”