Parks officials give updates on recreation center access and playground work

The reopening of the Sunset Park Recreation Center has once again been delayed, officials said during a March 9 Community Board 7 Parks and Environment meeting.

NYC Parks Deputy Chief of Staff for Brooklyn Operations Jim Morris said that access to the pool this summer will be through the recreation center rather than the temporary side entrance by the splash pad that has been used during renovation work. Indoor spaces such as exercise rooms and basketball courts, he said, are expected to remain closed until the fall.

The main focus of the meeting, however, was on other renovations to area playgrounds. At D’Emic Playground, which sits behind Sunset Park High School on Third Avenue between 34th and 35th streets, students can expect new surfaces on the basketball and handball courts, as well as new security lighting in fall 2027.

Other nearby parks, including Peña Herrera Playground on Third Avenue between 46th and 47th streets and Gonzalo Plasencia Playground on Third Avenue between 40th and 41st streets, are also planned for improvements and are expected to be completed in spring 2028. Martin Luther Playground, on Second Avenue between 55th and 56th streets, will be renovated from fall 2025 through 2028, with completion expected in 2029. Morris said the Parks Department is committed to keeping parks open as much as possible during construction.

Regarding John Allen Payne Playground, on Third Avenue between 64th and 65th streets beneath the Gowanus Expressway, Morris outlined plans to convert the disused horseshoe section into a skate park. The rest of the playground, including larger play equipment, will remain open. Parks officials said the work should take two years, though coordination with the Department of Transportation because of the park’s location could extend the timeline to four or five years.

Renovations at the park are expected to begin in 2027, but Morris said the Parks Department would work to minimize disruptions. “I'm very adamant about fighting for parks,” he said, noting, “closures can be seen as an afterthought.”

In a follow-up conversation, John DeLooper, secretary of Community Board 7, expressed concern that John Allen Payne Playground has long faced a variety of safety issues tied to the highway structure, including falling concrete, dangerous crosswalks blocked by illegal parking, and unexplained park closures.

As reconstruction was discussed, several Sunset Park residents raised questions about accessibility. Patricia Ruiz, first vice chairperson of Community Board 7, asked on behalf of her granddaughter Harper, “What exactly are you doing for all abilities?”

Morris responded, “We have a variety of equipment that is viable to all abilities,” noting that the playground will include an ADA-compliant swing to ensure children with disabilities can participate.

Danielle Ruiz, daughter of Patricia Ruiz and mother of Harper, stressed why inclusivity matters.

“Every child deserves the opportunity to play, explore, and feel included in their community,” Danielle said. “Play is not just fun, it is essential for development, social interaction, and emotional well-being.”

The committee then shifted focus to the Living Collections program at Green-Wood Cemetery. Sara Evans, living collections curator at Green-Wood Cemetery, provided an overview of the cemetery’s efforts to preserve historic plantings and biodiversity. In 2024, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation awarded Green-Wood Cemetery a grant to strengthen Brooklyn’s tree canopy and long-term resilience.

“Green-Wood Cemetery now has 8,235 trees,” Evans said. Inventories over the past two decades show the number of species and hybrids growing from 172 in 2006 to 1,023 today.

Evans said tree diversity helps the cemetery withstand risk while absorbing CO2 and particulates from the air, reducing stormwater runoff, and making streets safer and less flood-prone.

Green-Wood Cemetery will also open The Green-House on April 18, 2026, at 25th Street and Fifth Avenue, to cultivate native plants and support biodiversity. The Green-House is part of a broader 20,400-square-foot project built around the restored 1895 Weir Greenhouse, now known as the Atrium, along with new education and visitor spaces.