A local council member has secured millions in funding for a park in the southeast Bronx that hasn’t been upgraded since it was built more than three decades ago.
Earlier this month, Council Member Amanda Farías announced that the City Council had allocated $6.5 million in funding, along with $4.9 million from Mayor Eric Adams, to pay for the renovation and reconstruction of Harding Park as part of the Fiscal Year 2024 budget. The park, which advocates say is in dire need of a revamp, is located in the Clason Point neighborhood of the Bronx, just north of the Bolton and Gildersleeve avenues intersection.
Farías, along with Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and NYC Parks Bronx Borough Commissioner Jessenia Aponte, made the announcement during a meeting held by the Harding Park Homeowners Association, located at 1820 Gildersleeve Ave., on Wednesday, Jan. 10.
The funds, totaling $11.4 million, will pay for new playground equipment, spray showers, security lighting, basketball courts, seating areas, drainage, landscaping and other improvements.
Farías, who represents District 18, which includes the Castle Hill, Clason Point, Parkchester and Soundview neighborhoods, did not say when the renovations will be completed, although it typically takes about two years between a funding announcement and a ribbon cutting. The next step in the process will be the design phase.
Farías, Adams and Aponte each stressed the importance that parks play in New Yorkers’ everyday lives and how they contribute to improving people’s physical and mental well-being.
The council member said that the Harding Park Homeowners Association had been instrumental in advocating for the park’s upgrade. She said the investment symbolizes how strong local leadership can have a positive impact on issues that have been long ignored by citywide leaders.
“This $6.5 million investment [from City Council] is an investment in the future of the Bronx and I am proud to be the council member to finally get this done for our community,” Farías said. “Harding Park will soon become the park that our families need and deserve.”
Farías said that when she first took office in 2022, she was presented with a list of parks in her district that needed renovations and improvements. Harding Park immediately stood out, she said, noting that it was unacceptable to her that it hadn’t been renovated since opening more than 30 years. She said the children of the Bronx deserve better.
She said the park stands frozen in time with the equipment and infrastructure unchanged since it was first developed in 1993.
Aponte said that the city heard loud and clear from residents that they wanted the park revamped and have already received feedback.
“Community input is at the core of all our capital projects, so we appreciate hearing directly from Bronx residents at the community visioning session what they most want to see for the future of the park,” said Aponte, who thanked the City Council and Mayor Adams for providing funding to make improvements to the park.
“We are committed to providing Bronx residents with high quality parks that can be enjoyed for generations to come,” Aponte added.
Back in 1992, two vacant lots along Bolton Avenue were transformed into what is now known as Harding Park.
The land was officially assigned to NYC Parks in May of 1993, after Haydee Rosario and the Harding Park Homeowners Association strongly advocated for the lots to be designated as parkland. Then-Borough President Fernando Ferrer and his office provided initial funding for Harding Park to come to fruition.
Reach Steven Goodstein at sgoodstein@schnepsmedia.com or (718) 260–8326. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
