Bronx families and young athletes now have an improved space to play and gather in Belmont, as NYC Parks unveiled Tuesday a new multi-use athletic field and other upgrades at the Quarry Ballfields following a $7.3 million capital project.
Located at East 181st Street and Oak Tree Place, between Quarry Road and Hughes Avenue, the Quarry Ballfields have long been a hub for local youth sports leagues. The recent renovations aim to enhance the park’s facilities and provide a safer, more enjoyable environment for the community.
NYC Parks Bronx Borough Commissioner Jessenia Aponte joined City Council Member Oswald Feliz, Bronx Community Board 6 members, and local residents to celebrate the project’s completion.
“At NYC Parks, we’re committed to expanding greenspace and improving recreational amenities for all New Yorkers, with an emphasis on communities that need it the most,” said Aponte. “The revamped Quarry Ballfields now feature a state-of-the-art, multi-use athletic field, a sitting area near the park’s signature rock outcropping, new trees to provide shade, and security lighting to enhance public safety.”
The project created a synthetic turf field equipped with permanent goals for both soccer and football. It also transformed an unused section of the park’s southwest corner into a new sitting area with benches. Other improvements include updated drainage and water systems, new fencing, bleachers, sidewalks, lighting, and tree plantings to provide shade.
Funded by the Mayor’s Office, the Quarry Ballfields project is part of the city’s Stronger Parks, Safer Communities initiative—an effort launched under the Vital Parks for All plan to bring infrastructure and recreational investments to neighborhoods impacted by gun violence. Parks officials say revitalizing green spaces fosters social connections, improves public safety, and strengthens community well-being.
In the Bronx, other capital projects under the initiative include a $90 million recreation center at Walter Gladwin Park, a full reconstruction of St. Mary’s Recreation Center, and a $17 million transformation of Grant Park in Claremont. The city will also host more than 1,000 outdoor public programs at dozens of park sites in designated areas to engage residents in free nature walks, sports clinics, movie nights, and cultural activities.
Originally developed in 1982 by the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), the Quarry Ballfields site was transferred to NYC Parks in 1993. A major renovation of the ballfields and the addition of a restroom building occurred in 1998. In 2021, the park’s baseball diamond was reconstructed with funding from the PitCCh In Foundation, founded by former New York Yankees pitcher and World Series champion CC Sabathia and his wife Amber.
