Hewlett's Grant Park playground for kids getting an overhaul

The Hewlett-Woodmere Business Association is working with the Nassau County Parks Department to fix up the ‘old playground’ at Grant Park — a long-overdue project.

Demolition of the existing playground began last week.
“We have been informed that the old playground that is in really bad shape, at Grant Park, is being replaced,” HWBA President David Friedman said. 

Grant Park, at 1625 Broadway, went through a $2.7 million renovation in 2012. Three synthetic-turf fields and a batting cage with a turf surface were installed, and two of three playgrounds at the park were replaced by the Parks Department.

The third, unrenovated playground area for children 4 to 8, described by Friedman as “broken down,” has been the subject of man complaints from community members as it remained untouched by the Parks Department. 

In January 2020, the playground was scheduled for a $500,000 overhaul, which former Parks Department Commissioner Eileen Krieb told the Herald should be upgraded by that year’s spring. The playground was never overhauled in 2020 most likely because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Parks Department has begun the main playground improvement project last week, demolishing the old playground near the Kelly Tinyes’ memorial.

“We were told that the equipment is on its way in, and the Parks Department says that the old playground will be replaced by Memorial Day.”  Friedman said. The playground fix-up will be fully funded by the Parks Department.

“We’re improving our parks!,” Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman posted on Facebook on March 31. “I was recently on-site at Grant Park in Hewlett, New York to review plans for a new playground. Get ready, great changes are underway in Nassau.”

In addition to the new playground, the HWBA and the Parks Department are making efforts to repair the pathway around Grant Park’s lake; replace the lighting from the parking lot to the park building; fix the fencing on the Broadway side of the park so that garbage does not blow through a broken fence into neighboring residential properties; fix the park benches; and clean up the park overall.

Many longstanding maintenance requests are being addressed with the current and upcoming efforts to fix the park, including Hewlett resident Christine Lahey’s request. “There needs to be better lighting around the park,” Lahey recommended in 2020.

Despite the huge investment in the park in 2012, residents are still disappointed with the current state of the ball fields and batting cages, which are littered with garbage.

“There are no trash cans anywhere in sight,” Jennifer Marie wrote in the Hewlett-Woodmere District 14 Facebook group on March 28. “The batting cage nets are destroyed and falling apart. The equipment is all damaged.”

In response to the mess on the ball fields, the Parks Department cleaned the whole batting cage area and fields last week Friedman said. “We’re very happy that we’re finally making progress. I keep telling people: persistence pays off!”