Seward Park Basketball Courts Hamstrung by ‘Absentee’ Contractor
Area youth will need to wait another couple months to play ball inside Seward Park. The current resurfacing job underway the last couple months is behind schedule.
Until yesterday, there had been almost no activity in the rear corner of the park for at least two weeks. The big boys came to play yesterday, though, with the arrival of Bobcats and backhoes.
Meanwhile, the city is not happy with the pace of progress. The Parks Department admitted as much to Community Board 3 earlier this month, noting that the absentee contractor of choice is somewhat of a disappointment (“not a great contractor”). Their attention is reportedly divided amongst several parks around the city, and has noticeably forsaken Seward Park of late.
The Seward Park basketball court was identified as one of four Manhattan sites eligible for reconstruction and resurfacing via $2.2 million in city funding. (In fact, three are located on the Lower East Side.) Chain-link fencing has sealed the perimeter for the duration of the project.
The revised reopening date is now set for sometime in July.
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