DeSalvio Playground Rehab Delayed Another 6 Months (at Least)
Once a scene of tumult, DeSalvio Playground in Little Italy is currently in ruins as its rehabilitation coincides with the construction of a luxury condo building next door. Construction started in July 2017, yet interim progress has been slow, if at all.
Take a look.
While the onsite signage promises a fall 2018 delivery – that date is taped over the print on the board – this is not to be. Parks Department recently conferred that the neighborhood play space will be delayed another six months. At least.
“We are pushing back the anticipated completion date for the DeSalvio Playground project from July 2018 to January 2019,” Parks’ Chief of Staff Steve Simon told us in an email.
This delay is largely owed to construction of 75 Kenmare at the corner. As such, that development apparently monopolized much of the playground space for a staging area.
“We were unable to access the site from October 2017 to May 2018 as the developer completed the installation of a foundation wall, restored a sinkhole, removed the damaged climbing wall footing, and backfilled and compacted the area,” Simon also noted.
“Our contractor is now working at the site, and we are confident that he will complete the project under the revised schedule.”
With this park out of commission for the for the foreseeable future, the endangered Elizabeth Street Garden has been substitute for parents in need of outdoor recreation for their kids. And while proponents of the Haven Green project point to DeSalvio as a suitable replacement for this potential loss, absent from the argument is shadows from the wall of luxury going up around the park.
August 2008
Recent Stories
Are We Really the Fairest Big City with a Mayor for the 1%? [Op-Ed]
The following editorial was written by David Tieu on behalf of Youth Against Displacement, a group formed by youth across the City who aim to stand up against the Mayor’s pro-developer agenda and protect our communities from displacement. Last week, New Yorkers were greeted with two new proposals from the de Blasio administration: a “municipal […]
‘The Forward’ Ceases Print Publication After 121 Years
The Forward will do so without its print edition. The 121-year-old Jewish-American publication, founded as the Yiddish language Jewish Daily Forward on the Lower East Side in 1897, suspended print operations this week and will refocus efforts toward its online verticals. As a result, forty percent of the staff was reportedly laid off, including editor-in-chief […]
RIP Lower East Side Man in White, ‘Jimmy Blanco’
It’s a sad day for the Lower East Side. Jimmy Becker, known colloquially as “Jimmy Blanco” for perennially roaming the streets dressed in all white, passed away this week after a battle with Lymphoma. It’s believed he was about 69 or 70. Apparently, a neighbor in his building called EMS a couple weeks ago after […]
Tictail Brick-and-Mortar Market on Orchard Street Goes Under
Tictail officially closed down its Lower East Side market last month. The former shop at 90 Orchard Street is now a vacancy with the token farewell letter on the door. This retail surrender follows just a short while after the Swedish startup’s high-profile acquisition by Shopify. As for what’s next, expect nightlife of some sort. […]
More on ‘Gouie New York’ Sake Bar at the Market Line
The team behind Itzakaya, Davelle, and Samurice is multiplying again on the Lower East Side. More specifically, joining the ever-swelling roster of the Market Line concourse at Essex Crossing. As previously reported, the entity is to be a Japanese sake bar called Gouie New York. And now we have some additional details, including sample menu […]
