COBBLE HILL — Seven months after closing to the public, the children's playground in the former Long Island College Hospital campus reopened this week as demolition of the hospital buildings moves forward, the developer told DNAinfo New York.
The playground at Henry and Pacific streets — known as the Blue & Yellow LICH Playground — opened on Monday after a power-wash and a coat of paint for the hopscotch, according to a spokesman for Fortis Property Group.
Demolition of the eight-story Othmer Pavilion is underway, with the work on a section closest to the playground completed, the developer said. The demolition will continue to move from east to west, moving away from the playground.
Once the demolition of the Othmer building is complete, work on the 12-story Fuller Pavilion will begin, the developer said.
The developer declined to provide a timeline for when work is expected to be completed.
The property is being prepared for a new health care facility and emergency room that will be operated by NYU Langone Medical Center.
"Clearing the land so NYU Langone can get its healthcare facility up and running as soon as possible is a top priority for us, so we’re moving ahead with demolition work to make that happen," Fortis spokesman James Yolles said Monday.
"We worked as quickly as possible in coordination with the departments of Buildings and Parks to ensure a safe playground reopening, and we're pleased to move forward with that [Monday]."
The Parks Department referred questions to the Department of Buildings.
On Monday, DOB inspectors determined that the playground was safe to be used, the agency said. The remaining demolition of the LICH buildings is located on the other side of the property and will be closed off from the playground area, a DOB spokesman said in an email.
In preparation for Monday's reopening, the hopscotch area was repainted and the play equipment was power-washed, the developer said.
Fortis Property Group, which purchased the LICH parcel for $240 million, plans to redevelop the property with multi-story residential towers.
The embattled hospital's sale and Mayor Bill de Blasio's involvement is currently under investigation by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
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