CHELSEA — Handball players inspired by the Rio 2016 Olympic Games can practice on brand-new courts in Chelsea.
The city’s Parks Department has refurbished the dilapidated walls at Chelsea Park’s six handball courts with funding from the Fairway Community Foundation, the department said.
A total of $127,000 went toward handball court renovations at the park on West 28th Street, between Ninth and 10th avenues, as well as at Coffey Park in Red Hook.
“Handball is ingrained into the history of our city’s parks, and our courts get a lot of love,” Parks Department Commissioner Mitchell Silver said at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the park Tuesday morning. “I’m confident these new courts will serve the community well.”
While the rest of the park had received upgrades over the past decade, the handball court walls were an “anomaly,” explained Lowell Kern, co-chair of Community Board 4’s waterfront, parks and environment committee.
“This was something that was left undone that needed to be done,” he added. “This was the one piece that was missing.”
In addition to repairing a portion of the fence around the courts, the Parks Department stripped the court walls, patched up holes and repainted, the agency said.
Coaches and players from the St. Albans Handball Association took to the refurbished courts on Tuesday morning.
“They’re awesome. I grew up on these courts,” said coach David Rojas, 45. “It’s gonna be a great outlet for the neighborhood.”