WEST BRIGHTON — A $6 million renovation to a Staten Island playground started Thursday.
The work at McDonald Playground will add new basketball courts, playground equipment, fitness areas and plantings.
The Parks Department held a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday at the 82-year-old park, officials said.
"We'll spend nearly $6 million to transform this space so that it better serves the needs of this community," said Mitchell Silver, commissioner for the Parks Department.
"We can't wait for the community to enjoy this public space."
The revamp will create fitness areas for youths and adults, update the spray shower and play equipment for children ages 2 to 12 and build new basketball courts.
The city will also install new lights, benches and fences and a public space with trees and shrubberies, Silver said.
"I wanted to make sure we incorporate a nice green space for people to enjoy," he said.
"We want to have our parks that are multi-generational and are really available to all ages."
The project — funded as part of the Community Parks Initiative to renovate parks around the city — is expected to be finished next summer, Parks said.
McDonald Playground is the latest of several parks to get revamps in the borough.
Last month, the Parks Department announced it will spend $6.7 million to renovate De Matti Playground in Rosebank and $4.1 million for Arrochar Playground as part of the Community Parks Initiative.
The city also announced several other parks projects in the summer, including a $4.825 million injection of cash to kickstart shelved plans for Fairview Park and a $9.3 million revamp of the sports fields as Gen. Douglas MacArthur Park — known as "Berry Fields" or "The Berries."
"This is really an incredible period for our parks," said Deputy Borough President Ed Burke.
"From the largest in the Freshkills area and the Greenbelt, to the smaller parks like this one, they're all getting a new look."
