DITMARS — The city should use the $30 million allotted for improvements at Astoria Park to build a new soccer field and offer visitors free Wi-Fi, caretakers of the green space say.
The Astoria Park Alliance gave 10 recommendations on how the funds from Mayor Bill de Blasio's new "Anchor Parks" initiative should be used on the park, including an "environmentally friendly" soccer field — an idea floated by City Councilman Costa Constantinides during his "State of the District" address earlier this year.
The $30 million would be used over the course of the next four years, and the city is currently taking ideas from the public, with a community meeting slated to take place Wednesday, Nov. 16 at the Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden at 7 p.m.
In addition to the soccer field, the alliance suggested using part of the money to renovate bathrooms, install solar-powered lights, and provide park-wide Wi-Fi service, which is currently only available near the running track.
Other ideas on the list included funding for rental bocce, ping pong and volleyball equipment, cubbies near the track that runners can use to store their property, and adding more sustainable plants and trees.
One recommendation asks the Parks Department to open up "safe" access to the park's currently closed-off shoreline "so that the relationship of Astoria Park to the waterfront is fully utilized and embraced," according to the list.
The group's list stresses that any new amenities the park sees will also require "ongoing maintenance," and that the Alliance wants to work with the city to come up with a plan for taking care of future additions to the green space.
Upgrades under the Anchor Parks program are expected to wrap up by 2020, officials said. For information on the city's community workshop planned for Wednesday night, click here.