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Frank Principe Park in Maspeth slated for major makeover

Maspeth’s main park, Frank Principe Park, aka Maurice Park, will soon see a major makeover.

Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley recently gave a portion of her capital funds to pay for a renovation of the park, which is on Maurice Avenue and 63rd Street between 54th and Borden avenues.

In December, Crowley allotted $5.7 million to update its four baseball fields and to construct a running track. The current track is lined with asphalt and is not suitable for an ideal running experience, she said.

The money aims to help address flooding issues at two of the baseball fields and replace the other two with a soccer field.

“The park hasn’t seen any significant renovations in over 25 years,” Crowley said. “There’s a lot of drainage problems with many puddles, even in the warm weather. It wasn’t well thought out in the initial construction.”

Puddles take a while to dry out when it rains, she said. To combat flooding, the plan is to install two drainage tanks under the fields while redesigning them.

“This is important because having a good community park makes [Maspeth] a more well-rounded place to live,” Crowley said. “It’s healthy for the community.”

The New York City Department of Parks & Recreation issued an RFP to find a private planner to redesign the space. According to the department, a consultant was selected for the project, but it couldn’t reveal the company chosen.

Once the contract is underway, Crowley said residents can be involved in the planning through meetings with Community Board 5 and other local organizations.

“We want to make sure the community has a hand in developing this,” she said.

According to a Parks spokesperson, the agency expects to begin design work this spring but couldn’t say when construction will officially begin.