Parkin' mad in Bronx
You call this a $4MM makeover?!
A riverfront park the city spruced up with $4 million in taxpayer money is now a virtual wasteland.
The main entrance to Bridge Park in The Bronx, a greenway that runs under the Washington Bridge along the Harlem River, was gated off for months and reopened only Thursday, a day after The Post asked about it being closed. But inside was no oasis. The Post found benches so overgrown with vines that there was no place to sit, and graffiti marring a path and a water foundation.
There was also a sign riddled with bullet holes warning of sewage discharge.
The lack of maintenance could be seen in leaves and tree needles that lined a walking and biking path.
The only visitors were two men walking their pit bulls.
That’s a far cry from the photos on the Parks Department Web site that show pristine benches and neatly manicured walkways.
Just four years ago, officials touted the newly renovated space in a ribbon-cucutting ceremony.
“Thankss to thithis project, Bridge Park will now serve as the ‘gateway to the greenway’ and will provide this community with another way to get fit and stay healthy, or simply take in the beautiful views,” NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver said at the time.
Work included new seating, a bicycle rack, drinking fountains and new trees and shrubs between the park and the adjacent MetroNorth Railroad tracks.
The renovations were paid for wwith money allocated by Bronx BoBorough President Ruben Diaz Jr., CCity Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson, the Mayor’s Office and a federal grant, according to the Parks Department.
The Parks Department said the gate was put up in June to stop unauthorized vehicles from entering.
A second entrance to the park had been kept open.
The NYPD said it had no reports of crime at the park this year.
“Our team works hard to keep Bridge Park clean, which includes regular maintenance on the park’s facilities and amenities,” said Parks spokesman Dan Kastanis, who added Friday that the agency would inspect the parpark over the weekend and make any necnecessary repairs.