Springfield Park (Queens) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Springfield Park |
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A part of Springfield Lake in Springfield Park
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| Type | Public park |
| Location | Queens, NY, United States |
| Area | 23.54 acres (9.53 ha) |
| Created | 1932 |
| Operated by | New York City Department of Parks & Recreation |
| Status | Open all year |
Springfield Park is a cool public park located in Springfield Gardens, a neighborhood in southeast Queens, New York City. It's about 23.54 acres big, which is like 18 football fields! Right in the middle, you'll find the beautiful Springfield Lake. The park is on Springfield Boulevard, not too far from the busy JFK Airport. The awesome team at the New York City Parks Department takes care of it.
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Discovering Springfield Park's Past
Springfield Park is in an area that used to have many natural springs. That's why settlers in the 1600s called it "Spring Field." These early settlers built a pond here to help water their crops.
How a Pond Became a Park
- Around 1750, a grist mill (a mill that grinds grain) used the pond's water.
- Later, in 1854, the pond became part of the water system for the city of Brooklyn.
- By 1932, a sewer project nearby accidentally destroyed the pond. It was already quite polluted and no longer used for drinking water.
- The city then filled in the area, turning it into the park we know today.
- In 1964, the city officially gave control of this land to the Parks Department.
Protecting the Park for Everyone
In the 1970s, there was a plan to turn the park into an industrial area. But local people, led by New York State Assembly member Guy Brewer, fought against it. They won, and the area stayed a park!
Even though it stayed a park, it became a bit run-down. So, in 1999, work began to fix it up. The first step was rebuilding the playground.
What Can You Do at Springfield Park Today?
Today, Springfield Park is a great place to visit! According to the Parks Department, it has:
- Two full-size basketball courts
- Two baseball fields
- Two tennis courts
- Swings for all ages
- A fun spray shower for hot days
- Play equipment with soft safety surfaces
- Benches where you can relax
- A flagpole with a yardarm
- A central pond with two bridges
Improving the Park and Its Environment
In October 2012, the city started a big project to improve Springfield Park and the surrounding area. This project, costing $69 million, helps with two main things:
- Better Drainage: It improves how stormwater (rainwater) drains away in the Springfield Gardens neighborhood.
- Cleaner Water: It helps clean the water that eventually flows into Jamaica Bay.
What is a "Bluebelt"?
A key part of these improvements is something called a "Bluebelt." This is a special, man-made wetland. Think of it as a natural filter! It collects and cleans stormwater before it goes into an estuary (where a river meets the sea).
How the Bluebelt Works at Springfield Park
- New storm sewers will send rainwater into a "forebay" in the northern part of Springfield Park.
- In the forebay, dirt and other stuff will settle out of the water.
- The cleaner water then flows through an open channel into Springfield Lake.
- This channel has a marshy edge with native wetland plants, which also help clean the water.
- Springfield Lake itself was made twice as deep. This helps improve water quality and stops too much algae from growing.
