Parks, NYU present revised Mercer Playground design focused on wheeled play

New York City Department of Parks and Recreation staff and NYU representatives presented an updated design for the interim renovation of Mercer Playground (Mercer Street between Bleecker and West Third Streets) at the Community Board 2 Parks and Waterfront Committee meeting in June 2020.

The revised plan, Parks Deputy Director Ricardo Henkel said, replaces the piecemeal painted-track approach shown in February with a small master plan centered on three curvilinear concrete-formed ellipses and low, asphalt mounds intended to support “wheeled play” — bicycles, scooters and skateboards — for younger children. “The budget for our project is $385,000 and that includes soft costs,” Henkel said, adding that Parks would use its own design budget for a broader master plan work so more of the grant funding could go to construction.

Committee members and residents said they appreciated the clearer, more permanent approach but asked detailed questions about materials, durability, safety and operations. Several speakers who live adjacent to the park urged limits on age of users and hours of operation; others asked about sightlines, tree protection and the potential for the space to be taken over by older skateboarders.

Why it matters: Mercer Playground is a compact neighborhood park that already draws mixed uses, from children’s spray-play in the northern corner to older youth riding bikes in the center. The Parks presentation aimed to…