City seeks input on Bland Playground redesign

Bland Playground in Flushing will undergo a $6 million redesign. Photo via NYC Parks

By David Brand

The city is seeking public input ahead of an overhaul to Flushing’s Bland Playground, a project included in last year’s municipal budget.

The $6 million project, championed by Councilmember Peter Koo, would redesign and reconstruct the playground, which is located on 40th Road in Downtown Flushing. The site is located near the campus of the Bland Houses and is named for Flushing native James Bland, a 19th century musician regarded as “greatest black writer of American folk songs,” according to the Parks Department.

Koo said the public scoping meeting on March 12 was “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for area residents to redesign their own backyard playground.”

Despite its central location, “the site has been plagued for years by a variety of problems ranging from sanitation to vagrancy,” he added. The Queens Chronicle referred to the site as “defiled by garbage” in a 2007 headline and “a dirty mess” in a 2009 piece. 

“It’s far past time that we address these issues through a redesign and reconstruction that prioritizes the needs of the families and young people who cherish and use this rare urban recreational space,” Koo added.

The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at Bland Community Center, located at 133-36 Roosevelt Ave.