Bloomberg breaks ground on Staten Island park and Brooklyn recycling facility

From left: Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Freshkills Park and a rendering of Sims Municipal Recycling Facility

Mayor Michael Bloomberg broke ground today on the renovation of Schmul Park, the second project in the development of Freshkills Park in the Travis neighborhood of Staten Island. The $6.5 million project will include a new playground with handball and basketball courts, permeable pavement and a new green comfort station featuring a rain garden. Construction is slated for completion in 2011. “When we finish transforming Freshkills into one of the City’s largest parks, nearly one-third of Staten Island will be public parkland,” Bloomberg said. Bloomberg also broke ground on a new $44 million Sims Municipal Recycling Facility in Sunset Park to serve as a processing site for all of the city’s recyclables. The Brooklyn facility is being constructed by Skanksa USA, as part of the city’s landmark Solid Waste Management Plan, which establishes a system for managing the city’s waste for the next 20 years. TRD