After sustaining significant damage from Hurricane Sandy and the Nor’easter that hit less than two weeks later, the last area of Prospect Park will finally be reopened to the public this weekend.
The Lincoln Road Playground, located near the Lincoln Road, Ocean Avenue entrance of the park, will reopen Saturday, Jan. 12 at sunrise, 7:19 a.m.
The damage to the playground was extensive; it is estimated that more than $100,000 in damage was sustained, including wrecked play equipment, benches, safety mats, light poles and a fence.
"Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of the Parks Department and Prospect Park Alliance staff, we are able to open the playground much faster than we anticipated," said Emily Lloyd, president of the Prospect Park Alliance in a statement.
“We know how important this playground is for so many children and families and we are thankful for the tremendous outpouring of support to help the Park recover from the storm.”
The damage the Park suffered due to Sandy and the Nor’easter that followed far exceeded that of any storm in the past 25 years, the Prospect Park Alliance noted.
More than five hundred trees, many of them older and very large, were knocked down or so severely damaged that they had to be taken down. More than one thousand large branches fell or were hanging and had to be removed.
The Prospect Park Alliance, with the help of volunteers from various agencies, helped to remove more than seven thousand cubic yards of debris.
