Prospect Park’s ballfields are well on the way to being fully restored, with the final two fields undergoing restoration in January 2022.
Long Meadow ballfields 2 and 3 are the last of seven in Long Meadow to be reconstructed thanks to $1.5 million in funding from Mayor Bill de Blasio and Councilmember Brad Lander.
Once finished, the fully restored ballfields will include additional drainage, new pathways and benches, dedicated clay storage bins and shaded dugouts. Construction will begin in January 2022 and completion is slated for December 2022.
Lander said the city’s parks and play areas were a critical resource, and the City must continue to work to keep its communities “happy, healthy, and connected through community green spaces.”
“Brooklynites of all ages will enjoy these ballfields for years to come,” he added.
Since the late 19th century, the southern end of Long Meadow has been used for sports including croquet, lawn tennise and baseball. In 1959, five baseball diamonds and space for football and soccer were built on Long Meadow to ease demand on the Parade Ground fields. Then, in 2011, Prospect Park Alliance created a new master plan to restore the fields in the Long Meadow. To date, five of the seven fields have been restored.
Last week, NYC Parks Commissioner Gabrielle Fialkoff and Prospect Park Alliance President Sue Donoghue joined Lander, New York State Assemblymember Bobby Carroll, Prospect Park Baseball Association President Eddie Albert and community members for the ceremonial groundbreaking of the ballfields.
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams said Prospect Park had often been called Brooklyn’s backyard, “and the Long Meadow Ballfields are the part of the yard where people of all ages are given free rein to play, compete, and have fun.”
“The thousands of Brooklynites who use these fields for baseball, softball, soccer, and other recreational activities are rejoicing at this news today. I thank the Prospect Park Alliance, as well as Council Member Lander for his leadership.”
