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Town Breaks Ground on New Alvan Petrus Park in Port Washington


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 29, 2016
MEDIA CONTACTS: Carole Trottere, Rebecca Cheng, Sam Marksheid, and Vicki DiStefano | (516) 869-7794

Town Breaks Ground on New Alvan Petrus Park in Port Washington

North Hempstead, NY – North Hempstead Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth, Council Member Dina De Giorgio, elected officials, community leaders and local residents joined together on June 28 for a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Alvan Petrus Park in Port Washington.


The 50-year-old 1.8 acre park is located on land once-owned by Harbor Homes, LP, but through the years it had become ill-maintained, overgrown and unusable as a recreational facility. Supervisor Bosworth pledged to refurbish and improve the park when she took office in 2014. In 2015, the land’s ownership was transferred to the Town and it was dedicated as public park land.


“Our goal from the beginning was to transform Alvan Petrus Park into a recreational space that can be enjoyed by residents of all ages for many years to come,” Supervisor Bosworth said. “It is an exciting day for the Town and for the residents of this community as we take the first step towards transforming this park into a showcase facility.”


“I have been advocating for restoring Petrus Park, since 2011, before I was even elected Councilwoman,” Councilwoman Dina De Giorgio said. “This is a true victory for the community, if not for their tireless efforts; this project would never have succeeded and I am reminded of my favorite quote by Margaret Meade, ‘never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.’”


The new park was designed by the engineering firm of Cashin Associates, P.C. and construction will be done by Woodstock Construction Group, The completion date is estimated to be December 2016 The park will feature a basketball court, picnic benches, playground, a walking path and handball court, placed up against a hillside, in order to make maximum use of space on the small parcel of land.


The Town worked closely with community leaders, members of the Hands of Change group, the Hagedorn Foundation, Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington, The Port Washington Parks Conservancy, Port Washington Green, the Harbor Homes Residents Association and local residents to incorporate their views into the design.


Alvan Petrus Park was named after Alvan Petrus, who died in 1985. He was director of Littig House Community Center an active member of the Port Washington community.


For more information on the Petrus Park Project, please call 311 or 516-869-6311.


Officials from the Town of North Hempstead break ground at the location for the new Alvan Petrus Park.

Stacy Brown, Wandell Thomas, Marilyn Ross, Lynette Batts, North Hempstead Council Member Dina De Giorgio, and North Hempstead Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth at the Alvan Petrus Park ground breaking ceremony.



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