The New Hyde Park Village Board is accepting bids from contractors for its $250,000 planned revamp of Memorial Park on Lincoln Avenue. The project would renovate the tennis and basketball courts, as well as the park’s walking path.
“The tennis court is unusable,” Mayor Robert Lofaro said. “This project would give it a major uplift.”
Bids will open on Jan. 30. According to Public Works Superintendent Tom Gannon, a March construction start date would need a February approval at the latest.
“If we’re looking at March, February is the most logical time,” he said. “It’s a relatively simple [bid] compared to what we usually do.”
The courts are in disrepair while the walking path needs paving. Parks Commissioner Rich Pallisco feels the path, which is frequented by dog walkers, runners and children, is a shell of its former self.
“[The walking path] is there, but it’s dilapidated,” Pallisco said. “That’s key. People are always walking in the park.” Benches will be installed, Pallisco said. He feels the park “is due for an upgrade.”
“The park’s always jam-packed with kids,” he said. “Basketball seems like the sport and by having a brand new court, it’ll make the kids happy. The same with tennis. There was nothing but complaints about the condition of the courts.”
Village Board park liaison and trustee Donna Squicciarino agreed the courts “are a mess.”
“I think [the project] will be great,” she said. “I think it’ll give the courts and that whole area a fresh look and clean things up a bit. They’re repairs that are needed to be made. I hope we can get it done quickly so that it won’t impact the summer.”
The project hit several snags dating back to last year. New Hyde Park received a $50,000 grant secured by New York State Senator Jack Martins in April 2014 for the reconstruction of the park. The village also earmarked $75,000 in funds toward the project, based on initial estimates by village engineers from Dvirka and Bartilucci.
Village officials said they initially thought the New York State grant and village monies would cover original bids sent out in September 2014. Only one proposal came in November, which was higher than expected and delayed the project.
“We thought it would’ve been enough to cover it,” Lofaro said. “Only one bidder bid on it.”
Martins procured an additional $150,000 grant recently, bringing New Hyde Park’s project funds to $275,000.
“We realized we didn’t have enough money and that bid was even higher than what we would even expect if we had more bidders,” Lofaro said. “Jack Martins came in and helped again.”
