Great Neck Park District sets stage for modernizing Playscape

Janelle Clausen
The Great Neck Park District Board of Commissioners set the stage for a modernized Playscape on Thursday night. (Photo by Janelle Clausen)
The Great Neck Park District Board of Commissioners set the stage for a modernized Playscape on Thursday night. (Photo by Janelle Clausen)

The Great Neck Park District Board of Commissioners approved the purchase of $65,405 worth of indoor playground equipment from Soft Play last Thursday night, setting the stage for transforming the Playscape at Steppingstone Park.

The Playscape, located in the George M. Cohan House at Steppingstone Park in Kings Point, currently features three rooms, including a LEGO room, play space, and a play diner and supermarket, as well as a reading corner and space for magnetic puzzle tables, according to the district website.

Now, park district officials said, they will also have a play area with a two-level structure with slides and other features. While the company will be doing the installation, park district workers will renovate the interior of the building to open up two underused spaces.

“We’re excited about it,” Great Neck Park District Superintendent Jason Marra said.

Marra said the renovated Playscape adds more opportunity for birthday parties and revenue. Parents can also keep an eye on their kids through a glass window and screens, he said.

The Playscape was first created in the 1970s, but closed down for about a decade because of new child safety regulations.

The renovated Playscape reopened in 2015 after a $150,000 project, funded under a $3.8 million bond approved by the Town of North Hempstead in 2004.

“This is something that has been a tradition if you will for the park district for a long time and what we’re doing is we’re modernizing it,” Great Neck Park District Commissioner Bob Lincoln said. “It’s going to require some construction to be done by our staff with this purchase.”

Marra said he hopes the district can have the installation and renovations done before the beginning of Camp Parkwood season, which starts in late April.

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