Captain Tilly Park Undergoes $1.2 Million Reconstruction

NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP, will join Council Member Rory Lancman to celebrate a reconstructed landscape and drainage improvements at Captain Tilly Park in Jamaica, Queens.

"Thanks to support from Council Member Lancman, we've been able to replant Captain Tilly Park with native shrubs that will thrive in this shady environment, and build a sustainable hillside to combat erosion, allowing for a healthier Goose Pond," said Commissioner Silver. "We look forward to breaking ground on a second phase of improvements in the fall."

"With new erosion controls and native species to replace invasive plants, silt and other debris from the eroding hillside will no longer fall into Goose Pond and harm the water quality. I'm thrilled to see the first phase of the Captain Tilly Park project completed, and I look forward to phase two," said Council Member Lancman.

The project scope included removing invasive species on the northern slope of the park, and replacing them with new lawn and native plantings at the base of the hillside that will aid in erosion control. The reconstruction has brought to the park native species such as Cheyenne Spirit, Leilani Coneflower, September Charm Windflower, Evergold Sedge, Dead Nestle and Blue Star Asphalt. In addition, the project included repavement of pathways as well as various erosion control measures including coir logs, stabilization fabric, and understory vegetation were implemented.

Planting in the green circle, also known as the "village green," was established with no-mow lawn grasses and swaths of native understory shrubs to keep the natural character while providing lawn space for park users to enjoy the open space.

Prior to this project, the hillside was severely eroded, leaving debris on the asphalt path at the bottom of the hill and negatively impacting the health of nearby trees.

NYC Parks completed work on in the Captain Till Park reconstruction in November 2015. A second phase of renovations to reconstruct the parks' southern plaza is currently in procurement and scheduled to break ground this fall. In the second phase, NYC Parks will add new bluestone, more benches and plantings.