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A waterfront stroll, a pickleball match and a few rounds of blackjack could eventually share a Bronx address. Ferry Point Park is set for a $160 million makeover tied to Bally’s sprawling casino development, including a playground that's a solid option for anyone who prefers slides to slots.
The redesign includes a 20-foot slide, a splash pad, climbing structures, new athletic facilities, shaded lounge areas and waterfront walking paths. Bronx Community Board 10 will weigh in on the plans tomorrow, Thursday, October 15, and decide whether to issue a letter of support, Gothamist reports.
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Landscape architecture firm Hargreaves Jones developed the proposal following community engagement. Its design covers five sites, with two facing the Throgs Neck neighborhood and the others along the waterfront. Inland, the plans call for tennis and pickleball courts, improved basketball courts and a baseball field, plus landscaping and shaded seating. Along the water, visitors could get three new soccer fields, a scenic overlook and paved paths along and around the East River. Ferry Point will also retain its NYC Ferry landing.
Some work would be far less photogenic but fairly essential: raising sections of the ground by up to 10 feet to sit above the flood line. Designers also propose shrinking an existing detention basin to roughly one-fifth of its current size, freeing up more open space.
The park overhaul accompanies Bally’s planned $4 billion resort, which received its state casino license in December. The company’s application describes a complex spanning more than 3 million square feet, including a 500-room hotel, 3,500 gaming machines, 250 table games and a 2,000-person event center.
Residents have asked how to reach the park from elsewhere in the Bronx, given the lack of a nearby subway station and the long walk from the nearest bus stop. A community representative also pushed for another baseball field, arguing that nearby Herbert H. Lehman High School needs a home field.
“This park belongs to the community and residents helped shape the vision for its redesign from day one,” NYC Parks Bronx Borough Commissioner Jessenia Aponte said in a statement.
There’s still a wait before anyone tests that slide: the city’s Public Design Commission is reviewing the proposal and park construction is not expected to begin until 2028. So, for now, the makeover remains on the drawing board.