With the first hiking program at Freshkills Park, hiking becomes a regular part of the programs on site.
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2013: Owl Hollow Fields Open
April: Owl Hollow Fields opened, with four soccer fields (two of which are lighted), and a landscaped path. The LEED certified comfort station remains to be built.
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2012: Super Storm Sandy
On October 29, Super storm Sandy hit Staten Island. The wetlands and landfill mounds of Freshkills acted as a buffer for the neighboring communities and Freshkills was used as a temporary debris transfer station.
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2012: Schmul Park Reopens
Schmul Park, the first complete park project, reopened in the Travis Neighborhood. The project included renovating the playground with colorful shaped surfaces to echo the topography of the park, new handball and basketball courts, creating what will become a tree-lined entrance to North Park, and building a comfort station with water and energy saving measures.
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2012: Video: “The Fresh Kills Story,” Staten Island Borough President’s Office
Video: “The Fresh Kills Story: From World’s Largest Garbage Dump to a World-Class Park.”
One-hour documentary by Andy Levison, Staten Island Borough President’s Office. Presented by Borough President James P. Molinaro.
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2012: Goatscaping
In June and July, a herd of goats helped out in the Main Creek Wetland Restoration by eating phragmites, an invasive reed. The pilot restoration project’s objective was to remove phragmites, increase ecosystem habitats via native species plantings, stabilize the shoreline to combat sea level rise, and improve water quality.
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2012: Visitor Center
February: The new Freshkills Park Visitor Center opened in a refurbished construction trailer on-site. The Visitor Center was designed by New York-based design firm, Project Projects, and features a green roof, bright graphics, and creative displays detailing the past, present, and future of Freshkills Park.
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2011: Kayaking
Freshkills Park teamed with Kayak Staten Island to hold the first public kayak event on site.
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2011: 10-Year Anniversary
The New York City Departments of Sanitation and Parks & Recreation celebrated the 10th Anniversary of the last barge of waste to Fresh Kills Landfill by welcoming a barge loaded with young trees to the site.
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2010: Schmul Park Groundbreaking
October 27: Mayor Bloomberg broke ground on the renovation of Schmul Park and Playground in Travis. The park dates to in 1939 and bears the name of the family that donated a piece of their farm to the city. Read the article in the Staten Island Advance.
Pictured: Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe and Freshkills Park Administrator Eloise Hirsh.