City leaders celebrated the latest improvements at Roosevelt Park in Buffalo Friday. The updates include a new slash pad, walkways, grills, and security lights. They also renovated the shelter house at the park, that will be available for the community to use year round.
Children in the Roosevelt and Martha Avenue neighborhood were already enjoying the new splash park, which is now the eleventh pad in the city.
Deputy Commissioner for Parks and recreation Andy Rath says the city allocated over $550,000 for the project.
“We worked with the community to improve this asset the way that they would like to use it, and I thank them for all of their input through this whole process, because we couldn’t have done it without them. We really try to focus on what the community needs and what they want and I really hope that we’ve gotten it,” said Rath.
Rath said this is only the beginning of improvements on the park. He says the city has set aside an additional funding update the basketball hoops and tennis courts in Roosevelt Park, slated for completion in summer 2014.
Mayor Byron Brown said the updates are expected to strengthen property values in the area.
“To have clean, safe green spaces is critically important to the quality of life in our city. It’s critically important to have a place for adults and seniors and family’s to recreate and have fun and come together. We know that through making these investments the city is better, and it’s safer,” said Brown.
Brown says the city spent more than $1.6 million this year on improvements to both the Roosevelt Park shelter house and splash pad, and the Centennial Pool splash pad at LaSalle Park.
University District Council Member Bonnie Russell said she's proud of improvements, and excited to have a great place to cool off from high temperatures in the summer.