Boymelgreen to Fulfill J.J. Byrne Park Responsibility?

In April, Community Board 6 voted to ask the Department of Buildings to withhold the Certificate of Occupancy for Boymelgreen Developers' Novo Park Slope building because the developer hadn't followed through on making, or paying for, nearly $1.6 million in repairs to J.J. Byrne Park on Fifth Avenue. The repairs were needed because the developer used part of the park during the construction of the luxury condo on Fourth Avenue. Now, a spokesperson for the developer says the improvements are coming very soon. The Park Slope Courier reports:

At neighboring J.J. Byrne Memorial Park, a handball court has been laid to ruin, and local residents have been wondering what Boymelgreen Developers, the company behind the 12-story building at 343 4th Avenue, is going to do about it...“Boymelgreen is committed to the renovation of the park,” said Shannon Lynch, a spokesperson for the developer, who is partnered with the Katan Group on the project.

The start of the $1.6 million renovations are “just a few weeks away,” Lynch promised.

“Working with the Parks Department, we’ve created a plan for the renovation of the park,” she added.

“We are looking forward to the park being a vital feature of the community,” she said.

Phil Abramson, a spokesperson for the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation, said improvements will include eight new handball courts, two basketball courts, a skate park and a dog run.

There is apparently no signed agreement, but the work which the developer had promised to do should begin shortly. There is no indication of whether the Building Department will abide by the Community Board's request to withhold the Certificate of Occupancy if the repairs don't take place.