NYC PARKS CELEBRATES THE OPENING OF TWO NEW PUBLIC RESTROOM BUILDINGS ON STATEN ISLAND

NYC Parks Staten Island Borough Commissioner Joseph G. Homsey today joined Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella and community members to cut the ribbon on brand new public restroom buildings at Owl Hollow Fields and Seaside Wildlife Nature Park.

"All New Yorkers deserve access to clean, reliable, and accessible public restrooms to ensure that everyone can fully enjoy our public spaces. We're thrilled to bring restroom buildings to these popular borough destinations for the first time, and that they were constructed with resiliency and accessibility in mind," said NYC Parks Staten Island Borough Commissioner Joseph G. Homsey. "We're committed to providing Staten Islanders with the highest quality amenities to better serve the community for years to come."

"We are pleased to see these all-new restrooms open at two very well-visited Staten Island parks. And, what an opportune time for these facilities to open - for Owl Hollow, just in time for the best of the World Cup, and for Seaside Park, with the summer straight ahead," said Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella. "Many Staten Islanders come to enjoy these scenic open spaces, and these facilities will help people do so at their fullest. Thank you to Borough Commissioner Homsey for being a strong partner in making sure our parkgoers get the best they deserve."

"Having these two much-needed public restrooms will improve these parks tremendously. Hundreds of families visit these parks each week and having a clean, safe place to use the facilities will mean they can spend more time in the park," said City Council Member Frank Morano. "I thank my predecessor Councilman Borelli for securing the funding to make this happen, and I look forward to working with Parks on even more improvements to make Staten Island an even better place to live."

A capital project at Owl Hollow Fields in Freshkills Park brought the first-ever public restroom building to the site, which is heavily used by local sports leagues. Funded by $4.41 million from the NYC Mayor's Office, the project added new restroom facilities, a drinking fountain and bottle fillers along with maintenance and operations space for Parks staff. The building was constructed to meet the latest energy efficiency standards and includes a green roof. During construction, Parks carefully coordinated the work in tandem with the completion of a park road project to access Arthur Kill Road, ensuring that park users could access the restroom building without needing to cross through vehicular traffic.

Opened in 2013, Owl Hollow is a 20-acre site featuring four synthetic turf soccer fields, a loop pedestrian path encircling the fields, a parking lot, and landscaped lawn areas.

Another project at Seaside Wildlife Nature Park constructed a brand-new, universally accessible public restroom with sustainable and resilient design features, including a green roof. The project also added new landscape architecture including a new pathway, plantings and rain garden.

As the park is situated along the Staten Island waterfront, the restroom building was constructed at an elevation above the flood plain to protect from the impact of climate change, with ADA-compliant access ramps for the public. The $6.765 million project was funded by the NYC Mayor's Office and City Council.

One of New York City's most innovative play spaces, Seaside Wildlife Nature Park features a playground that is entirely nautical-themed, with a lighthouse, a shark to climb on, and play units that resemble the Staten Island Ferry. The centerpiece is a large shipwreck-themed play feature, perfect for exploration and imaginative play. The playground is surrounded by nearly 20 acres of picturesque wilderness, with pathways that lead visitors through acres of native seaside and salt marsh plants, as well as nearby trees, shrubs, and local wildlife.

The projects at Owl Hollow Fields and Seaside Wildlife Nature Park are two of 15 capital projects that Parks and its partners expect to complete in 2026 to deliver new or reconstructed restroom facilities across the city. Currently, Parks has 66 capital projects underway to build or improve restrooms by 2029.