MINEOLA, NY-- Standing on the same Centennial Park basketball courts that once played host to a budding teenage star named Julius Erving (“Dr. J”), Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi, joined by Nassau County Legislator Kevan Abrahams (D-Hempstead) and Nassau County park officials, highlighted the extensive renovation work done at the facility as part of his Nassau County Parks “Come Back” campaign.

County Parks Commissioner Richard Murphy; Alliance Junior Tennis Coordinator Emily Moore of Roosevelt; Gary Battle of Hempstead; Ulysses Byas Elementary School Principal Lillian Watson; Michael Fritz of the County Parks Department; Town of Hempstead Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby; Centennial Park Director John Williams; Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi; Nassau County Legislator Kevan Abrahams (D-Hempstead); and Deputy Parks Commissioner Andrew Hardwick, join together to celebrate the completion of the County’s extensive renovations done at Centennial Park in Roosevelt.

“For decades, this park has served as an important center for athletic and family activity in the Roosevelt community,” said Suozzi. “However, as far as anyone can remember, there has been very little new investment since Julius Erving played here 40 years ago. Look around here today. We have magnificent new basketball hoops with glass backboards. The courts are level and color-coated. We have made Centennial into a park that the county and this community can be very proud of. It is a terrific place to play ball.”

"I'm glad that I was able to be a part of the process to renovate this park into a viable resource for the community," said Kevan Abrahams (D-Hempstead) "It will now serve as a magnet for the community, attracting young people, seniors and families."

A narrow 2-acre park located at the intersection of Centennial Avenue and Babylon Turnpike in Roosevelt, Centennial can draw hundreds of youngsters a day in the spring and summer to play basketball on the four full courts. Renovation of the park began in late May and concluded this week, with work including the resurfacing and color-coating of four full basketball courts and the installation of eight new magnificent basketball hoops with glass backboards.

Other work done at Centennial includes the resurfacing and color-coating of two new tennis courts; renovation of two handball courts; repair and renovation of benches and picnic tables; installation of new swings and the clean-up of the playground area; and the removal of dead trees and pruning of others. In total, the Nassau County Department of Parks, Recreation & Museums spent approximately $150,000 renovating Centennial Park.

Suozzi noted that while the emphasis of the multi-year $36 million “Come Back” plan has been on renovating the 10 parks and facilities most heavily used by the public, he has also focused on cleaning up and renovating the community parks.

“In the ‘Come Back’ campaign, we are taking a very systematic and comprehensive approach that includes smaller community parks like Centennial, as well as the preserves and the museums,” said Suozzi.

In addition to Centennial, other small parks or preserves that have been renovated include:

• Tanglewood Park and Preserve in Lynbrook, where a major capital project involved cleaning the pond, adding new brick walkways and cleaning the preserve.
• Milburn Pond Park in Freeport, where a major capital project involved cleaning the pond, landscaping and the installation of new benches.
• Manhasset Valley Pond in Manhasset, which involved cleaning and extensive tree cutting and pruning.
• Whitney Pond Park in Manhasset, which involved cleaning and extensive tree cutting and pruning.
• Halls Pond in West Hempstead, which involved cleaning, tree cutting and pruning, and where a major capital project is planned for dredging the pond.

In addition, the County is ready to award a contract for a major capital project involving cleaning the ponds at Silver Lake and Lofts Pond parks in Baldwin, and making other improvements such as new walkways and benches.