More Red Hook parks open, by Brian Abate

Construction is underway on Ball Fields 1-4 and Soccer Field 3, as well as Soccer Field 2 in Red Hook. Construction on Ball Field 9 is already finished and by the time the December issue of the paper is out, the field should be open. Additionally, the handball courts in the area are already open.

Construction for Ball Fields 5-8 was completed this spring and they were in use this past baseball/softball season. The turf is great, the fields are clean and I was even able to play catch on them when there weren’t any Little League or softball games going on. The new fields should be just as nice. Though I did not have a great view of Ball Field 9, I could see the foul poles which looked very cool. I remember when I played Little League games the grass and dirt were usually uneven which could lead to some pretty wicked bounces, so hopefully the turf at the fields will prevent that from happening now.

The expected timeline for completion of Ball Fields 1-4 is listed as spring of 2023, which would be great because that would be in time for the start of the baseball season. However, when it comes to the ballfields there always seem to be unforeseen delays so there is certainly no guarantee that construction will be finished on time.

I noticed that people set up soccer goals at the completed baseball fields during this spring and fall so it will be nice to have the soccer field ready by the time the weather starts getting warmer.

Additionally, even though there was still plenty of construction going on, there was a walkway through the construction to the handball courts. They look great but were empty when I was there despite the nice weather. I’m not sure if people realize that they’re allowed to use the handball courts because they’re surrounded by construction. Hopefully, they’ll get more crowded as more people realize the courts are open.

It looks like a lot of work has already been completed although ironically, I didn’t see anyone working when I was walking by and looking around. I just saw one man locking up one of the fences and walking out of the work area. The last time I walked by it looked like the construction had a long way to go but now it’s really starting to take shape and from what I can see, it looks great.

I also noticed that a bunch of new trees had been planted in front of the new ballfields. It’s a nice touch as they make the street look better and they’re also good for the environment.

Getting the ballfields re-opened has been a really slow process but it’s a great feeling every time they complete a new phase of the construction and it was a lot of fun having some of the fields open again this spring.

Brian Abate