In January, the pump track at Harold Ickes Playground in northern Red Hook returned after an eight-month absence (and an article in last month’s Star-Revue about the mystery of its disappearance).
The pump track is a lightweight installation of ramps and curves, intended to offer a temporary attraction for skateboarders and BMX riders in advance of the construction of a permanent skate park. As of December, the Department of Parks and Recreation had not yet set a date for the groundbreaking at Harold Ickes, expected sometime in 2020. Currently under legal review by the New York City Corporation Counsel, the upcoming project will cost between $3 and $5 million.
