New-York tribune., 1912-02-28
FOR MORE FAIRGROUNDS
Park Commissioner Announces
Plans for Eight OF Them.
TO HAVE EIGHTEEN IN ALL
Slower Pushing Things to Get
Many New Ones Ready by
This Spring.

Park Commissioner Stover announced
,,ars for eight more Fairgrounds yester-
A. which. with those already completed
and nearing completion. VIII make to.d'
NJ eighteen play centres projected for the
civ during his administration up 10 the
present time, representing an outlay OF ap-
proxirnately 100000. The Commissioner re-
ceived $1,000 last year and S25O'ON IN the
first year Of his administration ior play
ground development
The names Of the Fairgrounds and the
amounts 10 be expended thereon are as
follows:
Mulberry Bend Park t6,SSS; Five Points
$4,000: Cherry street $6,09S St Gabrieis
ssl 600; Greensboro Bridge, $4,000; West 59th
street. S2S6O6: l5lst street and Amsterdam
avenue, $4,000 Corlears Hook, 5000; Colon
ial S.2DO: East 101st street $2S,DV; TWO
Fairgrounds under Park avenue viaducL
10000; Broadway and ST. Nicholas avenue
$1,000: Lafayette street and Cleveland
Place $1,000; Battery Park, $4,000; Jean
nette Park: 5000: John Jay, $1,000 ana
Hudson Park, $4,000
With two exceptions all of the first ten
are ready TO be in use this spring, ana
plans are completed for several of the
Others The building or field house TO 20 IN
the southern end of Central Park Will be
erected with the surplus funds, if there are
any. and the Commissioner believes that In
the letting of the contracts some OF the
original estimates will be scaled down to a
marked degree.
Model Playground Ready.
If iz MANNED 10 omen the East 10lst street
playground on March 16. This is the model
playground of the city and much care has
been taken to make it so. II Is in one ot
the most thickly settled sections OF the
citv and the children of the immediate
reishborhood are so numerous the play
Ground will he more than filled without
any others from adjoining streets
The Greensboro Bridge playground is now
nearing completion. IT will bo one Of the
largest in the city and will include, among
other features. an open air stadium which
will seat fifteen hundred persons Big
athletic meets will he held there.
The Bureau Of Recreation's budget this
wear is about $4,000, while last year and
the year before il was only approximately
sssOOo. The increased number Of play
grounds will mean the appointment of a
larger field staff.
II Is the intention Of William ). Lee,
Supervisor of Recreation. to do away with
outdoor gymnasium work as much as pos
able I'm favor of field and track athletics.
Mr. Lee said yesterday that there was less
danger in such forms of sport and besides
a much greater number Of youngsters could
De accommodated,
Just now everything is up in the air be-
cause the kids are all baseball mad said
the director I'm another two weeks they
won't look at anything but baseball bat
and ball This will be the biggest base
ball year in the history of the city
Vacant Lots for Ball Games.
A number OF open lots will be provided
with wire backstops and opened TO the
baseball clubs, as was the policy of the
Park Commissioner last year when he re-
ceived permission from property owners
10 use vacant land for such purposes.
The total attendance in the Fairgrounds
last year was said to have been three mill
ion, while in 1910 it was somewhat above a
million.
Everything will be done TO get as many
of the Fairgrounds in shape by the coming
season as is possible" said Commissioner
Stover at Corlears Hook there will be
a necessary delay because have asked for
an appropriation of $42.50O to rebuild the
bulkheadng, which is crumbling into the
river. and is dangerous. When 1t is rebuilt
it will add substantially TO the area Of the
park and the proposed playground there.
In Battery Park the playground must wait
OH the plans tor the Aquarium. the com
pletion of the Barge Office and the plans
Pn, C,,bu CT
intend placing bowling field there for the
game of bowls as was played by the early
nettlers OF the city
The play centre at 15lst street and Am
sterdam avenue will be, when completed,
one OF the most interesting in the city, ac-
cording 10 Commissioner Slower for here
will be included a sunken Japanese garden
bv way of Identification. All the old frame
houses have been cleared away from the
property and work will be begun In a short
time to lay out the grounds.