RISF Beginning in fall 2007, Randall’s Island Sports Foundation (RISF) plans to reconfigure and rebuild the ball fields on Randall’s Island Park. Upon completion, over 60 new state-of-the-art fields will be available for use. The re-development of these fields will increase the City’s total ball field inventory by more than 5% and will increase Manhattan’s inventory by approximately 30%. The development will add more than 48,000 hours of additional playing time for current and new users of the fields.
The fields were designed through outreach to current users and will accommodate a variety of sports, including soccer, softball, baseball, football, lacrosse, field hockey and rugby. The majority of the new fields will be stand-alone, allowing a rotation of usage that will alleviate the current overuse of the fields and will ensure that they are better maintained and available for off-season play (for example, for spring lacrosse and soccer and fall softball).
The planned design includes significant upgrades to the current facilities, including the use of artificial turf at some fields and irrigation systems at all-grass fields. The project also includes crucial amenities for a Park of this size, including water fountains, bike racks, picnic areas and the first comfort stations to be associated with the playing fields, which will include staffing and convenient storage for maintenance equipment.
Designated pocket parking will, for the first time, clearly separate vehicles from pedestrians – long a problem on the Island, where vehicles are often parked directly on the playing fields. Curbed roads will better organize access to the fields and improve safety, while keeping vehicles and buses off of the new surfaces and preventing further damage and erosion. Where possible, lighting will extend field use and augment safety. Finally, directional signage will aid users in reaching all of the facilities on the Island, which is currently labyrinthine and confusing.
For More Information on the
Randall's Island Sports Field Project please
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For printable version of master plan
click on image below.
