The Juan Morel Campos Secondary School in Brooklyn’s renovated schoolyard opened on Monday, thanks to the efforts of Trust for Public Land, the Brooklyn Nets & New York Liberty Foundation, the Kevin Durant Charity Foundation, and the NYC Department of Environmental Protection.

In addition to basketball courts, a turf field, a running track, trees, permeable pavers, play equipment, exercise equipment, game tables, seats, colour seal art, a recycling centre, and a drinking fountain, the remodelled area has an outdoor school. Nina Chanel Abney, an artist residing in New York, created the basketball courts.

Carter Strickland, VP of the Mid-Atlantic and New York State Director for Trust for Public Land, stated, “Parks and playgrounds provide tremendous benefits for communities, from mental and physical well-being to improving environmental health. Having open space close to home means people will use it more often and get more benefits.” “We’re excited to be able to celebrate the opening of this new outdoor space that will provide a safe space for kids to play and learn while also benefiting a large number of Brooklyn residents.”

During non-school hours, the schoolyard will be accessible to the public and serve more than 17,000 inhabitants who live within a 10-minute walking distance.

DEP Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala stated, “This new Green Infrastructure playground will absorb all of the rain and snow that falls on it, which will help to reduce any neighbourhood flooding and improve the health of nearby Newtown Creek in addition to being a beautiful play space for students and the neighbourhood.” “We are grateful to the Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty, the entire I.S. 71 community, and our partners at Trust for Public Land—what a team!”

Sustainable features were added to the schoolyard as part of the restoration, such as a grass field that will help collect 840,000 gallons of runoff annually and permeable pavers. By preventing overflowing sewer systems and flooded streets, the designs will help keep untreated water out of New York City’s waterways.

“The goal of the Brooklyn Nets & New York Liberty Foundation is to establish fair access to sports and education,” stated Mandy Gutmann, BSE Global’s executive vice president of community relations and communications. “We are certain that life lessons can be applied to basketball, and by working together, we are making sure the neighbourhood has a safe space for play. Our goal is that the students will be motivated to play hard, study hard, and have fun by these exquisitely constructed courts.

According to Jose Mena, Director of KDCF, “New York City is at its best when kids and families have the spaces they need to be great.” We have assisted in the renovation of 27 basketball courts worldwide since 2015, and this Brooklyn project is particularly meaningful to us because of our close collaboration with the Nets, Liberty, Trust for Public Land, and the local community.