Isaacs Houses Residents Hold Grand Reopening for Refurbished Playground 

On June 14, Manhattan’s Isaacs Houses community celebrated the revitalization of a playground space that was damaged by Superstorm Sandy.  

The Upper East Side development’s resident association held a ribbon-cutting ceremony, where they were joined by NYCHA representatives, including Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt, to mark the grand reopening of the playground. Children who live at the development, which is home to more than 1,100 residents, also came out to enjoy the newly installed play structures and receive book giveaways.   

The playground area, which was closed due to damage from Superstorm Sandy, was completely renovated through funding from NYCHA’s Recovery & Resilience initiative. Established as a result of Superstorm Sandy in 2012, the Recovery & Resilience Department is dedicated to providing safer communities for residents in coastal developments, through building reinforcement projects, storm surge protection, and infrastructure upgrades. 

“Thanks to funding under our Sandy Recovery & Resilience initiative, we now have a number of development-wide improvements, including this wonderful, revitalized playground, which the children of Stanley Isaacs Houses will enjoy for many years to come,” CEO Lisa Bova-Hiatt said. 

CEO Lisa Bova-Hiatt joined Isaacs Houses community members and children to welcome the newly revitalized playground space.

The recently completed playground project features new equipment, blacktop games, safety surfacing, colorful painting, and other site enhancements.  

The resident association, led by President Rosemary Bergin, worked closely with the NYCHA project team throughout the design process, selecting paint colors and specific play features. 

The playground renovation was just one of a host of improvements performed across the Isaacs Houses campus as part of the Recovery & Resilience efforts to repair damage caused by Superstorm Sandy and improve resiliency at the development.