Photo: NYC Parks / Daniel Avila
NYC Parks Brooklyn Borough Commissioner Martin Maher joined Council Member Inna Vernikov, Community Board 13 District Manager Eddie Mark, and community members on Wednesday to cut the ribbon on a $1.48 million complete transformation of Babi Yar Triangle in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn.
“Babi Yar Triangle now boasts brand new play equipment, an updated entryway and more greenery to make this park more beautiful and welcoming to all,” said Brooklyn Borough Parks Commissioner Martin Maher. “We are so grateful to the City Council and Mayor’s Office for investing in this park and recognizing its value to the Brighton Beach community.”
“I was honored to attend yesterday’s ribbon cutting for Babi Yar Triangle Playground, a park that was named in 1981 to commemorate one of the darkest events of WWII,” said Councilwoman Vernikov. “It is truly heartwarming to know that this renovation will bring vibrancy and joy to this area; while adults and children alike enjoy this updated recreational space. I am committed to ensuring that our parks receive the much needed care and funding that will benefit generations to come.”
New expanded play areas offer more play value with equipment for kids aged 2-5 and 5-12, and ADA inclusive features. New seating, game tables, and water fountains were also installed. The planting design provides seasonal interest throughout the year, with a robust palette of flowering and shade trees, evergreen and deciduous shrubs, and hardy groundcovers.
The Triangle was redesigned to create a stronger sense of layout, circulation, and spatial arrangement. The inlaid Star of David was moved from the center of the park to the southeast corner, which has afternoon sun year-round. The new design also features a larger and more prominent entrance from the corner, which emphasizes clear sightlines into the park from the intersection of Ocean View Avenue and Corbin Place.
The project was funded with a total of $1.482 million from the City Council ($1.2 million) and Mayor’s Office ($282,000). The project began with a community visioning session in November 2017. Construction began in May 2021 and was completed on time in May 2022.
Babi Yar Triangle was named in 1981 to commemorate one of the darkest events of World War II. On September 29th and 30th, 1941, Nazi soldiers massacred 33,711 Jews in the Babi Yar ravine outside Kiev in Ukraine. Over the course of the 778 days of Nazi rule in Kiev, the ravine became a mass grave for over 100,000 people. The park features a seating area with an inlaid Star of David, symbol of the Jewish faith, as well as a bronze plaque that commemorates the massacre. Located on Ocean View Avenue and Corbin Place in the Brighton Beach neighborhood, the park functions as both a community playground and well-used gathering space for adults and seniors.
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