Shirley Chisholm State Park
Shirley Chisholm State Park
Brooklyn, NY
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Shirley Chisholm State Park is part of the Gateway National Recreational Area located along the shores of Jamaica Bay in the East New York section of Kings County. The site rests atop the former Pennsylvania and Fountain Avenue landfills. After the landfills were closed in 1983, an impermeable plastic cap and a below-ground barrier to fully encapsulate the landfills were installed to repurpose the 407 acres of land as a park.
The park opened in November 2020 with two new welcoming entrances, over ten miles of paths, waterside piers, a hilltop “sky bowl,” creek side patios, hundreds of acres of restored meadow landscapes, as well as a high marsh and all native tree plantings.
As the resident landscape architect, SiteWorks oversaw the soil grading, plantings, and invasive species control management throughout construction. From receiving deliveries to installation sign-off, SiteWorks shepherded the soil and plants through the construction process to support the best project outcome. Our presence on site ensured that horticultural soils were properly sampled, stored and maintained while they awaited installation. During placement, SiteWorks carefully monitored the work to ensure that the soil was placed to proper depths, extents, and compaction. We also worked to make sure that plants were inspected for size, quality, and species before installation, and ensured that they plant material was installed and maintained for successful establishment and survival.