School playground in the Bronx will absorb stormwater to reduce neighborhood flooding

Students will soon have access to a new, green playground in the Tremont neighborhood of the Bronx in New York City

The schoolyard at P.S. 306/M.S. 331 is designed as a green infrastructure to capture 2 million gallons of storm water each year – reducing flooding and helping to improve the health of the nearby Harlem River, reports Norwood News. 

Officials said the goal of the schoolyard is to ease pressure on the neighborhood's sewers and to help reduce the amount of untreated water from entering the Harlem River. 

The $2.2 million schoolyard was designed by students from elementary school P.S. 306 and middle school M.S. 331. The playground will have a full basketball court, a volleyball court, an outdoor classroom, game tables, a gazebo, play equipment for younger children, fitness equipment for older students and community members, benches, a running track, and a turf field for soccer and football.

It also will have green infrastructure elements such as shade trees, plantings, permeable pavers, and a synthetic turf field.

The schoolyard is expected to open in fall 2024. 

The playground will be built by The Trust for Public, in partnership with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection , The School Construction Authority and the Department of Education.