Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
A new team of two dozen painters, electricians, plumbers and other trade specialists will deliver fast, visible improvements at playgrounds, recreation centers and sports courts in three weeks or less
NEW YORK – Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura today announced the launch of Renew Crew, a new team of 24 painters, electricians, plumbers and other trade specialists focused on making fast, visible improvements to playgrounds, recreation centers and sports courts across New York City.
Designed to address everyday repairs efficiently, Renew Crew will focus on the improvements park visitors notice most: from repainting chipped playground equipment and fences to repairing park amenities, replacing protective flooring on playgrounds, restoring site features like play equipment or fencing and addressing general wear and tear. By tackling these high-impact projects quickly, the team improves the visitor experience while extending the life of park infrastructure.
Mayor Mamdani and Commissioner Shimamura marked the launch with a repair blitz at Dry Harbor Playground in Queens, where maintenance crews are repairing and repainting two basketball courts, play equipment, a shuffleboard court, bocce and horseshoe courts, the park house exterior, benches, bollards, a drinking fountain, fence posts and rails. Crews are also installing protective flooring on playgrounds, removing dead trees, mulching planting beds, pruning trees and enhancing horticulture around the 9/11 memorial.
Similar fixes are underway at a playground in every borough, including Fort Four Playground in the Bronx, American Playground in Brooklyn, Annunciation Playground in Manhattan and Old Town Playground on Staten Island. Each year, the Renew Crew will tackle as many as 30 projects in three weeks or less.
August 27 , 2026
A new team of two dozen painters, electricians, plumbers and other trade specialists will deliver fast, visible improvements at playgrounds, recreation centers and sports courts in three weeks or less
NEW YORK – Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura today announced the launch of Renew Crew, a new team of 24 painters, electricians, plumbers and other trade specialists focused on making fast, visible improvements to playgrounds, recreation centers and sports courts across New York City.
Designed to address everyday repairs efficiently, Renew Crew will focus on the improvements park visitors notice most: from repainting chipped playground equipment and fences to repairing park amenities, replacing protective flooring on playgrounds, restoring site features like play equipment or fencing and addressing general wear and tear. By tackling these high-impact projects quickly, the team improves the visitor experience while extending the life of park infrastructure.
Mayor Mamdani and Commissioner Shimamura marked the launch with a repair blitz at Dry Harbor Playground in Queens, where maintenance crews are repairing and repainting two basketball courts, play equipment, a shuffleboard court, bocce and horseshoe courts, the park house exterior, benches, bollards, a drinking fountain, fence posts and rails. Crews are also installing protective flooring on playgrounds, removing dead trees, mulching planting beds, pruning trees and enhancing horticulture around the 9/11 memorial.
Similar fixes are underway at a playground in every borough, including Fort Four Playground in the Bronx, American Playground in Brooklyn, Annunciation Playground in Manhattan and Old Town Playground on Staten Island. Each year, the Renew Crew will tackle as many as 30 projects in three weeks or less.
August 27 , 2026
