Construction to renovate the Tompkins Square Park ball-field — better known as the T.F. — began today. Posted signs say that it will reopen on December 1st. However, we’ve been around long enough to know that the city takes its time, and that date could get extended into the future.
We outlined the basic changes occurring to the park in the post announcing the construction: new asphalt fixing all the cracks, obviously no AstroTurf, a painted track on the floor, no more dugouts, more benches (though they are the 1939 World’s Fair benches), and an end to all permitted sports allowed in the space (meaning no more Sunday hockey in the fall or District Attorney softball in the summer.) The skateable obstacles that were in good condition were placed in storage. The ones that were falling apart were discarded.