Ground
Breaking!
Wednesday July 21st, 2010
Wed. July 21- Today in a part of Staten Island suitably named Ocean Breeze,
Track & Field history was written. In a dusty and barren little league baseball field stood an estimated 1,000 spectators to witness something that most thought would never happen. Not only the ground breaking for an Indoor Track on Staten Island BUT the ground breaking for the best Indoor Track facility in the USA.
Standing out there on that field was a man who lives two blocks away and made the 1976 Olympic team in the High Jump, Bill Jankunis. "I was at the first SITRAC meeting in 1996. I couldn't miss this".
EVERY single Staten Island politician was there in person or sent a representative. Sending a message of support for the facility.
Mayor Bloomberg called Staten Island the borough of parks "it seems like every week there is a ground breaking for a park on Staten Island. It is amazing that 1/3 of Staten Island is a park". Ocean Breeze park is the third park to be started in the city in the PLANYC project.
Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe, the catalyst for the project, said " I know from the Mayors Cup Championships that Staten Island has great cross county and track programs. We look forward to working with SITRAC to build this facility into something special, not just for NYC but for the whole country".
Benepe is a commissioner who is known to get things done. Transforming the run down track & field Downing Stadium into the beautiful Icahn Stadium in Manhattan.
Overall the day was one that will not soon be forgotten. Projected opening Nov. 1,
2012. Stay tuned.
