The eye-popping blues and vibrant colors of the adjacent sprayground may seem more native to the Caribbean Sea than the South Shore of Long Island, but Geiger Park is indeed located in the small hamlet of Wyandanch in Babylon, New York, less than 10 miles from the north Atlantic coastline. Built as part of “Wyandanch Rising,” a $500-million public/private initiative to revitalize the community, the new water playground was dedicated on July 13 in a ceremony attended by hundreds of local children and community members.
Wyandanch has suffered more problems with poverty, gang violence, drug use and other social issues in recent years than many of its nearby suburban communities, and many of its buildings had fallen into disrepair. In 2001, the Suffolk County Planning Department named it the most distressed community on Long Island. Recognizing that their beloved hamlet was going downhill and would continue to do so unless they stepped in, local government leaders banded together with some private developers to create a turnaround plan. Their vision: a walkable community where residents live, shop, work and play in one compact, attractive, family-friendly space. One of the main components of this vision was a rebuilding of 23-acre Geiger Lake Memorial Park, which sits on the border of Wyandanch and neighboring Deer Park. Now, 10 years after the original meetings to develop the plan, community members are beginning to enjoy the fruits of their labors.
The 14,400-square-foot spraypark at Geiger Lake Memorial Park was built around a “Tree of Life” theme and features two artificial trees more than 20 feet high. Slides spiral out of one of the trees, and two dozen other features scattered throughout the spraypad include fountains, bridges, slides and climbing ropes. Water Odyssey, a Fountain People company, provided the equipment, and the project team also included general contractor Stalco Construction; construction manager, site surveyor, spraypark designer, and mechanical, electrical, plumbing and civil engineer Sidney B. Bowne & Son; and pavilion architect Keller Sandgren Architects. The Town of Babylon’s in-house landscaping team developed the landscape design, and the Albanese Organization serves as master developer.
“The Geiger Spraypark is an important step in breathing new life into not only Geiger Lake Park but also Wyandanch as a whole,” says Babylon Town Supervisor Rich Schaffer. In addition to the water features, the redesigned park also includes a large pavilion and veranda with a concession stand, a ticket window, an office, public restrooms and an observation platform where visitors can view the surrounding forest and Geiger Lake. A new 94-car parking lot provides easy access for locals who live beyond walking distance.
A combination of local and federal sources paid for the park’s redevelopment, including $5 million raised through a bond issue, a $4.1-million community development block grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and $1.3 million in other grants. Next steps in the larger project include construction of two mixed-use buildings and a redesigned transit station for the Metropolitan Transit Authority and Long Island Railroad lines. But the wait is over for the long-anticipated sprayground, which is now open to Town of Babylon residents for $5 per visit.
“This innovative park is symbolic of the rebirth of Geiger Lake and the surrounding area,” says Deputy Supervisor Tony Martinez, liaison to the town’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs. “With countless state-of-the-art features, I hope that this spraypark will entertain families and residents for generations to come.”
Danielle Taylor is the Associate Editor of Parks & Recreation.