Cedar Grove Beach, located in the neighborhood of New Dorp, is one of Staten Island's newest public beaches, though it is still currently undergoing construction. Cedar Grove Beach is bordered by Ebbitts Street to the north and the Lower New York Bay to the east and south. Once it has been completed, the entrance to the park will be on the corner of Cedar Grove Avenue and Ebbitts Street.
In the early 20th century this land was established as the Cedar Grove Beach Club. This was a private area that was used as a vacation spot. It included beach front bungalows, a clubhouse, a barn, a guardhouse, and garage structures.
At some point around the 1950s, urban planner Robert Moses arranged for a parkway to be built. This parkway would require the demolition of the bungalows and other buildings. By 1958, the City of New York had obtained this land for the parkway. The proposed parkway was never built, however, so the City of New York leased the land back
to the Cedar Grove Beach Club.
In 1962, this land was transferred from the City of New York to the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. Along with this beach, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation obtained New Dorp Beach and Oakwood Beach, but that's a story for another time.
By September 30th, 2010, the residents of the Cedar Grove Beach Club were evicted by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. The reason for this was so that the area could be transformed into a public beach and park area. The Cedar Grove Beach Club was the last beach colony on Staten Island to remain open.
Originally, there were fifty constructions which stood on the site. Out of these fifty original structures, only seven of them are being preserved for park and public uses. The rest
of the buildings are to be demolished. The seven structures that will be staying are five bungalows, the clubhouse, and the barn kept. The clubhouse is being turned into a visitor's center, which will have a lawn seating area outside of it. The barn, on the other hand, is being turned into a storage area. As for the five bungalows, they will be used for the following purposes: the first will be used as a comfort station, the second will be used for lifeguard headquarters, the third will be used as a concession area, the fourth will be used as a Parks Enforcement Patrol and Staten Island Borough District office, and the fifth will be used as a caretaker house.
Along with the demolishment and preservation of the buildings, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation is also planning on adding and renovating areas of the park. They are going to create new bike paths and
greenways, add beach grass and other native plantings, install new fences along Ebbitts Street, consolidate parking for the park, replace the old play unit with a new one, and renovate the pick-up sports area and field.
A portion of Cedar Grove Beach was opened in May of 2011 for public use. As stated, however, it is still undergoing construction. The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation hopes to complete this project by 2014 so that the entire site can be enjoyed by the public.
Posted by Anthony Licciardello on
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