Dorchester Park Getting A Facelift?

Brookhaven Town's Dorchester Park on Sycamore Avenue in Lake Grove is in the process of getting a new playground, according to multiple sources and the local community member.

A community leader that worked with town officials, told Patch that the new playground is being installed by the Town of Brookhaven at the cost of approximately $47,000. It will replace the existing playground, which is about 15 years old and was falling into disrepair. The money for the new playground is part of a larger grant earmarked for the park back in April, according to the community member, who wished to withhold her name. She said the new jungle gym is long overdue.

"It’s big new for me because I have been working on [getting a new playground] for a very long time," she said. "It's great news for our neighborhood. We were getting a lot of heroin in the park. It’s already starting to look better."

The community worked with Parks Commissioner Ed Morris and Town Councilwoman Kathleen Walsh on getting the old playground removed and the new one installed.

Residents driving past the park this week noticed construction fencing enclosing the park. The new playground is expected to be bigger than the existing one and should be ready for kids in a few weeks.

A Brookhaven Town spokesman confirmed that the town was constructing the playground, but didn't give specific timelines.