NEW HYDE PARK, N.Y. — A new community park is getting ready to open next to the New Hyde Park LIRR station, turning a former municipal parking lot into green space, play space, and a new gathering spot for the village.

The park sits along 3rd Avenue between South 11th and South 12th Streets, directly near the village’s LIRR stop. According to local officials, construction was nearing completion, with the village planning to officially open the park to the public in the spring.

What the new park includes

The new space is expected to feature:

• Children’s playground equipment

• Pickleball courts

• A small grassy field

• A dog park

• A fountain

• A gazebo

• Picnic tables and benches

• Public restrooms

• A new police booth

• More than a dozen trees

The village also planted a young pine tree that is expected to become the official village Christmas tree, with more lights and ornaments added as it grows.

Why this park matters

The project is tied to the impact of the MTA’s Third Track Project, which brought years of construction, noise, and disruption to communities along the LIRR corridor. New Hyde Park received a $5 million state grant to help offset those impacts.

Village officials say the new park is meant to give something back to residents who lived through that construction period — replacing a paved parking lot with a more welcoming public space for families, commuters, dog owners, and neighbors.

A long road to get here

The area near the station has been part of a years-long debate over land use, parking, development, and community needs. At one point, a nearby parcel had been eyed for a four-story apartment building and later a storage facility, both of which drew local pushback.

The village eventually purchased that land and used it to create replacement parking, which allowed the former municipal parking lot between South 11th and South 12th Streets to be transformed into the new park.

What it could do for the area

Village leaders hope the park will help make the area around the train station feel more active and welcoming. Instead of being just a place where people get dropped off or picked up, the goal is to create a public space where families can meet, kids can play, and residents can spend time outdoors.

For New Hyde Park, this is more than a small beautification project. It is a new village centerpiece near one of its busiest commuter hubs.

WLIT.FM takeaway

A former parking lot next to the LIRR is becoming a true community space — with playgrounds, pickleball, a dog park, seating, restrooms, and green space. After years of construction impacts tied to the Third Track Project, New Hyde Park residents are getting a new public park built right into the heart of the village.