River Run Playground Set For Major $9.8M Makeover

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — After community feedback and several stages of redesigning, the Upper West Side's beloved River Run playground is moving forward with a design plan for a top‑to‑bottom renovation.

The $9.893 million renovation, which was preliminarily approved by the Public Design Commission on Monday at a public meeting, preserves the iconic sculptural sandbox designed by artist Gerry Lynas as well as the titular water feature, while upgrading play structures and other amenities to be more accessible and sustainable.

River Run Playground, located in Riverside Park at West 83rd St., was last renovated in 1999, Margaret Bracken, project manager for NYC Parks, said at the meeting.

Since then, mature trees with large roots have created cracks in the concrete, and poor drainage has led to both environmental and safety issues, which the redesign hopes to mitigate.

"The design is a complete playground renovation," Terri Burger, from the landscape architect firm in charge of the design, Abel Bainnson Butz, said. "The design is in keeping with the Riverside Park aesthetic, and it preserves or references many of the elements of the existing playground that are most cherished by the community."

Here's What's Changing

The project will bring all-new play equipment with separate, updated areas for toddlers ages 2–5 and children ages 5–12, along with more climbing features and new seesaws requested by neighbors.

The existing spray shower will be replaced by a splash pad, and a redesigned river runnel will continue to let kids guide flowing water from the splash area down to the sandbox.

Improvements also include safer, more attractive edges and amenities, with the tall chain-link fence swapped for a lower, Riverside Park–style metal fence, plus two picnic areas, new lighting, updated benches and a toddler scooter rack.

The redesign adds more greenery and permeable surfaces to reduce asphalt, as well as a new drainage system beneath the sandbox and a stormwater plan to better manage heavy rain.

Here's What's Staying The Same

The redesign will preserve many of the playground’s defining features, including the sculptural sandbox created by Lynas, which will remain in place and be carefully protected during construction, with new sand and improved drainage added underneath.

"I want to commend the group for what appears to be a very sensitive renovation of a beautiful playground where all of my children grew up and where I've gone many, many times to enjoy watching children playing in my sculpture," Lynas said during the meeting.

The playground’s "River Run" identity will also stay intact, with a river-like runnel continuing to connect the water play area to the sandbox, and the existing Hudson Valley–themed plaques salvaged and embedded into the new concrete.

The restroom building will also remain, with only its front terrace and ramps rebuilt to meet ADA standards, and original decorative steel gates will be removed, refurbished and reinstalled.

In addition, the mature shade trees surrounding the playground will be preserved and given more room for their roots, while the large rock outcrop on the east side will remain outside the fence but still accessible for climbing from the park side.

A timeline for construction has not been announced yet. See all the design renderings here.

For questions and tips, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.