New task force aims to revitalize Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens

Neighbors say Flushing Meadows Corona Park has been falling into disrepair for years. Now, lawmakers and community groups are pushing to give the Queens landmark a boost.

"The thing is that the park is not well-developed for the community," parkgoer Xiomara Guzman said. 

Frequent visitors point to out-of-service bathrooms, overflowing garbage cans and a waterless Unisphere fountain.

Their concerns echo findings from a 2025 study from the Center for an Urban Future, which documented crumbling conditions and drainage problems in the park.

The park is home to some of the borough's most recognizable cultural institutions, the New York Hall of Science, the U.S. Open, and remnants of the 1939 and 1964 World's Fairs.

Now, officials are setting out to revitalize the sprawling park, announcing the formation of the new Flushing Meadows Corona Park Task Force.

The task force brings together multiple city agencies and community boards.

"Right now, we're focused on getting a master plan," Councilmember Shanel Thomas-Henry said.

Thomas-Henry and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards are allocating a combined $22.5 million to renovate the historic Playground for All Children. 

"We have funding allotted for the fountains, funding allotted for the Queens Museum, Hall of Science," she said. 

Meanwhile, Queens Community House is rallying neighbors and organizing volunteer cleanups. 

"We want to show people how much we care and how much it matters to our community," CEO Ben Thomases said. 

The Parks Department told CBS News New York:

"Flushing Meadows Corona Park is one of the jewels of our public park system, and our Parks staff works hard year-round to keep it a safe, accessible, and welcoming place for the millions of visitors it hosts every year. We look forward to working with our partners across City government and the private sector to deliver important infrastructure updates through the advocacy of the Task Force, which will complement our own ongoing work to improve the park. Parks has invested more than $120 million into upgrades throughout the park, including rebuilding the iconic New York State Pavilion towers, to ensure visitors can continue to enjoy the park's fresh air, beautiful scenery, and rich history."

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