Malverne Mayor Tim Sullivan was excited to finally raise the American flag at Whelan Park last Wednesday. A project he’s been working on since 2019, Sullivan has long anticipated sharing the results with the community.
“In my days of playing ball, I remember I used to sit in the outfield and dream of what this place could look like,” Sullivan said. “So it’s just unbelievable for me to now be mayor and build real fields here. It’s a personal dream come true for me.”
The Village of Malverne held a soft-opening ceremony for Whelan Park on July 23, when the park was originally supposed to have a grand opening followed by a community barbeque. The formal grand opening and barbeque has been rescheduled for September 4, at 4 p.m., as the village accommodates the schedules of government officials who provided the $7 million spent renovating the park.
The project was approved by the state in 2020 and renovations plans began in 2022. The village officially broke ground on the Pine Stream Extension Project in June 2024 and completed the majority of the project a few weeks ago.
Currently the baseball and softball fields remain temporarily closed, as adjustments need to be made to the irrigation systems, but the rest of the park is now open to the public.
This includes a scenic ¾ mile jogging path with exercise stations, educational displays on the ecological and historic landscape of the park, new benches and lighting, an expanded dog park that accommodates large and small dogs, a covered pavilion and picnic area, as well as an accessible parking lot.
“It was always our dream to have the field this way,” Mark Westlake, a former president of the Malverne Little League, said. “Tim and these guys took this field to a whole other level, which is great. The kids are going to love this field.”
Members of the public have already enjoyed the park, taking strolls along the path, bringing their dogs for a run, or biking around the area. Posts on Facebook have showcased people’s excitement about the new space.
Sullivan thanked Laser Industries, H2M Architects + Engineers, Elite Painting, and the Malverne Department of Public Works for their help putting the park together.
“Working with the village has been outstanding,” Anthony Gulino, owner of Laser Industries, said. “They’re one of the best clients we have and the park came out great.”
