Kissena Park gets a new public restroom near the velodrome, due to open in February

Visitors to Kissena Park in Flushing will get a new public restroom by the velodrome early next year. Construction on the comfort station, which will serve cyclists, sports teams and families near the bicycle track and ball fields, officially started with a groundbreaking on Tuesday, Oct. 27, and the building is expected to open in February, QNS reported.

Council Member Sandra Ung, who represents the area, said the restroom was one of the first major projects she funded after taking office. She allocated $7.4 million in 2022 for the comfort station and sections of the Eastern Queens Greenway, which is meant to link the two sides of the park, according to QNS.

Why this one is fast

The building is part of a $19.3 million design-build contract managed by the Department of Design and Construction for NYC Parks. Under design-build, one team handles design and construction together instead of the city bidding them out separately, which DDC says cuts about three to four years off the schedule and lowers costs. The Kissena restroom is scheduled to open about four months after groundbreaking, according to QNS.

• Five sites: Murphy Brothers Playground and East River Park in Manhattan, Kissena Park and Brookville Park in Queens, and Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx.
• Cost: $3.8 million per facility, according to DDC.
• Size and features: about 720 to 760 square feet, with a men's room, a women's room and a mechanical room, ADA-accessible features, drinking fountains, sustainable roofs and energy-efficient lighting.
• Contractors: DDC picked Armand Corporation, a minority woman-owned firm, and InfoTran Engineers & Architects, a minority-owned firm. QNS reported this is the first design-build project awarded to a minority- or women-owned business.

The schedule has slipped somewhat. A DDC presentation to Queens Community Board 7 in November 2025 listed construction starting in early 2026 and substantial completion at the end of 2026. When the city broke ground on the first site, Murphy Brothers Playground, in June, DDC said the full project was expected to wrap up by the end of 2026.

The bigger bathroom problem

The new building comes as the Parks Department faces scrutiny over its restrooms. As we reported this week, city records show 68 park comfort stations are closed, some for more than nine years. Ung said she has secured more than $25 million for Eastern Queens Greenway projects, several of which are still in design or construction.