The mayor's office says it is withdrawing plans to convert a junior high school's yard into a public park. The decision comes less than three hours after parents and staff staged a protest outside the school.
Parents and staff circled around I.S. 228 Junior High to protest the city's plans to convert the school's playground into a public park.
"I think that our kids need to get outdoor space regularly, daily when they're at school and I know if it becomes a park, we'll never be able to use that space," said parent Jodi Cohen.
Another parent said the park would be a bad influence.
Assemblyman William Colton spearheaded the protest, condemning the $4.5 million project.
Parents and staff say there's no need to transform the schoolyard because there's already a park on McDonald Avenue five blocks away.
In a statement the mayor's office said, "After listening to community feedback, this project will no longer move forward."