At a time of great need, Related Affordable Companies Brings Together Tiki Recreation and KOMPAN Playgrounds to Dedicate Manhattan Plaza Playground, the First Digital Outdoor Playground on the East Coast New York City – Manhattan Plaza, an affordable housing complex and home to more than 3,500 residents, just received an incredible playground makeover thanks to a unique partnership between Tiki Recreation and the property’s owner, Related Affordable, a division of Related Companies.
A full renovation of equipment, surfacing, and landscaping was completed in order to bring the children of Manhattan Plaza a playground and sports court unlike any other in the eastern United States.
Mark Carbone, President of Related Affordable, states, “Preserving and improving affordable housing and the quality of life for tenants is a key focus for Related Affordable. By providing innovative, challenging, and safe recreation opportunities, we’re helping build healthy, active lifestyles at home where it counts the most. When searching for the right solutions, we looked no further than Tiki Recreation.”
Tiki Recreation and Related have teamed up to build new playgrounds at six locations in the past year, including two playgrounds in Florida, two playgrounds in Virginia, and a playground in Yonkers. The latest site at Manhattan Plaza is the first in New York to feature ICON, KOMPAN’s digital playground equipment.
Tiki explains, “As someone who grew up in affordable housing, the playground became more than a place to play. It was a place to learn, grow, and challenge myself socially and physically. We are excited to open this new Tiki Recreation playground and provide the children of Manhattan Plaza the same experience I enjoyed as a kid. By partnering with Related, we’re able to bring Tiki Recreation’s concept of Play Proud™ to areas that need it most and to kids with limited recreation opportunities.”
“Thanks to the great teamwork and collaboration of Tiki Recreation and Related Affordable, the Manhattan Plaza complex now has an upgraded and remodeled playground – a touchdown for the community,” said Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer. “I commend both organizations for working hard to improve affordable housing and the quality of life for its tenants, and I’m glad to know they plan to keep the ball moving on their initiative to boost the nation’s stock of high-quality affordable housing.”
"When we come together to open a new public space, it’s a special occasion because we are enhancing the quality of life a community. But when we can make that space a place for children, what we’re really doing is investing in our long-term future," said Speaker Christine C. Quinn. "Tiki Barber has long recognized the importance of getting kids off the couch and away from video games and I’d like to thank him for all his work today. The fact is that healthy kids more often than not grow up to be healthy and productive adults."
The Manhattan Plaza Playground will feature innovative play equipment for every age group from toddlers to adults. The digital playground equipment will be the first of its kind on the East Coast and represents the most advanced outdoor gaming system in the country. KOMPAN’s ICON equipment encourages children to be active by integrating digital games into the equipment. The playground is also eco-friendly and made from recyclable materials using the most sustainable practices. Tiki Recreation has recently partnered with KOMPAN, Inc., the leader in innovative playground equipment.
“ICON represents the future of outdoor play and is a huge, innovative leap in playground equipment design,” stated Tom Grover, President of KOMPAN, Inc. “Play builds community, kids, and much more. Everyone at KOMPAN hopes this renovated playground will make a real difference for the thousands of kids who live here, and we’re excited to have Tiki and Related as partners on this important project.”
THE PLAYERS Related Affordable, a Division of Related Companies Related Affordable develops, acquires and preserves affordable housing throughout the nation. In the area of acquisitions and refinancing, the company pursues properties that meet one of the following criteria: Section 8 properties with project-based contracts; Section 236 properties in need of rehabilitation; Section 42 LIHTC properties with expiring low-income restrictions; Section 515 FmHA properties with loans that can be prepaid; or other assisted properties, including HODAG, HOME, federal or state-financed public housing. With 36 years of experience in debt and equity financing, Related has the financial strength to capitalize on properties in jeopardy of exiting affordable housing programs. Related Affordable actively looks for affordable housing opportunities through the development, acquisition and refinancing of low, moderate and mixed-income properties around the country, thus assuring the continued viability of these projects for years to come. This is a key aspect of Related Affordable’s commitment to help maintain a stock of affordable housing, a socially critical inventory which is in danger of disappearing given current legislative and financial trends. Since 1972, Related has developed, acquired or financed over 300,000 units of affordable housing. Visit www.related.com to find out more.
Tiki Recreation Tiki Barber founded Tiki Recreation to help promote fitness in children by giving them meaningful and rewarding play experiences. By designing and developing unique areas for active play, Tiki Recreation has established itself as a leader in promoting and sustaining healthy, active lifestyles for all members of the community. The positive impact of Tiki Recreation’s Play Proud™ philosophy can be seen in every recreation area they develop, making a real difference for people regardless of income level, geographic location, or physical ability. Go to www.tikirecreation.com to find out more.
KOMPAN KOMPAN, Inc. is a world leader in the design, manufacture, and marketing of commercial playgrounds. KOMPAN specializes in designing unique, age-appropriate, and high quality playground equipment that strongly appeals to children and has the holding power to keep them playing longer and get them coming back for more. KOMPAN’s equipment is different from traditional playground equipment. It is both visually captivating with its artistic approach to design, as well as very challenging to children’s fitness, motor skills, and mental skills. For more information on KOMPAN, please visit www.kompan.com
CONTACTS: Related Affordable Joanna Rose 212.801.3902 JRose@Related.com
Tiki Recreation Kenneth Dobyns 646.596.1052 kdobyns@tikirecreation.com
KOMPAN, Inc. Tom Grover 206.612.7443 TomGro@Kompan.com
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