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Public Employee Press

By DIANE S. WILLIAMS

Brooklyn Park renamed for Biggie

DC 37 locals are central to the park’s facelift and upkeep

THE Parks and Recreation Dept. honored a famous son of Brooklyn in August and renamed the basketball courts at Crispus Attucks Playground in honor of Billboard’s greatest rapper of all time, Christopher “Biggie Smalls” Wallace.

“We have a staff of about 15 who prepped the grounds for the ceremony,” said Local 1508 Park Supervisor 2 Rashaun Mitchell, who oversees workers in Locals 1505, 983 and 1508 and the Parks Opportunities Program.

“The members take pride in their work and are happy to be part of this historic tribute to Biggie,” Local 1505 President Dilcy Benn said.

The park received a $2.5 million makeover thanks to City Council member Robert Cornegy, who fulfilled a long-held promise to rename the courts for the famous rapper, who also went by the moniker Notorious B.I.G. Cornegy and Wallace came of age playing hoops at Crispus Attucks Park. DC 37 endorsed Cornegy for reelection in the September Democratic primary.

At the core of Wallace’s songs are the hard-scrabble exploits of a kid growing up poor in the richest city in the world. Biggie put Brooklyn center stage as West Coast rap dominated 1990s mainstream music.

Wallace’s family and fans, Cornegy, state Assembly member Walter T. Mosely, and top Parks brass attended the renaming ceremony that coincided with the 20th anniversary of Wallace’s murder.

The Christopher “Biggie” Wallace Courts opened prior to the annual basketball tournament held in his honor on Aug. 5 and 6. The fundraiser adds to the lyricist’s legacy, “BIG — Books Instead of Guns,” and encourages youth to pursue education and shun violence.

City employees in five DC 37 locals are responsible for the redesign and maintenance of the Clinton Hill park.

Local 375 Landscape Architects Stacia Tull and Chris Syrett, Resident Engineer Kamran Ahmad, and Brooklyn Construction Directors Matthias Augustin and Lorenzo Calabrese redesigned the urban space to feature a garden with a flowing fountain and landscaped grounds. The park has new equipment and safety surfaces, fencing, and security lighting.

Wallace’s vivid stories of stickups, crack deals and bling earned him worldwide acclaim, but a famous hook reveals Biggie’s heart: “Spread love, it’s the Brooklyn way.”