FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 3, 2025

Mayor Noble Announces Public Meeting for Kingston Point Park Improvements Project Phase 2

KINGSTON, NY – Mayor Steven T. Noble is pleased to announce that the City of Kingston will host a public meeting for Phase 2 of the Kingston Point Park Improvements Project on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, at 5:00pm at City Hall.

Mayor Noble said, “We are excited to continue our work to restore and expand a variety of park assets at Kingston Point Park with Phase 2 of this project. We are taking the area of the south parking lot that consistently floods at high tide and is unusable to the public and returning it to a freshwater wetland that will allow for vegetation and wildlife to flourish. Phase 1 of this project was a huge success, with a highly utilized parking lot, a soccer field that has seen a lot of use, and a brand-new playground. We look forward to implementing Phase 2 to provide greater access to the amenities at the park and create a wetland that will become a thriving natural habitat.”

The Kingston Point Park Infrastructure Improvements Project, which is a part of the Weaving the Waterfront shoreline resiliency and climate adaptation efforts, has been divided into two phases. Phase 1, which was completed in 2022, included parking lot improvements, the creation of a youth soccer field, a new playground, new landscaping, tree planting, and bioswales for stormwater.

In Phase 2 of the project, half of the existing parking lot on the south side of Delaware Avenue will be designed and constructed to facilitate a natural wetland. The other half of the existing parking lot will be raised to prevent future flooding and will remain in use for parking. The parking area will have over 50 spaces, including four handicapped spaces. Phase 2 will provide improved access to the BMX bike facility, softball field, and dog park and will enhance the existing connection to the Empire State Trail with new crosswalks, sidewalks, and pathways.

Brinnier and Larios PC was selected as the engineering firm to advance the Phase 2 design, which will be available in late April. Design and permitting will continue through spring 2025 and construction is expected to begin in fall 2025.

Julie Noble, City of Kingston Sustainability Coordinator and Project Manager said, “It’s been amazing to see the progression of water inundating the parking lots at Kingston Point. It just demonstrates the importance of long-term planning for resiliency to climate change, and here, the acute impacts of sea level rise on our waterfront in Kingston. We appreciate the collaboration we have with NYS DEC and NYS DOS on our adaptation initiatives and this one is really going to be a model for other communities across the region.””

As part of the evaluation and design phase of the initial project, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) conducted a wetland delineation of the site in 2019.

The City has received $654,500 in funding from the New York Department of State. The total project budget for Phase 2 is $770,000.

More about the project at https://engagekingston.com/kingston-point-park-project.

More about additional Weaving the Waterfront projects at https://engagekingston.com/weaving-the-waterfront-transportation-project.