As part of the Consolidated Funding Process, the City of Kingston Parks and Recreation Department has been awarded $304,354 for the Forsyth Park Strategic Partnership Project from the New York State Office of Park, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
“This effort, bringing together multiple not for profit organizations including the Junior League of Kingston, the Mid Hudson Valley Tennis Association and the Friends of Forsyth Nature Center all of which have been and are currently in the process of leveraging private funds to bring substantial changes and improvements to Kingston’s uptown jewel, Forsyth Park, all in partnership with the City of Kingston’s Parks and Recreation Department, has demonstrated that such collaborations can bring much needed state funding to the city, ” said Mayor Shayne R. Gallo.
“Forsyth Park is Kingston’s most visited and one of the largest, just over 18 acres and features a variety of uses, including four tennis courts, playground, pavilion, bathroom facilities, the Forsyth Nature Center, playing field and associated parking areas. This project will not only impact daily park users, but all those who attend sporting, musical and cultural events at Dietz Stadium while also laying the groundwork for the continued growth of uptown Kingston and establish it as one of the best places to live, work and play,” said Kevin Gilfeather, Superintendent of the Kingston Parks and Recreation Department.
“This project will allow the Parks and Recreation Department to continue to improve its park system while also implementing a variety of new technologies that require less maintenance, are ‘eco-friendly’ and will provide years of enjoyment for the public,” said Steve Noble, Environmental Program Operations Specialist and the Forsyth Park Strategic Partnership Project Manager.
“The Mid-Hudson Valley Tennis Association (MHVTA) and the Kingston Tennis community are thrilled that the City has received a CFA grant for Forsyth Park. This grant, in addition to the generous donations from the Kingston tennis community (especially Ron Woods) and funding from the United States Tennis Association, will allow us to fully restore the Forsyth Park tennis courts by next summer. MHVTA and the Kingston tennis community greatly appreciate the hard work of the Mayor and the Parks and Recreation Department for their commitment to Forsyth Park and the Ron Woods Tennis Complex which will bring smiles to children's faces for decades to come,” said Kevin Madonna, President of the MHVTA.
“The Junior League of Kingston is thrilled to partner with the Parks and Recreation Department on this initiative. These funds will help us complete the Kinderland II project and provide the much needed park amenities to compliment this new playground. We look forward to starting construction this Spring,” said Anna Brett, President of the Junior League of Kingston.
“The Friends of Forsyth Nature Center is excited to partner with the City to establish a new, eco-friendly composting toilet facility on the grounds of the Forsyth Nature Center. This bathroom facility will replace a portable toilet that has been the only publically available bathroom at the facility. This new bathroom building will also be solar powered and ADA accessible which will allow us to also utilize this building as a teaching tool. I congratulate the City of Kingston on its grant award,” said Charlotte Adamis, President of the Friends of Forsyth Nature Center.
“Creating Healthy Places has been working with the City of Kingston Parks and Recreation Department for nearly five (5) years to help increase physical activity opportunities in the parks. Together, healthy eating and physical activity are essential in the fight against obesity and type 2 diabetes here in Ulster County. Improvements to the City’s park amenities and programs will attract more people to the parks to engage in physical activity,” said Melinda Herzog, director of the Creating Healthy Places Program for Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County.
For more information on this project, please contact Kevin Gilfeather at 845-481-7333/kgilfeather @kingston-ny.gov or Steve Noble at 845-481-7336/[email protected].