FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 26, 2022

Broadway/Prince Landscape Design Plan

Awarded to Kingston-Based Firm

KINGSTON, NY – Mayor Steven T. Noble is pleased to announce that the City of Kingston has awarded the contract to provide landscape design plans for greenspace at the newly-configured intersection at Broadway and Prince Street to KaN Landscape Design.

The City of Kingston issued an RFP in April, which asked qualified firms to develop a landscape design plan to serve as a blueprint for creating an attractive, inviting public space at a crucial juncture of the Kingston Greenline in the heart of Midtown.

KaN is a women-owned, Kingston-based landscape design firm that has worked on many local projects including the Y Park, the YMCA playground, and the African Burial Ground. Community engagement, stakeholder support, and the inclusion of youth groups and local organizations will be an integral part of the plan development. KaN will kick off the project at the YMCA Farm Project’s Harvest Day on September 20 to gather initial public input, and will launch a survey in September. During the extensive engagement process, KaN will meet with nearby residents and businesses, local organizations, and will hold a series of youth-led, interactive workshops to facilitate ideas, among other activities.

“We look forward to continuing to invest in the Broadway corridor and in particular, Midtown Kingston,” said Mayor Noble. “We are excited to see what types of improvements the fantastic designers at KaN and their community partners will develop to help us create a welcoming new community space.”

The project will be managed by the City of Kingston’s Department of Health & Wellness and is funded by the Creating Healthy Schools and Communities program through the New York State Department of Health, supported with American Rescue Plan Act funding.

Kristin Kessler, Project Manager in the Health & Wellness Department. “We couldn’t be more excited to work with KaN on this project in developing these two greenspaces into places that not only support Kingston residents in enjoying the outdoors and being physically active, but also reflect the priorities, desires, and values of the surrounding community. With KaN’s proven history of meaningful, thoughtful engagement with the Kingston community throughout other design processes, we look forward to working with them on a plan that reflects both the historical significance of this intersection along with the many strengths of the surrounding Midtown neighborhood.”

Karine Duteil, Principal, KaN Landscape Design “As Site Curators, we integrate artistic, sustainable, and educational components. By enabling communities and stakeholders in the creative process to design meaningful, holistic, and inspiring spaces, KaN and our local partners/community members work together to instill positive and transformative changes. We believe that every design is an opportunity for community building.”

The design is expected to be completed by late spring 2023. More information can be found at EngageKingston.com/broadway-prince-landscape-plan. 

The old Kingston Post Office was built at the intersection of Broadway and Prince Street in 1908. By 1969, postal operations had grown larger than the building’s capacity, and the building was sold and torn down. The destruction of this architectural gem has been lamented ever since. The Midtown area has evolved over the years, and today nearly 40 buildings are devoted to art-based uses and a significant arts identity has been established for the community. The RFP asked that these distinct neighborhood features be incorporated into the design.

The Broadway Grand Street Intersection Improvements project realigned and improved the safety at a formerly dangerous intersection. Working with GPI, the engineering consultants for the Broadway Streetscape Project, the City redesigned the intersection of Broadway, Grand Street, Prince Street, and Pine Grove Avenue to reduce traveler confusion, crashes, and near-misses. To accommodate the realignment, an abandoned fast food building was demolished, leaving community greenspace in its place.

Funding for the Broadway Grand Street Intersection Improvements project was provided by the NYSDOT Multi-Modal Program. The design integrated with the major $25 million Broadway Streetscape Project, and is the culmination of the new protected bike lane that runs north to the I-587 roundabout. A crucial connecting point, pedestrians and bicyclists traveling on the Empire State Trail use this intersection to connect to Prince Street to continue along the trail route.

Creating Healthy Schools and Communities (CHSC) Grant: The City of Kingston received this 5-year grant from the New York State Department of Health starting in 2021 to implement projects that support policy, system, and environmental changes to help make the healthy choice the easy choice in Kingston.