Kingston has been granted $552,500 from the state for wetland restoration at Kingston Point and the creation of public access and improvements along its waterfront.
The funds were the result of a consolidated funding application (CFA), which allows applicants to access multiple state funding sources through one application.
Part of the money will be used to construct safe public access to the Hudson River, the Rondout lighthouse, and beyond. Included will be a wetland viewing platform equipped with educational signage, a pier and boardwalk for promenades, and a dock for kayakers amongst a floating field of water lettuce.
“The Ponckhockie neighborhood sits at the confluence of the Rondout Creek and Hudson River, an area of stunning scenery and tidal freshwater wetland,” said Kingston mayor Steve Noble. “I am happy to bring such a special amenity to this historically underserved area.”
The project includes the demolition of two condemned city-owned houses on North Street and the construction of a small parking lot there.
“The blighted, unoccupied houses sit in the FEMA 100-year floodplain and are condemned due to frequent flooding,” explained project manager Julie Noble. “Returning this area to wetland will improve flood resiliency, support economic recovery, and serve as an opportunity for environmental stewardship and education.”
Construction is anticipated to be completed by 2026. The total project will cost approximately $650,000, leaving it with a $97,500 shortfall. Other grants will be sought.
The grants activity update released in November reports that the City of Kingston currently maintains a grants portfolio of $80,546,084.43.
The City of Kingston has submitted numerous grant applications organized under a larger umbrella known as the Kingston Weaving the Waterfront Transportation Project, which intends to serve Rondout residents east of Broadway with pedestrian-friendly construction – thus bolstering the waterfront business district.
In June, Kingston was awarded the largest grant award in city history, $21.7 million, through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant program.
That enormous windfall is intended to support several initiatives of the Kingston Weaving the Waterfront Transportation Project.
“We’re thrilled to receive funding from the Department of State,” summed up Noble, “which will not only help us protect our unique natural environment, [and] this project will also support economic recovery and the overall well-being of our residents by enhancing Kingston’s outdoor recreation options.”
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