Two Local State Parks Included in $34 Million Investment Project

Two local state parks are part of a $34 million investment project to upgrade and repair seven state parks on Long Island.

will receive $3.5 million to rehabilitate the bathhouse and make emergency services improvements.

“The money will be used to get the existing bathhouse restored and make it more functional,” said Ron Foley, Regional Director for the State of Office, Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. “The historic look will be restored.”

The access road to the police office on the east side of the building will be moved, according to Foley, where there is less pedestrian activity.

“It will be safer for police and people who use the park,” he said.

The $14 million in funds allocated to Nissequogue River State Park is money that was already secured by State Sen. John Flanagan and is being used for the demolition of vacant and condemned buildings that are part of the park and former Kings Park Psychiatric Hospital.  

The money, announced by Gov. Andrew M. Cumo’s office on Wednesday is part of a project called New York State Works, designed to reinvent state economic development by rebuilding the state's infrastructure.

Foley said anything that was in this proposal was included in the master plan, which is expected to be completed sometime this fall.

"Once there is a final draft, there will be a public meeting to review it," said Foley. After that it will be finalized with the public comments incorporated in it," he said.

Work at Sunken Meadow is slated to begin in September, according to Foley, after the summer season.

“The project will go to bid sometime over the summer,” he said.