Work is set to get underway on flood-proofing and other improvements at Kingston Point Park. The work is part of the city’s “Weaving the Waterfront” initiative that seeks to improve connectivity between Downtown neighborhoods while supporting recreational opportunities, climate resilience and non-motorized transportation.

Phase 1 of the Kingston Point project was completed last year and included construction of a new youth soccer field, playground and landscaping designed to better control stormwater runoff. The next phase will focus on redesigning a flood-prone parking lot on the south side of Delaware Avenue that serves the park.

Plans call for returning half of the parking lot to wetlands in line with a 2019 wetland delineation study by the state Department of Environmental Conservation. The remainder of the parking lot will be raised to prevent future flooding. The project, which is funded through a grant from the New York Department of State, is expected to improve access to the Kingston BMX park and the Empire State Trail with new crosswalks, sidewalks and pathways. The project is expected to begin this month and be completed by April 2027.

“With Phase II of this project, we are not only improving the parking lot for the Rotary Park/dog park/BMX/frisbee golf side of the park to prevent frequent flooding, but we are also creating a critically important wildlife habitat, expanding a natural wetland area, and assisting with flood protection,” said Mayor Steve Noble in a statement announcing the start of construction.

A separate waterfront project is expected to get underway this month when crews install the city’s first Level Three EV charger at a municipal parking lot at 20 Broadway on the Rondout. The city currently operates five Level Two public EV chargers that take four to eight hours to fully charge a vehicle. The new charger downtown will cut that time to 15-45 minutes. The work is funded with a $268,645 grant through the state DEC.