NY Plans Upgrades for State Parks

by Jeff Coltin | 03/02/2015 | 6:07pm

NY Plans Upgrades for State Parks

New York's devoting almost $1 billion this decade to state parks.
New York's making a long-term commitment to its aging-parks system. Governor Cuomo's introduced a plan to spend almost $1 billion on the state's parks and historic sites by 2020, including $110 million in capital spending in this year's budget. 
 
State Parks Commissioner Rose Harvey says the plan's not just about fixing old parks.
 
"It's about restoring the grandeur of what used to be, but it's also about transforming it from one century, the 20th century, to the 21st century," Harvey said.
 
Harvey says that means modernizing buildings and making parks more accessible. 
 
Governor Cuomo says he's seen attendance rates at many of the state's 215 parks grow statewide since he took office.  Under the new plan, many of these parks and cultural sites will see improvements.  Commissioner Harvey says it's about bringing people to nature.
 
"That too, is really important, that we connect our human populations, our New Yorkers to the great outdoors, to a world that's bigger and more magical than the built environment," Harvey said. 
 
For New York City, increased funding means more trees and a better skating rink at Riverbank State Park in Upper Manhattan.  The plan will fund new restaurants and a market at Jones Beach, as well as path to the Harlem River at Roberto Clemente State Park in the Bronx.
 

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