American Rescue Plan Act
Background:
The County of Rockland has established the Rockland Resilient Recreation Grant Program, with ARPA funds, to reduce health inequities in the county by developing and enhancing public urban green spaces in communities that were disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Up to approximately $5 million will be made available through the Rockland Resilient Recreation Grant Program, which will foster these equity-focused investments in impacted communities. Individual reimbursement grants, ranging from $5,000 up to $200,000, will be awarded to nonprofit organizations and local governments to carry out projects that develop or enhance quality public urban green spaces that will be available to all Rockland County residents. The success of these equity-focused investments has the potential to reduce social inequities, expand economic opportunities, build resilient communities, and improve health quality throughout the county. Rockland County has awarded the Village of Nyack $795,000 in ARPA funds for Memorial Park improvements. The details are as follows:
Great Lawn - $200,000
This project will restore the "Great Lawn" of Memorial Park including repairs to the ballfield and the “goat path” from Piermont Avenue down to the lawn. The "goat path" trail will be regraded, seeded and includes landscaping that will redirect park visitors to use the Memorial steps or the entrance on Depew Avenue.
ADA Access Road/Pathway & Entry Gate - $200,000
A new entry gate at Depew Avenue provides pedestrian access and was installed in June 2023. A new access road from the parking lot to the playground/bathrooms will be ADA compliant and include an ADA pathway to the Splash Pad.
Playground Resurfacing, Water Fountain & replacement swings/equipment - $200,000
The majority of this funding is for the playground resurfacing, and includes upgrades to the "big climber" which were installed in September 2023.
Playground Equipment - $195,000
This project includes a new tot-lot playground, new swingset, picnic tables and benches, and repair of asphalt pathway inside the playground.
Questions about the Park Projects? We've got answers!
The Village of Nyack is delighted to announce that we will be implementing an extensive yearlong restoration and set of improvements to our most treasured asset — Memorial Park along the Hudson River waterfront. Unfortunately, this work will close parts of the park for much of the 2024 year, but the investments that we make this year will pay off for Nyack and Rockland County residents for years to come.
Here is an overview of the projected, presented as a FAQ for all aspects of the restoration.
Q. What improvements are we making?
The work we are doing is extensive, making the following improvements:
1. Great Lawn Restoration
The Great Lawn, which is the largest and most important feature in the park, has gotten really rough and beaten down. We are performing a complete restoration of the lawn, including a “to the roots” re-seeding of the lawn. This will include the entire lawn, including the small baseball field and the “goat path” from Piermont Avenue down to the lawn. This is going to be the most disruptive part of the restoration, because we need to do the re-seeding in the early spring and keep people off the lawn for several months to let the new seed take root.
2. ADA Access Road and Entry Gate
We installed a new entry gate at Depew Avenue to provide pedestrian access to the park in June 2023. This year, we will be creating a new access road from the parking lot to the playground and bathrooms that will be ADA compliant and include an ADA pathway to the Splash Pad.
3. Playground Resurfacing Project
Parts of the playground will have safety surfacing installed, some areas will still have woodchips, but all fall zones will have safety surfacing installed.
4. Playground Equipment
A new playground for 2–5-year-olds will be installed, the entry gate to the playground will be relocated and a new ADA asphalt walkway inside the playground area will be constructed.
Q. What parts of the park will remain open during the work?
While the work is going on, the public will still have access to many of the features of Memorial Park, including:
- The entire upper park lawn along Piermont Avenue.
- The public bathrooms adjacent to the Playground.
- The basketball court.
- The skatepark.
- The gazebo.
- The waterfront picnic area.
- The viewing pier.
- The pathway entrance from the Marina Parking Lot.
Access to some of these features might be compromised from time to time during the construction process, but we hope to keep them open for most of the year.
Q. Which parts of the park will be closed, and for how long?
The Great Lawn will be closed when construction begins in that area, that will be determined by weather. Seeding is scheduled for after April 15, 2024, and then the lawn area will be closed until at least September to allow the seed to take root. The exact date of the reopening will depend on the weather, how well the grass takes root, and other variables that we can’t predict in advance.
The Playground will be closed in mid-January, and will probably be closed until April or May. Hopefully, we can have it open by the time we start getting better weather.
Although we will be working aggressively to complete the work on schedule, we all know that construction projects can be delayed by any number of complications, including weather. We will provide updates during the year in our weekly newsletter to advise about any changes to the schedule.
Q. What about the Fourth of July Fireworks?
We do not expect the Great Lawn to be open for the Fourth of July fireworks, but we will be making a major change to the fireworks show by moving it offshore to a barge in the Hudson. This will allow for a larger viewing area, allowing people to watch the fireworks from Memorial Park waterfront picnic area, the Memorial Park parking lot, the basketball court, the skatepark, the Playground, and parts of the Marina Parking Lot. By moving the fireworks offshore, we should also make them more visible from the upper lawn of the park, which will be open all year.
Q. What about the weekly summer “Music on the Hudson” concerts by the Nyack Parks Conservancy?
The Music on the Hudson series will likely continue this summer, but only on the upper lawn of Memorial Park.
Q. How’s it being paid for?
The work is being entirely funded by Rockland County's Resilient Recreation Grant Program, which itself was funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act. The County awarded the Village of Nyack almost $795,000 in ARPA funds to Memorial Park Improvements, which have been allocated as follows:
- $200,000 for the Great Lawn Restoration
- $200,000 for the ADA Access Road and Entry Gate
- $200,000 for safety surfacing
- $195,000 for new Playground equipment and pathway
We are grateful to County Executive Ed Day, the County Legislature, and everyone at the County of Rockland for awarding these funds from the federal American Rescue Plan Act.
Q. Who is doing the work?
The work was subject to competitive bidding, which was won by Paladino Concrete Creations. The design work was provided by H2M Architects and Engineers.
Q. Who made the decisions about the work?
The decisions about all the Memorial Park improvements were made by the Village administration, the Village Board, and the Nyack Parks Commission in coordination with the Rockland County government that funded the projects. The work was discussed at multiple public Village Board meetings throughout 2023, where the board received significant input from members of the public that guided our decisions.
April 2024 Update
The playground area is prepped for safety surfacing and new equipment, which should be delivered in a few weeks. The "Great Lawn" has been regraded and is almost ready for hydroseeding. The access road is expected to be paved by the end of the month. The lawn and playground will remain off limits at this time.
March 2024 Update
The playground area will remain closed until late May or early June. New playground equipment is expected to be delivered in May and installation of the equipment and playground surfacing will follow as quickly as possible. Click here to see the new "tot-lot"!
The access road and new playground path are nearing completion and work is scheduled to begin on the "Great Lawn" area which will restrict access for a number of months so that the grass can take root.
February 2024 Update
- Playground Equipment has been ordered with an expected delivery date of May 2024.
- The "stone dust" path has been completed. This is the area behind the splashpad which connects the steps of the historic monument to the paved access road.
- Excavation inside the playground continues, the old asphalt walkway has been removed and crews will begin the prep for resurfacing material.
- The new access road is under construction.
January 2024 Update
At the December 14, 2023 Village Board meeting, all four contracts were awarded to Paladino Concrete Creations. Construction is expected to start in January 2024.
December 2024 - Park Projects have been awarded and construction is set to begin in January 2024!
After the bidding process for the ARPA projects, there was only one qualified bidder on the playground project, Paladino Concrete Creations, who also won the bids for the ADA Access Road and Pathway, the "Great Lawn", and Playground Safety Surfacing.
Regarding the playground "tot-lot", we have asked the contractor to work with our preferred playground equipment supplier, which is Site Specialists. The new swing set, as well as upgrades to the big climber, were purchased from Site Specialists and installed this fall by Nyack DPW.
Site Specialists has provided a playground proposal that includes both a multifacted main climber for 2-5 year olds - note such innovations as a little track to race cars or toys on, letters, numbers, sliding shapes, play table, leaf shaped steps, bongo drums, etc. Pretty amazing how much a contemporary design can pack in and it looks like so much fun!
See the video link below to fully grasp this facility and the highlights of all the age-appropriate (2-5) features of the main unit.
See the new tot-lot in action - click here!
Below are renderings of the new "tot-lot". The colors coordinate to our new swingset and existing spider climber, as well as the blue trim on the splashpad features. When the contractors take final measurements, we will add in as many freestanding features as possible; spring riders, spinners, musical instruments, etc. Because some of these free standing features don't require "fall zones" they can be fit in around the edges, as space and budget permit. The surfacing color has not yet been selected, the blue background is for rendering purposes only.
Input from our stakeholders and residents has been and is much appreciated. The contractor expects to begin work in January 2024, and depending on the lead time, we hope to have the playground equipment, surfacing and new pathways finished in early spring.
The work on the "Great Lawn" project will restrict access to the lawn through September 2024. Please forward any comments to administrator@nyack-ny.gov.
While we await a detailed schedule of the work, a rough order of operations is listed here. Please note, some of these activities will be simultaneous.
- Install silt fencing around the entire park as required.
- Stage construction equipment and supplies along the asphalt on the inlet side.
- Dig out playground chips, and remove other materials as needed.
- Regrade and prep the "Great Lawn" for new soil and seed.
- Build the new ADA access road and path to the splash pad and bathrooms.
- Rebuild the playground pathway.
- Install new freestanding water fountain, with bottle filler and pet bowl.
- Install playground equipment and safety surfacing.
- Seed the "Great Lawn" after April 15th; install temporary watering system, and barricades to protect lawn.
- Tend the "Great Lawn" area over the summer months until it is deemed ready for use by engineers - likely September 2024.
Public access to bathrooms, basketball, skatepark and gazebo, waterfront picnic area and viewing pier will be maintaind as much as safely possible, which will be a fair amount of time, but not all the time, depending on the needs of the construction process.
The upper lawn area will remain open, and the best alternative for special events during the summer, as the Great Lawn access will be off-limits so that the lawn can be established.
November 2023 Update
Bids were returned an opened on November 2, 2023. At this time, the engineers are reviewing the bids and checking references and qualifications of each bidder. A recommendation is expected shortly.
October 2023 Update
* The Memorial Park Projects are out to bid! Bids are due back on November 2, 2023. After the bids are opened, they will be reviewed by Rockland County ARPA team, engineers, Village trustees and all stakeholders before awards are made.
* Nyack DPW is installing new features to the big climber unit, demolishing the tot-lot, and installation of a new swingset. Sections of the hillside slide that were damage have also been replaced. The new tot-lot will likely be installed in the spring of 2024. Take a peek at the new features here!!
August 2023 Update
* H2M Architects & Engineers made a presentation to the Village Board on August 10, 2023 to report on the design progress for all four grants. Following feedback received at the meeting, the "ring road" will be redesigned to be connect to the ADA accessible maintenance road beside the basketball court, wrapping around the splashpad terminating in front of the Memorial Steps. This pathway will provide required access for maintenance vehicles to the splash pad and sewage pumps.
* Other changes discussed included the proposed relocation of the eastern entry gate into the Childrens Playground.
* The finalized design plans should be available for bidding in September 2023.
* A new swingset was ordered and will be installed by Nyack DPW when it arrives, delivery date is not available yet.
July 2023 Update
* Survey work has been completed. Projects are currently in the design phase with H2M Architects & Engineers.
* Soil samples from 5 locations on the Great Lawn have been sent to Rutgers University for analysis. Testing results were received on 7/20/23 and have been sent to H2M for review.
* New entry gate has been installed on Depew Ave and pedestrian access is now available on either side of the gate. The bright yellow gate is now visibile from Piermont Ave, and hopefully this deters vehicles from turning onto Depew Ave for park entry.
* Received approval from Rockland County ARPA to purchase two upgrades for the "Big Climber" (ages 5-12) unit that will replace the "rock wall" and overhead climbing feature. Take a peek at the new features here!!
June 2023 Update
* Survey work, which is necessary for all the park projects is underway, and on track to be completed by mid-June.
* A new entry gate with pedestrian access is scheduled to be installed by Yaboo Fence in June 2023.
* H2M Engineering has replaced previously selected vendors due to issues with vendors registration process with the federal government in the SAM.gov portal. H2M Engineeing has an active SAM.gov registration and has been approved to work on our park projects by Rockland County ARPA office, which is overseeing the administration of the funding.
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