The town of Rotterdam has received a $40,000 grant from the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation for improvements to Kiwanis Park.
According to Supervisor Steven Tommasone, the grant money is going to be used to renovate the boat launch, pave the parking areas, improve the docks, upgrade bathroom facilities, install water fountains and improve signage.
The grant was given on a matching basis, so the town will also be spending $40,000 for improvements.
The Rotterdam Kiwanis Club originally constructed the park in the early 1980s.
It’s a nice little park, Tommasone said. `It’s really a beautiful spot.`
The town had been trying to obtain the grant for almost two years.
Tommasone said town officials almost gave up on the grant because they kept running into problems with the title agreement. The park sits on land owned by the state Canal Corporation. Tommasone said the state finally gave the town the right to receive the grant money and make improvements to the park.
Kiwanis Park is located on Route 5S along the Mohawk River in the western part of town. Because the park is located at the entrance to Rotterdam Junction, Tommasone wants to make the park look as enticing as possible as part of the town’s vision for revitalizing the entire area. Long-term plans for the park include a pavilion and permanent picnic tables and benches.
`We have all these plans for the gateways into Rotterdam, and this is one of those gateways,` Tommasone said. `It is the first major town property you see as you travel into Rotterdam Junction from Exit 26 so we want to make it look as nice as possible.`
Work is scheduled to begin this fall and Tommasone said crews could work through the winter if the season is mild.
`We hope the work is accomplished by the spring when the boaters are ready to go,` he said.
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