E-Edition
Sign up for email newsletters
Sign up for email newsletters
E-Edition
TRENDING:
KINGSTON, N.Y. — The city plans to seek state money for a number of projects citywide, including wastewater system upgrades, a new soccer field at Hasbrouck Park, a solar array at Dietz Stadium, and possible “inclusive housing” in Midtown.
Eight separate grant requests are laid out in documents submitted to the Common Council’s Finance and Audit Committee for consideration by the city’s Director of Grants Management, Ruth Ann Devitt-Frank.
The Finance and Audit Committee will hold a special meeting on Monday, July 6, as it considers sending the application requests for approval by the Common Council, which meets on Tuesday. Once green-lighted by the council, Frank’s office will be cleared to submit the grant applications to the state.
In her proposal to lawmakers, Frank noted this routine yearly process was squeezed by the very late state budget this year, with her office now staring down a July 31 deadline to submit the grant requests.
According to documentation submitted by Frank, the largest request is for $830,000 from the Environmental Facilities Corporation Water Infrastructure Improvement program toward a $3,320,000 project to upgrade and rehabilitate four priority wastewater pump stations at Stony Run, Block Park, Stone House and Jane Street. The proposal would require a 75% match by the city, equaling $2,490,000 to be funded by bonding, according to the document.
“These four were deemed the most critically needed after the three Phase 1 pump stations were identified,” officials said. The project will improve reliability, reduce combined sewer overflows and sanitary sewer overflows and provide two working pumps at each station, address climate resiliency and reduce the need for maintenance repairs, officials added.
Officials said the city is also seeking $230,444 in state funding toward a $271,111 project to upgrade the city’s comprehensive plan. If the city were to receive the grant request, it would be on the hook for a $40,667 match.
With 90% of the goals in the Kingston 2025 Comprehensive Plan either achieved or underway, “it is time to take full stock of what remains to be accomplished and new issues that require consideration,” officials said.
“It is also time to re-engage the community in the process to integrate new and revise previous goals and strategies to produce an updated plan that will guide efforts into the next decade,” officials added.
The city is also seeking $200,000 from the state’s Empire State Development New York Kicks program toward a proposed $400,000 project to develop a new soccer field at Hasbrouck Park using in-house engineering designs. Officials said the grant will support the expansion of an existing field with the addition of soil to bring it to the correct soccer field dimensions, new turf, line painting, goals and fencing. The city would need to provide a $200,000 match.
Frank’s office proposes applying for a $200,000 grant from the state Department of Environmental Conservation’s Smart Communities Program toward a $250,000 project to “expand tree-planting areas on streets currently lacking adequate room for trees.” A $50,000 match by the city would be required, the documentation stated.
“Currently, areas in Kingston without tree canopy along the streets have been measured to be over 18″ hotter than areas with street trees,” officials said. “This is due to the Heat lsland Effect, where pavement stores daytime heat and releases it overnight, preventing temperatures from naturally lowering. Adding planting space for trees that can grow to provide increasing amounts of shade will reduce the likelihood of heat-related health emergencies, energy demand from air conditioning, and stormwater flooding on roadways.”
The city is also planning to apply for a $120,000 grant from the state Department of Environmental Conservation’s Climate Smart Communities Program to help fund a $150,000 project to purchase and install solar panels at Dietz Stadium, which would be placed on the visitors’ side storage building and the home side concession structure, according to the document. If the city were to receive the grant, it would be on the hook for a $30,000 match, according to Frank’s document.
Frank’s office is also seeking to apply for $100,000 in state funding toward a $111,111 project proposed by the developers of the Brush Factory in Midtown to develop an underutilized parking lot across the street from their main building “to create 40,000 square feet of new housing stock.” Frank’s document stated that the developers would provide the $11,111 match for the grant.
Officials said the project would create “inclusionary housing units, enhance the pedestrian-scale streetscape, and utilize sustainable infill principles.”
Frank’s document also highlighted requests for “endorsing legislation” by the council for two other state Consolidated Funding Applications by the Kingston Land Trust.
The Kingston Land Trust Red Fox Ravine Expansion project request from the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Heritage Area Program would fund a feasibility study related to trail expansion at Red Fox Ravine. The document did not include a dollar amount for the land trust’s request.
Frank’s document showed that Kingston Land Trust is also applying for a grant from the state Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation Parks Program to establish a community environmental education center in the Kingston hamlet of Wilbur. The document also did not include a dollar amount for the land trust’s request.
Copyright 2026 Daily Freeman. All rights reserved. The use of any content on this website for the purpose of training artificial intelligence systems, algorithms, machine learning models, text and data mining, or similar use is strictly prohibited without explicit written consent.
