Politics & Government

Sykes Playground to Get Real Restrooms!

A comfort station is coming to Sleepy Hollow's Rev. Sykes Park, which will come as a great relief to anyone, with or without children, who has had to use that rough portable potty or run for refuge to McDonald's. 

Senator Greg Ball of the village's newly drawn membership in District 40 has announced funding for this project along with other mid-Hudson improvements to the tune of $59.6 million.

"While we can always do better, I am so proud that our region has done so well over the past three rounds of the Regional Economic Development Councils. I am happy to have personally worked with many of the local projects that have been awarded grants,” said Ball. “There are enormous opportunities within the Hudson Valley to create jobs, but government fundamentally must get the hell out of the way. At the end of the day, while these dollars are important, it is continued teamwork that will create the jobs. Job creators and employers must be allowed to do what they do best, without governmental constraints. I look forward to continuing to work with local partners to move these projects forward and continue to deliver for my district.”

In collaboration with the Regional Economic Development Council and other partners, Ball announced the following development projects that focus on technology, tourism, infrastructure, and the waterfront in various district 40 communities:

  • $100,000 for Westchester Community College Foundation Inc: Grow New York. Development of curriculum for unemployed workers and implement it both MHREDC Opportunity Area communities - Peekskill and Brewster.
  • $157,500 for Village of Sleepy Hollow: Rev Sykes Park Improvements. Reverend John Sykes Park, located in the inner village of Sleepy Hallow, will use funding for the design and construction of a comfort station. The design will focus on creating an ADA-compliant facility with a small footprint so as to take as little space away from the recreation area as possible.
  • $11,386 Friends of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Donald J. Trump State Parks: Connecting FDR State Park to Yorktown Parks. To increase recreational opportunities at Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park in Westchester County, volunteers will rehabilitate and construct a trail in the southeastern portion of the park. The project includes building two bridges, constructing a section of trail, installing 135 feet of boardwalk, and repairing damaged areas. The trail will connect the park to Yorktown’s Business District.
  • $75,000 City of Peekskill, Village of Brewster: MHREDC Opportunity Area Peekskill Brewster Area Strategic Plans and or Building Reuse Feasibility Studies. Study to re-purpose obsolete buildings in Peekskill's Opportunity Area and redevelopment path for Brewster's Main Street Corridor.
  • $150,000 Community Housing Innovations, Inc.: Rehabilitation of 400-404 South Street Peekskill NY. Community Housing Innovations, Inc. (CHI), will use the funds in Urban Initiatives funds to renovate two adjacent residential and commercial mixed-use buildings on South Street in the City of Peekskill's Waterfront District.
  • $100,000 CAREERS for People for Disabilities, Inc.: CAREERS SNAP Opportunities Program. The CAREERS for People with Disabilities Workforce Development Program will offer job readiness skills to veterans and long-term SNAP applicants/recipients who are under or unemployed and residing in the Hudson Valley. Participants will be guided through all phases of securing a job, writing/updating resumes, interviewing skills and workforce readiness skills. Once placed, they will be provided job training and ongoing supportive services such as transportation and using job-related technology.
  • $1,000,000 Clear Solution Labs LLC: Establish Contract Manufacturing Business. Clear Solution Labs will be a contract manufacturer that produces health & beauty products as well as OTC products, pressed powders & high alcohol processed products in Putnam County.
  • $20,720 Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts Inc.: Supertitle Machine for Bel Canto Opera Program Arts. The Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts will purchase a supertitle machine in order to project text and video during the popular Bel Canto at Caramoor opera program. This equipment will enhance the audience’s understanding of and engagement with the performances. Caramoor is a magnet for regional cultural tourism, bringing over 22,000 people to the area during the summer.
  • $500,000 Castagna Realty: Castagna Commerce Park. Castagna Commerce Park is a planned mixed use multi-phased development consisting of medical office, retail, senior housing and assisted living facilities.
  • $175,000 City of Peekskill: Fleischmanns Pier Reconstruction Design. The City of Peekskill will conduct planning and design for Fleischmann’s Pier to determine the future use of the pier.  The project will lead to the revitalization of the pier which will greatly enhance its utility and aesthetics at a prominent point along the Hudson River.
  • $175,000 Town of Cortlandt: Comprehensive Plan Development. The Town of Cortlandt will complete a Comprehensive Plan that will focus on issues of sustainability and economic development by taking advantage of the Town's location along the Hudson River.  In addition, the Town will investigate zoning techniques to plan for enhancements in the area around the Cortlandt Metro-North Station and along the Town's commercial corridors.  Further, the plan will study concepts such as form based zoning, complete streets and green development bonuses.

For more information about the Regional Economic Development Councils please visit:regionalcouncils.ny.gov.


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