KINGSTON, NY – A newly-built soccer field and parking lot at Kingston Point are officially open, according to Mayor Steve Noble.
On Thursday, June 9, Noble and representatives from the Parks and Recreation Department, Common Council members, recreation commissioners, and youth soccer players from the Kingston Thunder FC held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new soccer field and parking lot.
“This is the first soccer field in our already extensive parks portfolio, so we are pleased to add this long-awaited amenity, and just in time for summer,” Noble said in a press release.
The soccer field and parking lot were built as part of the Kingston Point Park Infrastructure Improvements Project Phase 1. The project was funded through a grant from the state Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation.
The parking lot and soccer field incorporated a design approach to bring the amenities out of the floodplain by elevating the land to adapt to sea-level rise and avoid flooding, the city said in an announcement.
The design also incorporated green infrastructure elements to manage stormwater and maximize green space, the press release said.
A new playground is scheduled to be constructed adjacent to the beach on the north side of Delaware Avenue this summer. The playground was funded separately through the city’s Recreation Fee Reserve. Construction is expected to begin in early July.
“We are so excited to officially open this long-awaited youth soccer field,” said Lynsey Timbrouck, the city’s recreation director, in a prepared statement.
“The demand for soccer fields and practice time has increased significantly over the last couple of years, so we are proud that we can now provide a space for the kids in our community to play!” Timbrouck said.
Kingston Point Park Infrastructure Improvements Project Phase 2 will include improvements south of Delaware Avenue, including the facilitation and formal creation of a wetland at the west end of the existing parking lot, and improvements, including regrading and paving the east end of the parking lot, the release said.
Kingston has been awarded a $654,500 grant from the state Department of State for construction on Phase 2, which is anticipated for 2023.
