South Nyack Wins $163,200 Revitalization Grant

The New NY Bridge Project's Waterfront Revitalization Program has awarded South Nyack a grant of $163,200 to be used for improvements to the Franklin Street Park.

The grant will be used for renovations to the tennis court and for the purchase and installation of a shade canopy for the children's playground, Mayor Bonnie Christian reported in her e-newsletter.

There is no shade at the heavily-used playground in the park, villagers pointed out in their application in 2015 for a Waterfront Revitalization grant; nor is it suitable for shade trees. The tennis court was built poorly on the site of an old train station, and it is cracked, subsiding and crumbling — and it is the only public-access court in all of Orangetown's river villages.

The village had asked for $298,731 for those renovations and additions plus enhancements to the Esposito Greenway Trail; more enhancements for Franklin Street Park; welcome signage for the village; a study about enhancing public waterfront access; and a study about stormwater management for a portion of the Esposito Trail. All of it would help the village prepare for increased visitorship from the Shared Use Path over the new bridge which the state estimates will see peak use by 473 people per hour.

The park is the site of the village's summer concert series.

Coming up Sunday at 6:30 p.m.: the Catahoula Cajun Band playing dance music of Southern Louisiana. With the fiddle, triangle and the accordion, this music became known as "French" but is truly a fusion of French, American and Country with influences from African rhythms, Creole and blues adding their own spice to the mixture, Christian said.