North Hempstead Beach Park’s revitalization will begin its first phase with the help of a $1,050,000 grant to fund infrastructure work.
Town and state officials gathered at the 90-acre park in Port Washington last week to reveal the grant from New York state that will go toward the 1.25-mile shoreline restoration. Officials said added benefits include habitat restoration and better protection from future erosion for the surrounding environment.
North Hempstead officials Peter Zuckerman, Charles Berman, Veronica Lurvey, Wayne Wink and Judi Bosworth attended the news conference alongside state Sen. Anna Kaplan.
“After many years of visioning, public participation, planning, and designing, we are extremely proud to announce that the first phase of the North Hempstead Beach Park renovation project is in the permitting phase,” said Bosworth, the outgoing town supervisor.
Expected amenities with future renovations include a restaurant, events stage, sledding hill and athletic courts, among others. Eight acres of parking, which amounts to 675 spots, will be converted into green spaces.
Renovations for the park have been a long time coming. In 2017, an extensive multiyear “visioning” process began, where suggested amenities were considered after public meetings filled with residents’ ideas.
A conceptual plan in 2019 was developed by the town’s consultant Quentin Rothschild with the help of the Visioning Committee, which included representatives from every part of North Hempstead.
Engineering and construction are set to cost slightly upwards of $2.3 million for the shoreline, according to North Hempstead spokesperson Gordon Tepper. Other aspects of the project are in the design process and costs are not yet finalized.
Once permits are approved, North Hempstead will undergo its standard “request for proposal” process, with construction beginning shortly after bids are accepted.
The former Bar Beach, located on West Shore Road in Port Washington, came under the jurisdiction of the Town of North Hempstead in late 2007 when it also acquired Hempstead Harbor Park and reopened them both as North Hempstead Beach Park.
Kaplan, who secured the grant of over $1 million, said the park is in need of a makeover.
“Families have been making treasured memories at North Hempstead Beach Park for generations, but the time has come to make investments for the future, and create the kind of new amenities that our neighbors will enjoy for generations to come,” Kaplan said.
Until permits are issued for construction, the overall project will remain in the engineering design stage.
