13 green infrastructure projects across New York State will benefit from $60 million in Green Resiliency Grant funding.
Governor Kathy Hochul made the announcement that the projects are designed to combat the effects of climate change, especially in flood-prone and disadvantaged communities.
“Hurricanes Helene and Milton are another reminder of the urgency needed in investing in resiliency measures to keep our communities safe,” Governor Hochul said. “Strong and sustainable infrastructure is our first line of defense. Together with our state’s unprecedented clean water investments, the Environmental Bond Act is shoring up our infrastructure and protecting our communities for generations to come.”
Funding was split roughly equally between projects located in Upstate New York and those in New York City. A list of projects can be found below:
Broome County Industrial Development Agency: $1.475 million for the Roberson Museum Green Initiative to integrate bioretention basins, porous pavement, vegetated swales, and riparian buffer restoration to manage stormwater and improve resilience to flood events at the historic Roberson Mansion and associated facilities in Binghamton.
Buffalo Sewer Authority: $8.75 million for the Rain Check 2.0 Park Projects to implement stormwater tree trenches, rain gardens, underground stormwater storage systems, and porous pavement in five parks. The project will reduce stormwater runoff by 100,000 cubic feet annually, reduce combined sewer overflows during extreme weather events, address urban heat island effects, improve air quality, and enhance recreational opportunities.
Village of Dolgeville: $1.75 million for the North Main Street Waterfront Park Project to implement tree trenches, an infiltration basin, porous pavement, and a bioslope to reduce runoff to the storm sewer system and the East Canada Creek. The project will improve water quality and provide the first publicly accessible connection to the scenic creek, enhancing recreational activities. Plans include a playground, swing garden, pavilion, and porous pavement walking paths.
Town of Geddes: $1.025 million for the Dwight Business Park Green Infrastructure Retrofit Project to install bio-retention, vegetative swales, and porous pavement in strategic locations within the business park. The project will reduce non-point source contaminants from entering Onondaga Lake while restoring approximately one acre of wetland and reducing urban heat effects.
Village of Hastings-On-Hudson: $2.5 million for the Farragut Parkway Wet Extended Detention Pond Project to store runoff, holding it in place for pollutants to settle out and for infiltration and evapotranspiration. The detention pond and drainage bypass will reduce downstream peak flows to Boutilliers Brook, a watercourse frequently overwhelmed during storm events and mitigate the persistent and destructive flooding experienced in a residential area.
City of Kingston: $4.375 million for the Safe & Accessible Flatbush & Foxhall Streetscape Project to add bioswales and stormwater tree pits to improve climate resiliency, reduce runoff, and protect natural resources. Streetscape improvements will increase pedestrian and cyclist safety in a busy urban neighborhood.
Village of Mamaroneck: $6.6 million for the Floodplain Restoration Effort to mitigate flood risks in a designated high-risk area by creating two floodplain benches. The project will increase flood storage capacity and improve water quality with natural sediment filtering.
New York City Department of Parks and Recreation: $10 million for the Harlem Meer Stormwater Resilience Project. Through smart water infrastructure and ecological restoration, the project will transform Central Park’s northern waterbodies into a multiple pond system for stormwater management, reducing the risk of flooding in Central Harlem and East Harlem.
New York City Housing Authority: $6.85 million for the Jefferson Houses Cloudburst Project to manage, store, and filter stormwater runoff at a public housing development in East Harlem. The project will install a subsurface retention system, porous concrete pavers, and two synthetic turf fields. These green infrastructure practices will reduce urban heat island effect while providing residents access to outdoor recreation space.
New York City Municipal Water Finance Authority: $10 million grant for the Tibbetts Brook Daylighting Project to reduce combined sewer overflows to the Harlem River by more than 200 million gallons annually, with improved access to new open space and into Van Cortlandt Park, enhancing the quality of life for residents.
City of North Tonawanda: $1.5 million for the Oliver Street Green Infrastructure Improvement Project to convert impervious terrace back to green space, reduce pavement width, plant street trees, and install structural soils and/or bioretention areas. The project will extend an existing storm sewer and separate combined storm and sanitary sewers, reducing untreated discharges into the Niagara River.
City of Ogdensburg: $2.925 million for the Downtown Mall Beautification, Green Infrastructure and Stormwater Reduction Project to integrate porous pavement surfaces and add bioretention and rain garden techniques. The project will improve water quality in the St. Lawrence River and reduce stormwater from entering the city’s combined sanitary storm sewer. A new pocket park will feature landscape design to retain and reuse rainwater. LED lighting and electric vehicle charging stations will further promote renewable energy options to reduce the overall carbon footprint of the parking area.
City of Utica: $2.25 million for the Nail Creek Floodplain Restoration to construct flood benches and incorporate riparian buffer zones or wetlands along Nail Creek at the confluence of Halleck’s Ravine, addressing flooding during storm events.
Have all the Finger Lakes news from Finger Lakes News Radio delivered to your email every morning for FREE! Sign up by clicking here
