Montour Falls has been awarded a $600,000 state grant to build an inclusive playground and ADA-compliant restrooms at the village marina on Seneca Lake.
The village will provide a $150,000 local match, bringing the planned investment to $750,000. The award comes through New York Places for Learning, Activity and Youth Socialization, known as NY PLAYS.
The project is intended to make the waterfront recreation area accessible to more children and families. Mayor James Ryan said the work will turn the marina into a place where children of different abilities can play and where visitors have access to compliant restroom facilities.
The village did not announce a construction schedule, design completion date or expected opening date. Officials said the Village Board, village staff and Schuyler County Planning will work together to move the project through design and construction.
Local match completes $750,000 project budget
The $600,000 award covers 80% of the stated project cost. Montour Falls is responsible for the remaining 20%, or $150,000, under the grant's local-match requirement.
Ryan said the marina project builds on the village's work involving sustainability, downtown revitalization and public spaces. He described the site as a waterfront destination at the southern gateway to the Erie Canal and said the playground is meant to serve local families as well as visitors to Seneca Lake.
The release did not specify the playground's equipment, footprint or accessibility features beyond describing it as inclusive. It also did not identify the source of the village's local match or say whether additional approvals or contracts are required before work can begin.
Grant is part of statewide recreation program
The award is part of Gov. Kathy Hochul's Unplug and Play initiative. Montour Falls officials said NY PLAYS is distributing $67.5 million for 89 projects statewide.
The program is administered by the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York and the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Ryan thanked those agencies, the governor, the Village Board, Schuyler County Planning and village staff for their roles in the application.
The next steps are design and construction planning. The village said it expects the process to lead to a groundbreaking and eventual ribbon-cutting, but no dates were included in the announcement.
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