CITY OF NEWBURGH – Councilman Ronald Zorrilla helped spearhead the City of Newburgh’s New York Places for Learning, Activity, and Youth Socialization (NY PLAYS) grant application for Delano-Hitch Park.
His diligence paid off with Governor Kathy Hochul awarding Newburgh $2 million on Tuesday for a destination playground at Delano-Hitch. In total, Hochul announced $67.5 million in grants for 89 projects to build, expand, and renovate public playgrounds across the state.
Projects range from new adaptive and inclusive playgrounds to major improvements that will modernize existing neighborhood play spaces.
“I was proud to lead and steward this process, bringing our community together through engagement sessions that helped shape the vision for a destination playground at Delano-Hitch Park for Newburgh children and families,” said Zorrilla, the founder of Outdoor Promise, a nonprofit that connects urban youth and families with the outdoors. “Governor Hochul’s $2 investment will help bring this vision to life, creating a beautiful space where our children, including my own, can play, grow, and make memories for generations to come.”
Orange County was also awarded $2.5 million for a new playground at Camp LaGuardia Park. After multiple failed attempts to convert the 258-acre former Camp LaGuardia property into a commercial hub, County Executive Steve Neuhaus announced last year that the dilapidated property will be converted into a County park.
Orange County purchased Camp LaGuardia, located on the border of Chester and Blooming Grove, for $8.5 million in 2007. Several private redevelopment proposals involving residential, commercial, and agricultural uses failed to obtain the necessary approvals, leaving the site largely abandoned for more than a decade.
Central UTA of Monsey was also awarded $2.1 million for a new playground through NY PLAYS.
Comments