Redevelopment of North Hempstead Beach Park to start with infrastructure work

The long-awaited North Hempstead Beach Park visioning project, a plan to revamp the town’s 90-acre park in Port Washington, will kick off phase one with critical infrastructure work, officials said.

The plans to redevelop the park has been in the works for close to five years and upgrades are expected to bring an array of amenities, including, a restaurant with an outdoor terrace, a sensory garden and a climbing wall, among many others. North Hempstead officials will hold a news conference Friday to officially kick off phase one of the project, which entails the restoration of the 1.25-mile shoreline.

"The primary goal of this aspect of the project is to ensure that our shoreline is resilient. It’s home to so many species that live in both Hempstead Harbor and surrounding areas. It also plays an important role in flood and erosion protection," North Hempstead Supervisor Judi Bosworth told Newsday. "It’s the beginning of a project that’s going to make North Hempstead Beach Park an incredible destination."

Town officials said permit applications have been submitted to the state Department of Environmental Conservation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and are currently under review. If approved, Savik and Murray, a Bohemia-based architectural and engineering firm, can begin work on the shoreline, which is estimated to cost the town more than $2.3 million for engineering and construction.

Once permits are approved Savik and Murray can set a timeline for construction, town spokesman Gordon Tepper said.

An overall cost for the project has not been refined, town officials said, because other items in the plan do not have refined construction cost estimates as design is ongoing. The revamp will take several years.

State Sen. Anna Kaplan (D-Great Neck), who served as a council member in North Hempstead for eight years, said she has secured a grant of more than $1 million to help with costs related to phase one of the project.

"When Supervisor Bosworth shared the community’s vision for the future with me, and asked for help financing the park’s transformation, I was thrilled to support the effort by securing a $1,050,000 grant from the state of New York so that our community can have the beautiful and vibrant park that they deserve," Kaplan said.

In January 2017, officials hosted several visioning meetings to seek input from the residents on what features should be added to the park's revamp. After the meetings, residents suggested ideas including an archery range, large wind turbines and a drone racing course. The town hired Manhattan-based architectural firm Quennell Rothschild & Partners to gather ideas and create a master plan for the park.

Westbury resident Peter Gaffney, who has kept up with the project, said he is happy the park will see upgrades. He stressed the need for shoreline repairs and general maintenance of the park.

"The shoreline is something that is absolutely needed, it is desperately needed," Gaffney said. "It will help the environment. There’s a lot of birds, sanctuary, animals and fish that are in that area."

After the shoreline restoration, officials said additional proposed phase one elements may include a new waterfront restaurant, an event stage, parking lot improvements, building improvements on the north side of the park, and architectural design of the North Park entrance.