Broadway & Prince Landscape Plan
Please visit https://engagekingston.com/post-office-park for more information on this project.
Use el botón de traducir en la parte superior derecha para español
Overview
The City of Kingston is developing a landscape design plan to turn the two newly created greenspaces at the intersection at Broadway and Prince into an inviting, accessible space that encourages usage by pedestrians, cyclists, and other non-motorized users.
After awarding the contract to KaN Landscape Design in August 2022, KaN conducted extensive community outreach to understand the needs and wants of the community.
This draft design will serve as the blueprint in creating an attractive, welcoming public space at a crucial juncture of the Kingston Greenline in the heart of Midtown.
The project will be managed by the City of Kingston’s Department of Health & Wellness and is funded by the Creating Healthy Schools and Communities program through the New York State Department of Health, supported with American Rescue Plan Act funding.
What’s Next & How to Get Involved
The final design will be complete by spring 2023. View a rendering of the Phase 1 plans here
A public meeting to review the draft design and receive feedback was hosted on April 28th. You can view this video in English and in Spanish on the City's Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@CityofKingstonNY.
Project Timeline
- August 2022 Contract Awarded to KaN
- September-October 2022 Public Outreach
- February 2023 Conceptual Design
- March 2023 Final Draft Plan
- April 18, 2023 Public Meeting
- Late Spring 2023– Final Plan
- Summer/Fall 2023– Anticipated Phase 1 Construction
Outreach
Community engagement and stakeholder support have been an integral part of the design development since the beginning. Below are some of the community outreach activities KaN engaged in during the fall of 2022.
- PSA on Radio Kingston
- Signage & Banner & QR codes on site
- YMCA Farm Project Harvest Party
- MAD and DRAW event
- Public Meeting #1
- Forest Sanctuary Opening with the Kingston Land Trust
- Bubble Fest: Welcome to the Pumpkin Patch at the Broadway Bubble
- Soil to Soul soil testing community workshop
- Ulster County Office for the Aging
- Midtown Business Association meeting
History of the Project
The Broadway Grand Street Intersection Improvements project realigned and improved the safety at a formerly dangerous intersection. Working with GPI, the engineering consultants for the Broadway Streetscape Project , the City redesigned the intersection of Broadway, Grand Street, Prince Street, and Pine Grove Avenue to reduce traveler confusion, crashes, and near-misses. Pedestrians and bicyclists traveling on the Empire State Trail, use this intersection to connect to Prince Street to continue along the trail route. To accommodate the realignment, an abandoned Planet Wings building was demolished, leaving community greenspace.
At the same time, City, State, Ulster County, the City’s Complete Streets Advisory Council, the Kingston Land Trust, Bike Friendly Kingston, and other stakeholders have been and are working on a number of projects that support the growth of a multi-modal travel network in and around Kingston—one that encourages residents and visitors to walk or bike. It is a priority of the City to ensure that all residents and visitors have access to safe routes for active transportation.
To support these initiatives, in 2019 the City was awarded funding through a 5-year grant from the NYSDOH’s Creating Healthy Schools and Communities (CHSC) program. This grant program establishes and supports sustainable healthy communities as places where it is easier to practice healthier behaviors. As a part of its “Connecting Routes to Destinations,” CHSC is supporting the development of these two greenspaces as an example of beautiful and functional placemaking along the Kingston Greenline.
History of the Intersection
The old Kingston Post Office was built at the intersection of Broadway and Prince Street in 1908. By 1969, postal operations had grown larger than the building’s capacity, and the building was sold, then torn down to make room for a fast food restaurant. The destruction of this architectural gem has been lamented ever since. The Midtown area has evolved over the years, and today nearly 40 buildings are devoted to art-based uses and a significant arts identity has been established for the community.
Funding:
Creating Healthy Schools and Communities (CHSC) Grant: The City of Kingston received this 5-year grant from the New York State Department of Health starting in 2021 to implement projects that support policy, system, and environmental changes to help make the healthy choice the easy choice in Kingston.