Governor Cuomo Announces $36 Million in Projects to Restore Historic Jones Beach State Park
Improvements Being Made to West Bathhouse and East and Central Malls
Unique Taste NY Concessions and New Taste NY Bar Will Feature New York State Food and Craft Beverages at Jones Beach and Nikon Theater
Prototype Mobile App Developed to Help Visitors Find Parking at Jones Beach State Park
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo recently announced more than $36 million in improvements,
including new Taste NY vendors, to enhance the visitor experience at Jones
Beach State Park. In addition to the improvement projects, the Governor
also announced a new prototype mobile app to assist visitors with parking
as well as the return of the annual Memorial Day weekend Bethpage Air
Show at Jones Beach, Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular and the I LOVE
NY Tourism Pod. The improvements and events are part of
Governor Cuomo’s $65 million commitment to restore the park’s historic grandeur, attract new visitors and
create new recreational facilities.
"Today we are seeing the historic grandeur of Jones Beach as it was
meant to be,"
Governor Cuomo said. "The rebirth of Jones Beach is helping to grow our tourism
industry while bringing jobs to Long Island communities, and I encourage
everyone to visit one of most beautiful and celebrated seasides in New
York State."
The $36 million in improvements include:
Restoration of the West Bathhouse
The West Bathhouse, built in 1931, underwent a $16 million project to
restore interior space and reestablish the open, airy connection between
the pool and boardwalk that was part of the original design. The work
included reopening the central bays in the West Bathhouse South Building
in order to reconnect the water-to-water view and circulation from the
pools to the beach. Concession spaces, including a new Taste NY Café,
which will serve fresh, New York-made food and beverages, were reoriented
to their historic north-south axis to allow easier access through the
building and enliven the central core. New kitchens were installed to
provide a wider array of menu options at the unique concession areas.
It will be operated by the newly selected concessionaire, Centerplate.
The renovations to the West Bathhouse also include the addition of a new
retail space and the historic vaulted ceiling that had been covered over
by drop ceiling tiles was exposed. The interior improvements build on
work completed last year to preserve and improve the Art Deco exterior
of the bathhouse, including installing windows to match its original appearance,
replacing the pool deck, and repairing the pool filtration system.
The final phase of the West Bathhouse project will be to restore and reactivate
the stately second-floor Marine Dining Room and adjoining outdoor terraces
to their original 1930s character, providing rentable space for catered
weddings, reunions, proms and other events. The Marine Dining Room is
expected to open for events by early spring 2017.
New York State Parks Commissioner Rose Harvey said, "It took a bold vision to build Jones Beach State Park, and Governor
Cuomo is honoring that legacy with his far-reaching plan to revitalize
the park for the 21st century. This parkwide transformation – including
renewing the West Bathhouse and rebuilding on the long-vacant Jones Beach
Restaurant site – will bring new vitality and visitors to one of
New York’s most popular parks."
Taste NY Café and Taste NY Bar
The Café in the West Bathhouse will be one of the busiest Taste
NY locations in the state, with more than 6 million people visiting Jones
Beach each year. It will feature products from more than 30 different
food and beverage producers located in nearly every region of New York,
including Long Island. For a complete list of producers click
here.
The Taste NY Café will give visitors the opportunity to enjoy everything
from local seafood and hot sandwiches to bakery items and craft beverages.
For visitors on the move, it will also offer grab-and-go options such
as salads, chips, drinks, and more. The Taste NY Café is the latest
addition to a growing number of Taste NY locations across the state. Taste
NY products are featured at more than two dozen rest areas and travel
plazas along the New York State Thruway, as well as at stores, cafés,
and concession stands. Additional locations are expected to open later
this year.
Additionally, Taste NY has partnered with State Parks and the premier
live entertainment company, Live Nation, to promote the state’s
growing craft beverage industry at Nikon at Jones Beach Theater which
is operated by Live Nation. The partnership features the launch of a new
Taste NY Bar, which will offer a rotation of New York wine, beer, spirits
and cider selections to the approximately 350,000 annual visitors of the
outdoor amphitheater. The Taste NY Bar will be operational for more than
two dozen events this season. It will also offer New York snacks and food.
For a list of participating producers click
here.
New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner
Richard A. Ball said, "Taste NY producers offer some of the finest goods in the State and
the addition of a Taste NY Café to the West Bathhouse is a great
way to connect those companies to countless new buyers. Jones Beach is
one of the most popular summer destinations in the state, so this is an
incredible opportunity to promote the great work of our local food and
beverage producers and to strengthen the success of the industry."
President of Live Nation North Atlantic New York & Philadelphia Alan
Ostfield said, "Nikon at Jones Beach Theater is a New York institution for the very
best outdoor concerts that New York has to offer. Live Nation is pleased
to work with Taste NY to also offer the very best NY products to our guests."
Improvements to the East and Central Malls
Construction will begin this year on a $14 million new green, climate
resilient Jones Beach Marketplace on the East Mall. The market will offer
fresh prepared foods, featuring Taste NY products and will be operated
by Centerplate. The market building will also house a commissary for the
preparation of food for the majority of Jones Beach food concessions,
new bathrooms, and offices and retail for the new East Mall Adventure Course.
The 15,837 square foot building will be elevated over 2 feet above the
base flood elevation which is required by FEMA to prevent the marketplace
from being damaged in future storms. Major utilities will be located inside
the elevated building or up on the roof and the building itself will be
located further back from the original structure so that it is kept outside
of the Coastal Erosion Hazard Area. Access to the building will be from
elevated terraced boardwalks starting at the height of the existing boardwalk
to the floor elevation of the new building.
The design of the new terraces will include hurricane straps to help the
structure survive future storm surges. The windows and doors on the exterior
will be constructed using impact resistant glass. The new marketplace
building will restore the Beaux Arts symmetrical plan of the Central Mall,
the gateway to Jones Beach. Since 2004, the East Mall site has remained
vacant when building was demolished due to structural failure. Construction
is expected to be complete for the 2018 season.
View renderings of the completed market building
here and
here.
Centerplate General Manager Rick Biglin said, "We are very excited to welcome visitors to Jones Beach State Park
with new menu offerings and a breadth of great products from New York--including
right here on Long Island. Centerplate has been proud to showcase delicious
local products in partnership with TasteNY at the Javits Center, Saratoga
Racetrack and Belmont Park, as well as Whiteface Mountain. The products
available at Jones Beach will undoubtedly add local flavor from the Empire
State's great suppliers and producers, and delight our guests with
a uniquely New York summer experience."
Other improvements taking place this year include:
- The $2.7 million reconstruction of the East Mall Games Area will provide patrons with shaded picnic areas, new games including bocce ball and shuffle board courts, table tennis, and plantings. This area is to open to patrons in the fall 2016. View rendering here.
- The East Mall Adventure Course, is a $1.5 million facility that will be constructed by park concessionaire Wildplay, and will include a series of ropes courses, a 40’ zip line, pathways, and small play areas in a naturalized landscape. It is anticipated to be open by summer 2017.
- The Central Mall will undergo a $1.5 million restoration including paving, new plantings, replacement of historic signage and lighting, and reconstruction of the original fountain. It is anticipated to be completed by summer 2017.
Additional efforts to improve the visitor experience at Jones Beach State
Park include:
Prototype Jones Beach Parking Mobile App
New York State has developed a prototype for a parking app that will make
it easier for people to find parking at Jones Beach. Visitors can go
here on their smartphone and find parking availability for each lot updated
in real-time. Additionally, the New York State Department of Transportation
is working to display those parking updates on electronic signs on the
Southern State Parkway and other highways leading to Jones Beach. Parking
availability will also be available on Twitter at
@JonesBchUpdates.
Field 6 Concession Building
Last year, State Parks completed a $2.3 million renovation of the deteriorated
bathroom and dining areas of the Field 6 Concession Building, which serves
one of the most popular beach areas in the park. The improvements to 1948
structure allow for booths and tables to be placed in the concession area
during the off-season, creating a diner-like experience for many patrons
who visit year-round.
Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach
Kicking off every Memorial Day Weekend, the Bethpage Air Show at Jones
Beach attracts thousands of visitors to Long Island beaches to celebrate
the beginning of summer, and shine a light on military families as well
as honoring those who serve our country. This year’s show features
the United States Navy Blue Angels, the F-35 Lightening II fighter, the
Golden Knights U.S. Army parachute team, the Royal Canadian Air Force
Snowbirds, and many other world-class military and civilian performers.
The Show takes place Saturday, May 28 and Sunday May 29 from 10 a.m. to
3 p.m. each day. For more information, visit
here.
Bethpage Federal Credit Union CEO Wayne Grosse said, "We are proud of our 13 year partnership with New York State Parks
to bring the world-class Bethpage FCU Airshow at Jones Beach. It has become
a family tradition for 400,000 Long Islanders each Memorial Day weekend."
I LOVE NY Tourism Pod
The
I Love NY Pod will once again be appearing at events throughout New York State offering
a one-of-a-kind experience to learn more about New York State’s
11 vacation regions. This highly interactive mobile Pod includes a green
screen where your picture can be imposed on visuals from around the state,
pop quizzes about the state’s world-renowned destinations, and itineraries
that can be personalized and e-mailed to you right from the Pod. I Love
NY ambassadors are also available to help answer questions and find great
places visit.
The I LOVE NY Tourism Pod will appear at the following locations:
- June 3 – 5: Fairport Canal Days, Finger Lakes
- June 10 – 13: Mysteryland, Catskills
- June 18: Adventures NYC, New York City
- July 2 – 3: Syracuse Jazz Festival, Finger Lakes
- July 9 - 10: Taste of Buffalo, Greater Niagara
- October 1 - 2: Hudson Valley Garlic Festival, Hudson Valley
For more information on New York’s 11 vacation regions, visit
www.iloveny.com.
Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular
The July 4 Fireworks Spectacular, a Long Island patriotic tradition, will
return to Jones Beach State Park this summer for the second year in a
row. The 30-minute fireworks display, sponsored by Astoria Bank and performed
by Garden State Fireworks, will begin at 9:30 p.m.
The Astoria Bank July 4 Fireworks Spectacular has traditionally drawn
an average of more than 100,000 spectators in prior years, and is included
in the regular price of park admission.
Astoria Bank CEO & President Monte Redman said, "We are thrilled to return this summer as the lead sponsor of the
Astoria Bank July 4th Fireworks. This event is a wonderful way to celebrate
Independence Day. Last year it was great to see thousands of local residents
and visitors enjoying a day of family fun. We look forward to continuing
the tradition of bringing the community together for one of the biggest
and best fireworks displays our region has to offer."
This year’s program, with lead sponsorship by Astoria Bank, is supported
by the Natural Heritage Trust, Foundation for Long Island State Parks
Inc., Captree Boatman’s Association, Newsday, Connoisseur Media
Long Island and J & B Restaurant Partners.
The park improvements and events reflect Governor Cuomo's commitment
to revitalizing the state park system and expanding access to outdoor
recreation. The Governor's
NY Parks 2020 program is a multi-year commitment to leverage $900 million in private and public
funding for State Parks from 2011 to 2020. The Governor's 2016-17
Executive Budget allocates $90 million toward this initiative. In addition,
this year the Governor announced the
Connect Kids to Parks program, which provides free day-use park entry to fourth-grade students
and their families, and creates a new transportation grant program to
help students from underserved schools visit state parks and historic sites.
About Jones Beach State Park
World famous Jones Beach State Park, home of 6.5 miles of beautiful white-sand
beach on the Atlantic Ocean, is made up of more than 2,400-acres of maritime
environment on the south shore of Long Island and attracts more than 6
million visitors each year.
About Taste NY
Taste NY is an initiative launched by Governor Cuomo in 2013 to promote
New York’s food and beverage industries. It is overseen by the Department
of Agriculture and Markets and has created opportunities for local producers
to showcase their goods at large public events, such as the Great New
York State Fair. The program has also opened stores at Thruway rest stops
along the state’s highways and in transportation hubs, enabling
travelers to buy New York State’s homegrown and homemade products.
Approximately 1,100 local companies have participated in these opportunities,
further linking their products and the state’s growing food and
beverage market to consumers from across the globe. For more information
about Taste NY, please visit
www.taste.ny.gov. Connect with Taste NY through
Facebook,
Twitter,
Instagram and
Pinterest.