Additional Awards Totaling More Than $7M to go to Wawarsing and Kingston Pools and Kingston Point Beach

KINGSTON, NY - Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger today announced that the County has been awarded a $3.92 million grant through Governor Kathy Hochul’s NY SWIMS initiative to renovate the Ulster County Pool following its closure this summer due to underground piping failures. The County also assisted the Town of Wawarsing in their successful application for $3.65 million to reconstruct the Town of Wawarsing Community Pool.

The grant will enable the County to fix the piping that was the cause of the closure as well as undertake significant additional improvements to the pool complex. These include replacing the pool deck, installing a new gutter system, and adding zero-depth entry ramps, which will make it safer and easier for children and people of all abilities to enter the pool. The County will also install a modern spray ground for kids of all ages. 

In addition to the Ulster County Pool, the Town of Wawarsing was awarded $3,652,000 to reconstruct its pool and bathhouse facilities to comply with current health and safety standards and ADA compliance. The new grants team in the Ulster County Budget Department provided assistance to the Town of Wawarsing to apply for the grant.

“With this major State grant, we are able to modernize the County pool and improve its accessibility for children, seniors, and residents of all abilities, and I want to thank Governor Hochul for this important investment in the health and quality of life of our residents,” said County Executive Jen Metzger. “Our County pool provides a safe alternative to swimming in unguarded water bodies, and offering this kind of public amenity is becoming more important with a warming climate, providing our residents with a reprieve from the heat. For these same reasons, our County staff provided grant support to the Town of Wawarsing to apply to the NY SWIMS program, and we are thrilled that their application was successful. I am grateful to Deputy County Executive Amanda LaValle for her work on the County Pool grant and Deputy Director of Budget Victoria Reid and the grants team for their work on the Wawarsing grant. I also want to congratulate the City of Kingston on their successful applications for improvements to the Andretta pool and flood mitigation and protection at Kingston Point Beach.”

"I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to County Executive Metzger, her Deputies, and the grants team for their outstanding work in securing funding through Governor Hochul's NY SWIMS initiative,” said Peter Criswell, Chair of the Ulster County Legislature. “This significant investment in the Ulster County Pool will directly benefit our community, particularly our youth, by providing a modern, safe, and inclusive environment for recreation and water safety. This is a win for Ulster County, and the Legislature fully supports the efforts to enhance our public facilities and enrich the lives of our residents."

"Providing our communities with access to safe swimming activities is essential for children to learn water safety and for families to enjoy a healthy, lifelong activity together," said Kathy Nolan, Ulster Legislator and Chair of the Committee on Public Works, Capital Projects, and Transportation. "In times of increasing summer heat, access to swimming pools becomes even more critical, as children and adults come together and seek to remain cool. Keeping Ulster County’s pools in good condition is a smart investment, and I congratulate Ulster County and the City of Kingston for seeking and obtaining major funding from New York State to repair and upgrade the Ulster County Pool, the Andretta Pool, and the Kingston Point Beach Swimming Facilities."

"This grant is an enormous investment in the Wawarsing community that will ensure that everyone can enjoy safe and accessible swimming facilities. In addition to providing a place to escape the summer heat in a safe environment, this pool and improved public space will foster growth of the connections in our community, benefit local businesses and serve as a venue to teach generations of Wawarsing residents the lifelong skill of swimming,” said John Gavaris, Ulster County Legislator (District 15 - Wawarsing, Ellenville). “I thank the Town of Wawarsing, with the assistance of the Ulster County grants division, for their work in seeking this grant opportunity and Governor Hochul and the SWIMS Initiative for recognizing the need for this facility in our town."

“This is indeed exciting news! This funding will allow us to enhance the safety and accessibility of the Ulster County Pool with new zero-depth entry ramps and a modern spray ground for kids,” said Leo Maneri, Deputy Commissioner of Ulster County DPW-Maintenance. “Pools are vital for our community, providing a safe and fun environment for children and families to gather, play, and stay active. This is an incredible investment in Ulster County, and in the health and wellbeing of our residents, and great work done by DPW and the Executives office combined.”

“The Town of Wawarsing is thrilled to hear the news that we are a recipient of the NY SWIMS grant in the amount of $3,652,000,” said Wawarsing Supervisor Terry Houck. “The Town of Wawarsing will reconstruct the community pool and bathhouse facilities to comply with current health and safety standards and ADA compliance. This is a long time and much needed restoration of the pool facilities for all of our residents.”

Additionally through the NY SWIMS grant, the City of Kingston was awarded $3,343,345 for upgrades to Kingston Point Beach, for flood mitigation projects that will reinforce shorelines, and $180,000 was awarded for Andretta Pool upgrades, including replacing the pump and underground infrastructure, and a lift to the pool as well as ADA-compliant steps, a splash pad feature and a shade structure at the complex.