$40,000 to help Tivoli buy land for park - Scenic Hudson grant will cover fees for CSX deal

TIVOLI - A $40,000 grant from Scenic Hudson will help the village complete the purchase of property for a riverfront park.

Todd Shanley, 13, of Red Hook, bottom center, gets a bucket of water while spending time with family and friends at the Hudson River waterfront Wednesday near Tivoli. (Karl Rabe photos/Poughkeepsie Journal)

Last month, Scenic Hudson announced it was giving the village a $40,000 grant to help its purchase of nearly 3 acres of riverfront property.

This year, village officials announced a plan to obtain the property from the railroad company CSX. In essence, CSX is giving the property to the village, according to state Assemblyman Marc Molinaro, R-Tivoli.

"The $40,000 covers legal and engineering fees associated with the transaction," said Molinaro, who worked on the project when he served as Tivoli's mayor.

Officials have been working for more than decade to acquire the property and build a park. Although people frequently use the property, it's considered trespassing because the property is privately owned. Train tracks, which run through the property, make it a safety hazard.

Once the acquisition is complete, officials want to build a new bulkhead, dock and an overpass crossing the railroad tracks. Past estimates had the project cost at about $4 million.

"Every time we get more funds and support for this project, it makes it feel like more of a reality," said Bryan Cranna, Tivoli's deputy mayor. "The more funding we get, the larger our imaginations get in terms of what we can do."

Steve Rosenberg, senior vice president at Scenic Hudson, said Tivoli was one of several communities in the Hudson Valley to receive funding for its riverfront initiatives. The grants are part of a plan Scenic Hudson announced last year to try and preserve 65,000 acres along the Hudson River that stretch from Westchester County to Albany.

"Tivoli is one of a number of communities along the Hudson River corridor that is working to promote public access along the river," Rosenberg said. "As we approach the (2009 Hudson-Fulton-Champlain) quadricentennial celebration, one of the ways to make a lasting difference is to see these new public parks thrive beyond 2009."

Cranna said officials are still developing plans and raising money for the proposed riverfront park. He said it is unlikely the park would be built in time for the quadricentennial celebration, but it is possible the village will organize a smaller festival on the property.