A dam improvement project, an update on a waterfront master plan and a long-awaited skate park will get a boost through the state’s Consolidated Funding Award process. Altogether, the city will receive $2,783,056 in state funds for the projects.

The CFA program initiated by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo doles out hundreds of millions of dollars to New York communities annually. The money comes from various state agencies and programs, but funding decisions are made by 10 Regional Economic Development Councils. The councils vet applications for funding from municipalities, nonprofits and private interests and assign them a score based on how well they align with regional economic development goals. The state Economic Development Agency then makes final decisions on funding.

In Kingston, the largest single CFA award, $1,945,600 went to the city’s water department for a dam rehabilitation project at the Binnewater Reservoir. The project includes construction of a new spillway, improvements to slope stability and a seepage collection system. The project is funded through the state Department of Environmental Conservation’s Water Quality Improvement Program and is intended to protect the city’s water supply as well as downstream infrastructure.

Another $167,160 in CFA funding will go towards updating the city’s Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan. The master plan was first developed in 1992 and many of its elements, like removing oil tanks, have already been accomplished. The updated plan will cover ways to improve access to the Hudson River and Rondout and Esopus Creek waterfronts and provide guidelines for sustainable development that will account for sea-level rise and other climate impacts. The money will come from the Department of State’s Local Waterfront Revitalization Program.

The city’s CFA award also includes $670,296 from the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation to design and build a skate park at Hasbrouck Park. The new facility will have purpose-built infrastructure for skateboarding, inline skating and similar activities. Skating enthusiasts have long advocated for a skate park in the city, but earlier efforts have faltered for lack of funding.

“We are thrilled to receive such generous funding from the state for three very different, but important projects,” said Mayor Steve Noble in a statement announcing the grant awards. “We look forward to implementing this funding to protect our drinking water with vital infrastructure upgrades at the Binnewater Dam, to update our Local Waterfront Revitalization plan with community input, and to finally build the skate park that we have dreamed of and planned for many years.”