Kingston to get grant to raise flood-prone streets
Funding will help the city with the next phase of its waterfront resiliency project
KINGSTON — The city announced Thursday that it will get $1.5 million from the federal Department of Transportation to raise a portion of the floodprone downtown waterfront thanks to a provision included in a federal spending package by U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer.
Mayor Steven Noble’s office said the East Strand and North Street Roadway Elevation Project will raise two portions of East Strand that experience frequent tidal flooding, ensuring that travel to and from nearby residential neighborhoods can remain uninterrupted. In addition to raising and rebuilding sections, the road will be restriped and adjacent sidewalks elevated, providing safety upgrades for pedestrians and cyclists.
The project will also help protect the city’s wastewater treatment plant on East Strand and integrate with the Hudson River Maritime Museum’s Rondout Riverport Phase 2 project, according to a release from the mayor’s office.
Kingston’s shorelines on the Hudson River and Rondout Creek were once industrial but were vacated as the cement plants and other industries dried up. In 2022, the city unveiled an ambitious plan to redevelop its Rondout waterfront and address the increasingly common flooding caused by sea level rise. Last year, Kingston got a $21.7 million grant — the largest in city history — through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program to begin work on the project.
One component of that initiative, “Weaving the Waterfront,” calls for elevating two flood-prone portions of East Strand Street. The funding secured Thursday will pay for that work and comes on top of last year’s larger grant.
“I want to thank Majority Leader Schumer for all he has done for Kingston, from helping to secure the $21.7 million RAISE grant last year to delivering an additional $1.5 million to assist us in creating a vibrant and resilient waterfront,” Noble said in a statement. “This area, which is prone to frequent flooding, is integral to connecting the downtown business district and beloved visitor sites — from the Maritime Museum, Trolley Museum, Clearwater and Hudson River Cruise to the Kingston Greenline, the Empire State Trail and Sojourner Truth State Park. This initiative will not only maintain access for residents of the Ponckhockie neighborhood, it will help spur long-lasting economic vitality in our historic waterfront district.”