Pershing Avenue Park
Location
Poughkeepsie, NY
Status
Stewarding
Construction Completion
2023
Site Area
3.4 Acres
Construction Cost
$940,000
People Served
6,169
Design Consultants
MASSDesign, SiteWorks, Barton & Loguidice, and Adrian W. Jones Design
Special Features
Upgraded recreational facilities, playground, walking path to neighborhood farm
New City Parks (NCP) began its work with the City of Poughkeepsie in the fall of 2020, working closely with Mayor Rob Rolison to prioritize the revitalization of parks in the city’s Northside, starting with Pershing Avenue Park.
Pershing Avenue Park was in dire need of repairs to all of its facilities and had become a hub of negative activity in the community. With input from PARKnership (a group of 30 neighborhood organizations), NCP helped establish priorities for park improvements and new features to make the site a safe and vibrant resource for the entire community. NCP organized multiple stakeholder planning sessions, collected information and materials gathered at earlier community engagement sessions, relayed community feedback to the mayor’s office, and hired consultants (SiteWorks and MASS Design) to transform the community visions into schematic designs.
As part of the overall renovation, NCP’s primary partner, Scenic Hudson, carried out a community design and build for a community farm as a central part of our shared work in Pershing. The community farm opened to the public in 2021. Residents grow produce in the community garden, and the farm supplies fresh fruits and vegetables to neighborhood families. The farm has successfully engaged local youth in life and work skill-building programs, with activities including construction and gardening projects.
The recreational facilities at Pershing Avenue Park re-opened to the public in October 2022. Visitors to the park now enjoy newly installed playground equipment, resurfaced basketball courts, new hoops and backboards, many new trees and native shrubs, new furnishings, walking paths, and solar lighting throughout the park for safety and security. The improved Pershing Avenue Park offers opportunities for active recreation and more inviting spaces for relaxation and family and neighborhood gatherings.
NCP continues to work with the community to anchor stewardship and develop programs designed to invite the public back into their reclaimed park.
Proposed schematic design for Pershing Avenue Park.
Press
Mid Hudson News October 30, 2022 - Revitalized park unveiled as part of city’s improvement plan.
Mid Hudson News September 28, 2021 - Poughkeepsie to upgrade city parks with federal rescue plans.
Mid Hudson News April 20, 2021 - Poughkeepsie to address upgrades to City Parks.
Community Partners
Scenic Hudson, The Art Effect, The Brain and Body Coalition, City of Poughkeepsie Department of Public Works, The Student Conservation Association, The Environmental Cooperative, StartUp PK, City of Poughkeepsie Mayor’s Office, PARKnership
