Press Release
June 13, 2013
Angela Berti
(716) 278-1764
Allegany State Park Debuts Group 5 Camp
Project highlights revitalization of state park system occurring under Governor Cuomo's NY Works program
Rose Harvey, the Commissioner of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation today reopened the popular and much improved Group Camp 5 in the Quaker area of Allegany State Park. The $733,000 project to improve the camp was funded through Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's New York Works initiative, which is revitalizing parks and historic sites across New York.
Commissioner Harvey said, "Group Camp 5 at Allegany State Park is one of the most popular group camping areas in our entire system. Prior to the renovations, this camp was undesirable and a tough sell. Now, thanks to Governor Cuomo's investment here, we can be very proud of this facility as we welcome more groups to celebrate family reunions, alumni events, group campouts and so much more."
Though popular, the 90-year-old cabins at Group Camp 5 had fallen into an extreme state of disrepair, and the area was served by pit toilets. Governor Cuomo's New York Works fund enabled replacement of the deteriorated cabins with 18 new four-bed cabins along with construction of a modern bathroom, including showers and a small laundry. In addition, renovations to the central mess hall and access improvements for people with disabilities in all areas of the camp were completed as part of the project. Patrick Construction of East Amherst, N.Y. built the bathroom facility and state park forces constructed the cabins and renovated the mess hall.
Rick Feuz, President of the Allegany State Park Historical Society said, "'Progress lies not in enhancing what is, but in advancing toward what will be.' This camp, as beautiful as it is, hopefully is just a step in the overall evolution of this great park."
The improvements will help maintain Allegany State Park, visited by 1.5 million annually, as a top Western New York tourism destination. Since reservations began being accepted for Group Camp 5 as of May 24, already over 100 nights have been booked, including the entire eight-week peak summer season.
Last year, Governor Cuomo and the state Legislature authorized the NY Works program to provide $89 million statewide, leveraging $143 million in total funding, to move forward with more than 100 overdue projects to improve 55 parks and historic sites and spur job creation and economic development. The Allegany State Park projects were among the first to be funded. This year, a second round of $90 million in NY Works funding will advance an additional 90 projects to upgrade and repair more than 50 state parks and historic sites across New York.
New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation maintains and operates 179 state parks and 35 historic sites, which are visited by 60 million people annually. A recent study by Parks & Trails New York found that New York State Parks generates $1.9 billion in economic activity annually and supports 20,000 jobs. For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit www.nysparks.com, connect on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.
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