Press Release
April 24, 2019
Angela P. Berti
(716) 278-1764
DeVeaux Woods State Park Kicks Off New Projects
New facility to incorporate reclaimed material from historic carriage barn
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation along with the City of Niagara Falls broke ground today on a public restroom that will service parkgoers at DeVeaux Woods State Park.
The public restroom has been designed in the style of a carriage barn that had stood in the park until its collapse in May 2018. Materials from the barn are being used in the construction of this new public restroom, which will also feature historic images of the former barn as well as a brief history. Renderings of the building can be found here.
"DeVeaux Woods is such a popular park for residents in the neighborhood and those that come to enjoy the playground or to play baseball or just enjoy the woods. I am pleased that we will finally have facilities to accommodate the needs of our visitors," said Mark V. Mistretta, Western District Director.
The $600,000 project was funded by the Niagara River Greenway Commission and is being completed by NCI Construction from Lancaster, NY, J.R. Swanson of Niagara Falls and M&M Electric also from Niagara Falls. The project is expected to be completed by early Fall.
"With the addition of this public restroom, we not only add to the multiple amenities already available to visitors of DeVeaux Woods State Park, but we do so with a nod towards its historic past through the reuse of materials from the former Carriage House. I want to commend our partners at New York State Parks and former Commissioner Rose Harvey for incorporating a piece of this historic structure for generations to come," said Niagara Falls Mayor Paul Dyster.
"Now that we are opening our waterfront and connecting our parks along the river, I am pleased that we will connect our residents and visitors with the history of the Civil War with the history of Niagara Falls while utilizing some of the original remains & features of the Carriage House constructed in 1863. Ideally, we would have kept the original building, but this is a great outcome that saw the city & state working together to enhance one of our parks. Furthermore, I am grateful that we have companies from Niagara Falls working on this project," said Niagara Falls City Councilman William Kennedy.
"Adding amenities to DeVeaux Woods State Park only serves to strengthen the Niagara River Greenway as a whole. With this location being home to a little league, a soon to be dog park and a destination playground as well as being a trailhead for the new two-mile trail that is being built over the old parkway, it is vital we start considering needed facilities that will provide basic comforts to those using the Greenway, said Greg Stevens, Executive Director of the Niagara River Greenway Commission.
A new dog park is expected to break ground in May, adding to the amenities at this popular neighborhood park.
Under Governor Cuomo's leadership, New York State is making a historic commitment to improving parks and expanding access to outdoor recreation. The Governor's NY Parks 2020 program is a multi-year commitment to revitalize the state park system. The 2019-20 State Budget allocates $110 million toward this initiative.
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 individual parks, historic sites, golf courses, recreational trails and boat launches, which are visited by 74 million people annually. For more information on any of these recreation areas, visit parks.ny.gov
