Good Ground Park in Hampton Bays moves closer to reality

State lawmakers have secured $1 million for the construction of a central park in downtown Hampton Bays, a long-planned project that community advocates say will spur tourism and business in the East End hamlet.

Sen. Kenneth LaValle and Assemb. Fred Thiele Jr. announced the allocation for Good Ground Park at a news conference Thursday at a Hampton Bays community center, where it was applauded by residents who have waited at least 14 years for the concept to become reality.

"We believe this is a game-changer for Hampton Bays," said LaValle (R-Port Jefferson), who stood before renderings of a grass and stone amphitheater planned for the center of the park.

Town officials purchased 40 acres of wooded land off Montauk Highway for the park in 2001 for $3.8 million, but the project stalled amid disagreement over its design and a lack of government funds during the economic recession.

"This is a day I actually wondered if it would ever come," said Kevin McDonald, a Hampton Bays resident and public lands program director for The Nature Conservancy on Long Island.

The $1 million state contribution adds to $1.9 million allocated by Southampton officials for the park's construction and $940,000 in previously obtained state grants.

A Southampton Town contractor began clearing land for the project about two weeks ago, Deputy Town Supervisor Frank Zappone said Thursday. The state funding will allow the town to complete multiple phases of the project at once, officials said.

Residents have worked for years to beautify and revitalize downtown Hampton Bays, a middle- and working-class hamlet of 13,600 people that is Southampton's most populous community. Good Ground Park will serve as both a common area for residents and a draw for visitors, advocates said.

"This is further proof on the East End of the environment and the economy working together," said Thiele (I-Sag Harbor). "Because this is going to become a destination."