Friends of Stewart Park and Wharton Studio Museum thank District 125 Assemblymember Anna Kelles for her advocacy for these projects. The Assemblymember has been an enthusiastic supporter of Stewart Park’s revitalization.
In a funding announcement Thursday, February 9, in the Picnic Pavilion in Stewart Park, Assemblymember Anna Kelles presented Friends of Stewart Park and Wharton Studio Museum with “checks” for the two projects.
The first project, a new Accessible Splash Pad and Seasonal Bathroom Building will complete the park’s Inclusive Playground that was constructed in 2020 with $1 million in NYS funding support, as well as support from local foundations, businesses and individuals. The new Splash Pad, which will feature a mural of the Finger Lakes on its “floor” will be larger and more engaging, accessible, and more water efficient. The adjacent accessible Bathroom Building will feature a gender-neutral/family restroom with an adult changing table along with Men’s and Women’s restrooms.
The second project is an Addition to the Picnic “Large” Pavilion to house Stewart Park Day Camp equipment currently stored in the historic Wharton Studio/DPW Building across the parking lot from the Picnic Pavilion. The Addition will provide safer and more convenient access to camp bikes, canoes and art supplies for campers and staff. Also, construction of the Addition is a crucial step in developing the Wharton Studio Park Center, a year-round destination in the lakefacing section of the Wharton Studio Building that will feature exhibits about Ithaca and the studio’s role in early American moviemaking, and a cafe with terraces looking onto Cayuga Lake.
