A newly awarded $2 million state grant for Delano-Hitch Recreation Park could help the city leverage millions more toward a broader rehabilitation of Newburgh’s largest park.

City officials said Thursday that they plan to seek up to $2.5 million through the federal Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership program, which requires a one-to-one match. Combined with the city’s $2 million NY PLAYS award and another $500,000 already available for the project, the federal funding could bring the total investment at Delano-Hitch to $5 million.

The City Council unanimously approved the grant application Monday. The resolution presented at the Sept. 24 work session originally called for applying up to $2 million through the federal program but city officials said it would be revised before the vote following the NY PLAYS award.

“I literally cried,” Councilmember Ronald Zorrilla said after learning Newburgh received the NY PLAYS funding last week. “I think being able to have an impact not just on my daughter using the park but just knowing that future generations will have a place to play.”

Zorrilla, whose Fourth Ward includes Delano-Hitch, said he became involved in efforts to revitalize the park after meeting Rose Harvey of New City Parks, a non-profit that helps small cities create parks and learning about a master planning process that had begun in 2023 but stalled. When the NY PLAYS grant opportunity became available earlier this year, Zorrilla said he pushed for the city to pursue it despite concerns at the time about the city’s budget and transition in city management.

Residents also rallied around the proposal, attending public meetings and community engagement sessions and forming a coalition of parents to support park improvements, Zorrilla said. Joshua Brown helped create a website to build support for the project, while Rebecca Harrison of Little Friends Learning Loft Montessori School was “pivotal in getting the word out.”

The $2 million NY PLAYS award is intended for playground improvements at Delano-Hitch. Preliminary plans call for a large, inclusive playground near the park’s pool and existing field, with equipment for different ages and abilities, splash features and additional parking.

Zorrilla said a playground that previously stood near the South William Street and Robinson Avenue side of the park was removed after deteriorating. He said the loss left residents in the surrounding neighborhood with fewer places for children to play. Restoring a playground, he said, could address that immediate need while opening the door to improvements throughout the park.

“The playground is just the start and it unlocks future funding,” Zorrilla said. “One, it creates a place where kids can play for generations in a neighborhood that didn’t have access to parks and two, it unlocks another potential funding source that will revitalize the entire park.”

While the NY PLAYS award is specifically for playground improvements, Zorrilla said the the federal funding would allow the city to pursue improvements across the broader park if the application is successful.

The potential investment also addresses disparities Zorrilla said exist around the park. The surrounding area has limited tree cover and access to parks and experiences some of the city’s highest temperatures, Zorrilla said, citing findings presented as part of Newburgh’s natural resources inventory.

The new playground would add another recreation option for residents in the city.

“The fact that we can create a destination playground that people from all over the place will come and enjoy but mostly for our residents that don’t take advantage of the pool, they have a free, awesome playground to go to,” Zorrilla said.