Harckham, Levenberg Announce $500K for Teatown’s ADA Renovations and New Education Building

Ossining, NY – New York State Senator Pete Harckham and Assemblymember Dana Levenberg announced today that they were able to secure $500,000 in the FY2025-2026 State Budget for Teatown Lake Reservation, which will be using the state funding for ADA-accessible renovations on its campus and a new education center.

“Teatown offers a wide array of enjoyable and educational experiences that help us relate to our natural world,” said Harckham. “Their newly redesigned campus with ADA trails will make the campus truly accessible to people of all abilities, and a new educational facility will help expand programming opportunities. I am proud to partner with Assemblymember Levenberg and work with the organization’s leadership to secure state funding for this ambitious initiative. We need to keep supporting Teatown so people of all ages can see and appreciate the wonders of nature here.”

“Teatown is a vital resource in our community to help individuals and families get outside and learn to be lifelong stewards of the environment,” said Levenberg. “I am so pleased that we were able to approve $500,000 in this year's Environmental Protection Fund to support the construction of their new education center and accessible trails. My family and I have enjoyed all that Teatown has to offer for many years, and this funding will allow Teatown to expand their reach to more people, regardless of their financial and physical abilities. Additionally, I was happy to commit $125,000 in capital funding to this effort—these combined state funds will go a long way to bringing this fantastic project to fruition.”

The $500,000 funding for Teatown included in the FY2025-2026 State Budget is from the appropriation for the New York State Environmental Protection Fund. Teatown’s campus renovation plan and education building construction will transform its 1,000-acre preserve and campus into an accessible, modern, sustainable, and inclusive space for both educational programs and public use. 

The renovation plans include a safe and ADA-accessible walkable campus. The paved parking areas will be removed and replaced with native meadows, nature play areas, rain gardens, and accessible walking paths to enhance biodiversity and climate resilience. Also, there will be upgraded, ADA-compliant, eco-friendly trails created throughout the campus.

The project also includes a new, ADA-accessible Education Building that will be geothermally powered, with three new classrooms, open spaces, and an ADA-accessible green roof for informal learning and public use. 

In addition to its state funding, Teatown is actively raising money for this project through individual donations and foundation support.

Kevin Carter, Teatown’s Executive Director, said, “Senator Harckham and Assemblymember Levenberg know how crucial it is to build ecological awareness in our citizens of all ages and backgrounds. Their support comes at a time when Teatown is doubling down on its mission ‘to inspire our community to lifelong environmental stewardship’ on our physical campus and in our science-based programs.” 

Marcia Saunders, Teatown’s Board of Trustees Chair, said, “We are exceedingly grateful to Assemblymember Levenberg and Senator Harckham for this funding. It enables us to make historic investments in Teatown’s ADA-accessible campus renovation and dramatically enhance and improve this vital community asset. This project will ensure that Teatown continues to serve as a destination for the community to gather, engage in study and find renewal in nature.”