Medina expects to pursue grant funding for inclusive playground at State Street Park

GameTime design: The proposal for Medina from GameTime includes playground equipment would be accessible to children with disabilities and mobility issues.

MEDINA – The Village of Medina has $110,000 secured towards a new inclusive playground that would serve kids of all abilities, including those with mobility issues.

But the village will need a sizable state grant to make the playground a reality. The village could pursue three state grant programs for the playground, which would have cost $541,252 in 2024. That price has likely gone up in the two years since then, perhaps by $100,000, said Haylee Ferington, who is helping to lead the effort for the new playground as a member of Friends of Medina Parks.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Haylee Ferington, a member of the Medina Parks Committee, updates the Village Board on Monday about upcoming grant opportunities for an inclusive playground at State Street Park.

The Friends applied for state grants last year but didn’t get picked for funding. Ferington advised the Village Board the grant applications would be stronger I fthe Village of Medina was the applicant.

The board will consider that, and needs to decide before the next round of grant applications in May, Ferington said.

The state funding opportunities come with a 50-50 match through the state Canal Corp., 70-30 match through the Environmental Protection Fund, and a 90-10 match through the State Historic Preservation Office, she said.

Gov. Hochul on Jan. 6 also has announced a new “NY Plays” funding opportunity for $67.5  million towards playgrounds. The grants range from $100,000 to $2.5 million, and require a 20 percent local share.

Ferington said the new playground has secured funding commitments of $50,000 from the Community Foundation of Buffalo, $50,000 from the Community Foundation of Rochester, and $10,000 from Brookfield Power which runs a hydroelectric plant in Medina.

“We’re hoping 2026 will bring about more fruitful funding opportunities through the state,” she told the Village Board.

The Friends of Medina Parks will meet at 6:30 this evening to make a recommendation to the Village Board on which state grants to pursue. The board will have to decide by May which ones to go after and if it will apply as the village.