Two new grants will fund improvements at Kingston Point Beach and the city’s Andretta Pool. The money is part of a larger allocation that state officials are calling the biggest investment in municipal swimming facilities since the New Deal.

A $3.5 million grant through the New York Statewide Investment in More Swimming (NY SWIMS) will pay for implementation of a plan to create a series of raised terraces at Kingston Point to connect upland areas on either side of the beach. The new design, city officials say, will help protect the interior of the beach from rising sea levels which, in recent years, have caused frequent flooding at the site. Officials say the project will also enhance resiliency by protecting and managing natural resources and sensitive ecosystems while reinforcing the shoreline.

A second NY SWIMS grant for $180,000 will pay for additional improvements at the Andretta Pool, which has been undergoing a series of upgrades as part of a $21.5 million overhaul of the city’s Dietz Stadium complex. The money will fund a new pump and underground infrastructure install a lift and ADA compliant steps to the pool and a shade structure.

“Kingston Point Beach is heavily utilized and one of the only swimming beaches on the Hudson River, but has seen dramatic impacts due to stronger storms and rising tides,” said Mayor Steve Noble in a statement announcing the grant. “This grant funding will allow us to move forward with critically necessary improvements at both of our swimming locations, while ensuring recreational opportunities for the next generation of Kingstonians.”

The grants are part of a $150 million allocation of state funds under the NY SWIMS program. The money will go towards 37 projects intended to promote swimming by assisting underserved communities in building, upgrading or rehabilitating public pools and other swimming facilities.

Ulster County also got $3.92 million to renovate the county pool in New Paltz following its closure this summer due to underground piping failures, County Executive Jen Metzger announced Friday. She added that county staffers helped the Town of Wawarsing get a $3.625 million NY SWIMS grant to fix up the public pool in Ellenville.