UTICA — As the city of Utica continues to change, the city’s parks system is the latest to receive an upgrade.

Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon, D-119, Marcy, was able to secure $50,000 in New York State funding to be allocated to the city of Utica’s parks system. The funding will be utilized to help build a new pavilion at F.T. Proctor Park and to include public restrooms.

The total cost for the pavilion and its restrooms is estimated to be around $300,000. The city of Utica will be covering the remaining $250,000 through the Utica Prosperity Initiative.

The 62-acre park, located on the corner of Culver Ave. and Rutger St. in Utica, includes a 0.9-mile paved trail, open fields, wooded areas, stone structures, gardens and a creek.

Buttenschon said her efforts to secure funding for the park are essential to be able to accommodate children, families and other visitors to the park.

“The most important aspect here is if we can provide a family-friendly environment, which the mayor and his leadership team is doing here, with the importance of not only the pavilion, but the importance of those restrooms that are necessary as a family would come to enjoy, all ages will be here.” Buttenschon said.

Utica Mayor Robert Palmieri noted the significance of the city’s parks system and the importance of its preservation and needed upgrades.

“We have a parks system that is the third largest in New York State,” said Palmieri. “It is an Olmsted Park, which is an architectural gem.”

Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., the son of famed architect Frederick Law Olmsted Sr., was the landscape architect for F.T. Proctor Park, as well as Roscoe Conkling Park and the Utica Parkway.

The city has been investing a significant amount of money into their parks system in an effort to revitalize the city and to attract visitors.

“We’re putting millions into our parks. The reason why we’re doing that is we want people, not only in the city of Utica to utilize our parks, we want to attract the other people throughout out the greater Utica area to see what a great parks system we have,” Palmieri said.

The pavilion is expected to be completed by the spring of 2023.