Rome and two Madison County towns are set to receive state money for new and improved playgrounds, including a new community park at Stevens Field.

ROME, N.Y. — NY PLAYS playground grants announced Tuesday will send about $3.31 million to Rome, Brookfield and Sullivan for playground and park projects in the Mohawk Valley and Central New York. The local awards are part of a $67.5 million statewide round supporting 89 projects, according to the Governor’s Office and the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York.

The largest nearby award is $1.99 million for the City of Rome to create a community park at Stevens Field, including a new playground. The Town of Brookfield will receive $678,640 to transform its central Town Park into a multigenerational recreation destination with a new playground. The Town of Sullivan will receive $646,099 to expand and renovate the Lake Street playground.

What the local NY PLAYS grants will fund

Together, the three awards total $3,314,739. For Rome, the funding puts nearly $2 million toward a new public space at Stevens Field. In Brookfield and Sullivan, both in Madison County, the grants are aimed at improving existing community recreation areas.

• City of Rome: $1.99 million for a community park at Stevens Field, including a new playground.
• Town of Brookfield: $678,640 to turn the central Town Park into a multigenerational recreation destination with a new playground.
• Town of Sullivan: $646,099 to expand and renovate the Lake Street playground.

The state grouped Rome in the Mohawk Valley region and Brookfield and Sullivan in Central New York. Madison County’s own municipal listings identify Brookfield and Sullivan as towns within the county.

$67.5 million will support 89 projects statewide

The Sept. 22 announcement covers 89 projects in all 10 regions of New York. State officials said the grants will support 36 new playgrounds, 23 major expansions and 30 renovations. More than $36 million is going to projects in communities the state identifies as underserved.

The $67.5 million in state grants is tied to projects representing more than $145 million in total investment, according to the Governor’s Office. The Dormitory Authority, known as DASNY, is administering the program, while the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees it.

Governor Kathy Hochul said, “Playgrounds give children a place to be active, build friendships and connect with the world around them.”

The program is part of the administration’s broader “Unplug and Play” initiative, which also includes funding for swimming facilities and community centers. The FY 2026 enacted state budget included roughly $68 million for NY PLAYS, matching the amount later offered through the competitive grant round.

How the NY PLAYS program works

NY PLAYS stands for New York Places for Learning, Activity, and Youth Socialization. It provides capital funding to municipalities and eligible nonprofit organizations for public playground projects.

When the state opened applications in January, awards were available from $100,000 to $2.5 million. Eligible costs included acquisition, design, construction, major renovation and playground equipment. Applicants also had to demonstrate a 20 percent match toward total project costs.

That match requirement matters because the state award does not necessarily cover the full price of a project. The Sept. 22 award announcement did not provide a project-by-project breakdown of the local matching funds for Rome, Brookfield or Sullivan. It also did not give construction start or completion dates for the three nearby projects.

What residents should watch next

For local taxpayers and families, the next useful details will come from the municipalities themselves. Those details could include final designs, bidding schedules, construction timelines, accessibility features and any local funding needed beyond the state award.

Because NY PLAYS is a capital grant program, the announcement focuses on building and renovating facilities. It does not spell out the long-term operating and maintenance costs for each playground. Those questions are typically addressed as local governments move a project from grant award to design, procurement and construction.

Why the awards matter for the Utica-Rome region

Rome’s award is the only Mohawk Valley project highlighted in the Governor’s regional summary, making Stevens Field the region’s most visible NY PLAYS investment in this announcement. The Brookfield and Sullivan projects are also within the broader Utica-area news footprint and add more than $1.3 million in playground funding for Madison County communities.

The projects also reflect a statewide push toward accessible recreation. The Governor’s Office said the funded projects range from adaptive and inclusive playgrounds to upgrades of older neighborhood play spaces. That goal is especially important for families whose children may not be able to use traditional playground equipment safely or independently.

There is also a practical question of follow-through. Grant announcements identify the money and the planned purpose, but residents will ultimately judge the projects by whether they are completed on schedule, remain accessible to the public and are maintained over time. Local board agendas, bid notices and municipal project updates will be the places to watch as the work advances.

Statewide program continues beyond this round

NY PLAYS is one piece of a larger recreation funding strategy. The Governor’s Office said the related NY SWIMS program has awarded nearly $260 million to 79 swimming-facility projects, while NY BRICKS has awarded $100 million to 30 community-center projects. Another $75 million has been made available for a second round of NY BRICKS funding.

For Rome, Brookfield and Sullivan, however, the immediate story is more local: state capital money has now been assigned to specific playground projects. The next phase is turning those awards into completed public spaces that families can actually use.

Residents can follow updates through their local municipal governments and review the complete award list on the DASNY NY PLAYS page. The original statewide announcement is available from the Governor’s Office.

Sources

• New York Governor’s Office, Sept. 22, 2026 NY PLAYS award announcement
• Dormitory Authority of the State of New York, NY PLAYS program and 2026 awards
• New York Governor’s Office, Jan. 6, 2026 NY PLAYS application announcement
• New York State FY 2026 Enacted Budget Capital Program and Financing Plan
• Madison County municipal directory