ICYMI: Celebrate Park Opens In St. James

ST. JAMES, NY — The grand opening of Celebrate Park in St. James was rung in with a ribbon cutting on Tuesday, the Town of Smithtown and Celebrate St. James; Past, Present & Future, announced. The park is on Lake Avenue in St. James.

Supervisor Ed Wehrheim acknowledged everyone who worked together to build the new park and municipal parking lot, noting the recent growth of St. James.

“We’ve seen a full-blown renaissance here in our quaint hamlet," Wehrheim said. "People are strolling Lake Avenue again, kids are riding bikes to town again. And can you blame them? With a great park to sit and relax in, maybe take in a live performance … paired with some homemade old-fashioned ice cream just across the street … it sounds like a Norman Rockwell, picture-perfect day to me! Before I took office, I had once counted 33 empty storefronts on Lake Avenue. Now there’s maybe less than a handful. This is what revitalization looks like … Today we commemorate what can happen when a community, the good people who call it home and local levels of government can do when we all work together. Today we get to enjoy the fruits of our labor and officially welcome the people of this great town to Celebrate Park!”

The park was partially funded through community donations.

The unveiling of the park's design was held in November 2020 during a ceremonial groundbreaking event. The building in the lot was demolished shortly after. The municipal parking lot was completed in spring 2021 and has 33 parking spaces, an E.V. charging station, ornate street lighting, and two entrances.

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