The City of Mount Vernon’s Brush Park Awarded $4.4 million in NYS Green Resiliency Grant Funding
MOUNT VERNON, November 10, 2025 – Mount Vernon was awarded $4.4 million in the second round of New York State’s Green Resiliency Grant (GRG) program to embed stormwater solutions into the renovation of its 9.5-acre Brush Park. One of only eight awards statewide, funding will make it possible for the city to install porous pavement, bioretention, and trees throughout this essential recreation facility.
The largest open space in Mount Vernon’s South Side, Brush Park has long been known for ballfields and community events, which serve residents from across the city and the region. Recently, the park has fallen into disrepair. Its transformation is part of a major effort to upgrade open space across the city in partnership with regional nonprofit New City Parks.
GRG funding will be used to harness the expanse of Brush Park to better hold rainwater to benefit adjacent neighborhoods. The goal is to reduce local flash flooding during ever more violent storms.
Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard said, “This $4.4 million Green Resiliency Grant is a transformative investment that will help us mitigate flooding, improve water quality in the Hutchinson River, and enhance one of our city’s most valued recreation areas. My administration remains committed to advancing sustainable projects that protect our environment, strengthen our neighborhoods, and improve the quality of life for every Mount Vernon resident.”
New City Parks (NCP) is a non-profit organization founded specifically to address the lack of thriving urban parks in neighborhoods of need. NCP has been working closely with Mayor Patterson-Howard, the city’s staff, community groups, and local residents on the redesign of Brush Park and helped the city prepare and submit the GRG grant application.
NCP founder and executive director Rose Harvey commented, “We are tremendously grateful to Governor Kathy Hochul and to New York State’s Environmental Facilities Corporation for this critical investment in Brush Park. We are pleased that NYS understands that parks are powerful tools for mitigating climate change impacts like heat and flooding, improving air and water quality, and enhancing both community and individual well-being.”
She continued, “We are also gratified by our strong partnership with Mayor Patterson-Howard and her team. With GRG support, we can now work to secure the investments needed to complete the transformation envisioned for Brush Park that the residents of Mount Vernon want and desire, making this a vital community space once again.”
In making the award, Governor Kathy Hochul commented, “Too many communities have experienced the devastation of severe flooding, and that’s why we’re investing in resiliency initiatives to protect vulnerable areas and make our state stronger and more resilient. We’re investing where it matters — not just reacting to the next storm but preparing for it — protecting families and businesses in the process.”
More About the Green Resiliency Grant Program
The Green Resiliency Grant awarded a total of $61 million in funding to advance eight transformative stormwater infrastructure projects across the state. Funded through the Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act, these grants protect New Yorkers from extreme weather. From Long Island to Western New York, awarded projects will use nature-based solutions to better manage stormwater, reduce pressure on wastewater systems, and protect neighborhoods from the increasingly severe effects of storms. The GRG program was launched in 2024, with $60 million awarded in the inaugural round. The grants are administered through the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC).
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