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Work starts on new visitors center, other improvements at Bayard Cutting

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Work has started on a $9.3 million visitors center, among other improvements, at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park in Great River, state officials said.

The multi-phase construction project is expected to be completed in the fall of 2024.

It includes a new, 1,600-square-foot Visitor Center (see renderings) to educate visitors about the Cutting family and their historic 60-room, Tudor-style mansion and farm on Connetquot River.

“The Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park is a gem to Long Island and our communities,” state Senator Alexis Welk said in a statement. “The park is enjoyed by many, including my family and I, and with its historic and rich history, I am thrilled it is receiving the upgrades it needs and deserves.”

The project will also see 248 new, paved and standard-width parking spaces to replace the current array of “undersized” parking spaces, officials said.

Electrical service at the mansion be upgraded as well.

“Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park has been attracting visitors for decades and is a shining example of the great estates on the South Shore of Long Island during the 19th century,” said Governor Kathy Hochul. “These improvements will make a visit to this historic site an even more enriching and enjoyable experience, and will ensure it is enjoyed by generations of New Yorkers.”

The project is being funded by several sources, including a $1.5 million donation from the Bayard Cutting Board of Trustees through the Natural Heritage Trust, state officials said, as well as grants from New York Works ($4.8 million), federal Land and Water Conservation Fund ($2.3 million) and state Environmental Protection Fund ($750,000).

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