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The next phase of the county's plan for the island was presented to the Legislature at the park's pavilion at a special meeting Wednesday night. County employees and personnel with organizations such as architecture firm Trowbridge Wolf Michaels Landscape Architects LLP talked about their plans for the project if they secure enough funding.

Doug Dello Stritto, the parks maintenance supervisor for the county, said there are three planned phases for the project. The first phase is a "destination playground" meant to be a marquee attraction and a building that would house concessions, restrooms and ticketing. The second phase would involve a concert venue that is currently meant to fit around 3,000 people, plus seawall improvements and more. The third phase would be new picnic shelters and an east seat-wall, or tiered seating area. The importance of accessibility was emphasized throughout the project. The next steps, Dello Stritto added, would be to secure funding and support for the first phase.

During a part of the meeting where Legislature members and members of the public asked questions, Legislator Hans Pecher asked how much the total project cost is estimated to be. Dello Stritto said the first phase currently is estimated at $6.2 million, and later said the cost for the whole project is estimated at around $16 million, including $3 million for the concert venue.

"One of our big pushes is to make sure that our current existing programming has permanent facilities to be able to operate and grow events," he said after the special meeting was done.

Legislature Chairperson Aileen McNabb-Coleman previously said she anticipated bringing a resolution forward that would set aside federal COVID-19 stimulus money for these upgrades. Legislators were expected to hold party caucus sessions ahead of Wednesday's meeting to hash out the specifics of that plan.

The county has been planning upgrades at the park for several years. A programming initiative was a part of the master plan for the park the Legislature adopted in 2015. An earlier phase of improvements, including a foot bridge and 4,000 feet of new pedestrian pathways, was finished in fall 2020.Ìý

Those efforts were paid for through in-kind services done by county staff, the county spending $181,500 and a 50% matching state grant of $482,188 that was given out as part of the Regional Economic Development Council program. That grant was accepted by the Legislature in 2018.