Upstate New York offers year-round adventure, and its recreational infrastructure is evolving to help more people unplug and connect with nature. Beardsley is proud to be part of these exciting developments, contributing to projects that enhance access to the outdoors while preserving the region’s natural beauty. We would like to showcase some of our recent projects to put the spotlight on a few of these new and exciting enhancements.
Green Lakes State Park
Improving Access and Pedestrian Circulation
Beardsley is proud to support the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) in revitalizing Green Lakes State Park’s circulation and historic features. Working closely with the LA Group as part of an overall effort to provide park improvements at Green Lakes, our work blends thoughtful design with environmental sensitivity and historic preservation.
Project Highlights
Improved Connectivity
Designed and delivered a newly constructed boardwalk through wetlands, linking the East Beach Parking Lot to the Beach and Bathhouse area.
Historic Restoration
Engineered the rehabilitation of two of the existing concrete swimming piers, which date back to the early 1960s, preserving their legacy while ensuring safety and durability.
Sustainable Design
Integrated pedestrian-friendly solutions that respect the park’s natural landscape and ecological integrity.
Southwick Beach State Park
A Boardwalk Experience Like No Other
In another close collaboration with the LA Group, Beardsley is bringing bold design and environmental sensitivity together in a transformative project at Southwick Beach State Park. Currently under construction, this sweeping boardwalk will offer visitors a stunning new way to experience the park’s natural beauty.
Project Highlights
Grand Scale
Roughly a quarter mile of elevated boardwalk winding through semi-permanently flooded palustrine scrub-shrub and emergent wetlands.
Elegant Design
A single, graceful curve leads visitors from the camping loops to the beach, blending seamlessly into the landscape.
Scenic Overlook
A thoughtfully placed overlook midway offers a peaceful pause and panoramic views of the wetlands.
Nature Meets Engineering
Designed to protect sensitive ecosystems while enhancing accessibility and visitor experience.
Goodnow Fire Tower Rehabilitation
Beardsley was entrusted with the full rehabilitation of the historic Goodnow Fire Tower, circa 1922, combining modern engineering with preservation of its iconic character. This fire tower is an important piece of SUNY ESF’s Newcomb campus, offering not only an excellent public hiking trail and vantagepoint of the surrounding Adirondack State Park, but also a key station for ESF’s educators who use the Tower’s prime location to help students in their studies of the natural world. This recently completed project involved comprehensive design, fieldwork, and construction oversight to restore and enhance the tower for future generations. One particularly challenging hurdle to note was the material transportation to the tower, located at the summit of Goodnow Mountain. Rather than moving the steel via mules and sleds like how the original tower was likely built, it was decided to airlift the steel by helicopter!
Project Highlights
Structural Analysis
Evaluating the original 1922 steel framing and foundation anchorages using modern load standards.
Design Upgrades & Aesthetic Restoration
– New cab roof and flooring
– New stair treads and landings
– Windows replaced with steel members to replicate original look
– Custom roof fabrication to match historic metal sheeting