Parks & Recreation Facility Design at Southwick Beach State Park

Southwick Beach State Park is one of the most visited day-use destinations in the Thousand Island State Parks Region, welcoming an average of 120,000 visitors each year. Under a continuing design service contract with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (NYSOPRHP), Beardsley Architects + Engineers provided complete architectural, engineering, landscape architecture, and construction phase services for a comprehensive park redevelopment project.

The project included a new facility to replace the outdated concession and bathroom building, improving both functionality and visitor experience. The new structures feature updated bathroom facilities, a covered outdoor gathering space, a lifeguard station with a first aid room, a camper laundry area, arcade, camp store, and a full-service concession area with a commercial kitchen. The design uses context-appropriate forms and materials that blend seamlessly with other facilities in the region.

A future phase will adaptively reuse and renovate the existing concession building, transforming it into a gathering pavilion. Following a detailed structural evaluation, Beardsley determined that while some repairs are needed, the original building remains structurally sound and merits further investment as part of the park’s long-term vision.