The transformation of a certain and notorious stretch of former train tracks in Midtown was made complete on Friday, with an official ribbon-cutting for the Midtown Linear Park.

The stretch of former Ulster & Delaware Railroad Catskill Line train tracks, starting at Cornell Street and running northwest to Kingston Plaza had, since the trains stopped running decades ago, become one of the city’s out-of-the-way spaces where homeless people, many of them seriously mentally ill, would camp, seeking shelter under the Elmendorf Street bridge. This all changed after the night of Nov. 29, 2017, when on those tracks Seth Lyons savagely attacked in his sleep and beat to death Anthony Garro, another homeless man whom Lyons suspected of stealing his cell phone. Lyons was convicted of second-degree murder in 2018 and sentenced to 25 years to life by then-Judge Don Williams.

The incident focused attention on that particular spot, and sparked a determination to change things there. Not long after the murder, the county, which was in the process of taking the tracks back from the Catskill Mountain Railroad, fenced off the area. Then-County Executive Mike Hein proposed plans to make the stretch a “linear park” — a paved pedestrian path for both recreation and, it was and is touted, easier access to the supermarket at Kingston Plaza for those without cars. It would also be incorporated into the Kingston Greenline project, which also made walkways (more toward the Rondout) out of the former railway.

On Friday, the current county executive, Pat Ryan, joined by Mayor Steve Noble, County Legislator Abe Uchitelle and others who helped make the vision a reality gathered to open it, ceremoniously at least, with the traditional cutting of a large ribbon with larger scissors.

“It provides a critically needed non-motorized transportation link between Midtown Kingston and the Kingston Plaza, home to the city’s only major supermarket and a UCAT bus transit hub,” the county’s press release stated. “The Midtown Linear Park project converts a formerly blighted and nuisance corridor into a community amenity and asset, providing much-needed recreational green space for a neighborhood that currently lacks close access to open space and parkland.”

“The Midtown Linear Park is more than a park; it’s part of a larger vision for an equitable economy: addressing food security through better access to the supermarket and offering real solutions to the rising cost of fuel with a walkable, bikeable path through the heart of Kingston, and a link to the UCAT bus,” Ryan said. “The Midtown Linear Park is also a physical reminder that we need to continue to invest in our communities. For Kingston residents, this is a critical investment in a neighborhood that has traditionally been left behind.”

"This project is the culmination of so much collaboration between levels of government and those outside of government to improve the lives of families right here in Kingston. I want to thank my colleagues for believing in the value of this project,” Uchitelle said. “Residents of Midtown deserve safe and well-maintained outdoor space, and I'm so proud to see this project come to fruition in the heart of Kingston."

“Adding green spaces, especially in Midtown, was identified in both the City of Kingston's Open Space Plan and our Parks & Recreation master plan, and we're thrilled that the Midtown Linear Park will offer these amenities to our community,” Noble said, thanking Ryan and county government for their efforts.

Pastor Fernando Salazar of the nearby 2nda Iglesia La Mision Church said the neighborhood is happy with the transformation. “With this park, it’s easy for us to connect from Midtown to Hannaford,” he said. “I have a dog, and that’s one of the best spots to walk, ride a bike and have a safe place for our kids to play in our community. My congregation, who live around Midtown Kingston, are so excited about it.”

The technical details, from the county’s press release: “The Midtown Linear Park is a 12-foot wide asphalt-paved surface that is ADA-compliant and open for non-motorized uses, including walking, biking, jogging, dog walking and inline skating. The first phase of this federally funded transportation project to design and construct a shared-use trail along the County’s former Ulster & Delaware (U&D) Corridor is now complete, putting in place trail infrastructure, and the park is now open to the public. The next phase of the project will add more plantings and park amenities, and will include solicitation of public input on the design.”