The effects of Tropical Storm Lee are still being felt across the state, now more than 10 years later. Parks, like one in the Southern Tier, never really recovered, with deteriorating buildings standing as a sign of lost hope.

But some change could be on the way.

There's no better feeling than relaxing at your local neighborhood park after a long day. Parks are often signs of peace and tranquility in a time when we all can use it.

And while the Susquehanna River is a sign of comfort for so many, that wasn’t the case a few years back.

"The place got hit by floods in 2006 and then got hit in 2011. Of course, everybody remembers this place as the place where the skating rink was, and the second flood in 2011 put an end to all that," said Broome County Executive Jason Garnar.

Grippen Park in Endicott never really recovered. Softball fields which once played host to kids from all over the Southern Tier are now overgrown, with nothing but home plate reminding the community of a park that once was. An indoor ice skating rink, which stood for decades, is no more.

"Once the floods came through and we had to remove the ice rink, Grippen Park has really been underused," said Broome County Parks Director Brenda Gowe.

But that all ends in 2023. Work is underway on a multi-million-dollar investment to breathe new life into a park that desperately needs it.

“It's actually going to be a whole miniature stadium. And it's going to be all to official Wiffle ball specifications," said Garnar.

Formerly overgrown softball fields will be converted into Wiffle ball fields, complete with outfield walls. And it won’t be long before the ice rink sees skaters again. Pickleball courts and an updated accessible playground will be included.

"What we're going to do over the next year is … it's going to really return it to the community. For so long, the community just hasn't been able to use it at all,” Garnar said. “And so that's what I'm really excited about is renovating it and really allowing the community to use it once again, the whole community.”

The project is expected to cost between $2-3 million, with a large portion of that paid for with American Rescue Plan funding.

A community that long felt forgotten about when it came to their parks is finally getting some hope.

"That hasn't existed here for well over 10 years. And I'm just really excited to to make it a park for the community and certainly for the Endicott community, but also for all Broome County as well,” said Garnar.

"This is really fun. Before I became the parks director, I was working in the engineering department, so I got to work on a lot of these projects from the beginning. So to see all these projects actually turning into something and really the most exciting thing for me is that the public is going to be able to enjoy this giving," said Gowe.

If construction moves as planned, the park renovation should be completed by fall 2024 at the latest.