In less than two months, the Friends of Rye Town Park (FRTP) has successfully raised $450,000 to funds its tower restoration project. The completed effort is ahead of its original goal of $400,000 and ahead of its effort that was originally scheduled to run through the end of June. The project catalyst was a $200,000 matching funds pledge from the Sue and Edgar Wachenheim Foundation. Funds were raised from over 200 different donors.
The project includes repairing and restoring the stucco on the exterior of the park’s tower building, restoring the eight quatrefoil “rosette” windows and rebuilding the crumbling wall that runs from the tower building toward Dearborn Avenue. Additional funds raised will allow the group to complete several other components of the exterior restoration work, and to plan for the future of the building.
“If we get some cooperation from the weather, we get some cooperation from the Rye building department, we can get started,” said Diana Page, president of the Friends of Rye Town Park. “Theoretically, we could be looking at this being really nice by September.”
People have supported us in every possible way – they’ve donated, secured employer matching gifts, held fundraisers, encouraged their friends to donate, spread the word on social media, written news stories and cheered us on. We are so deeply grateful.”
The restoration work will begin as soon as the necessary permits are granted from the City of Rye. The entire restoration process including permitting is expected to take between 12 to 14 weeks.
What’s Next
Friends of Rye Town Park is already considering what comes next. It is already ideating on what is possible around an interior renovation. There is a small community space in the tower building already. There are considerations on what that space could become. If you look at the backside of the current structure, it spills back into a large footprint off the boardwalk into the parking area. With resources, it could be transformed into an asset to introduce more and varied constituencies to the park, beach and Long Island Sound.
”We are already thinking about the next phase of what’s possible for this building,“ said Friends Treasurer Chris Meier. “The success of this fundraising effort proves that our community cares about the tower building and wants to see it revitalized.”
Read: Giving Rye: Meet Friends of Rye Town Park
(story was updated June 6, 2025 to clarify the project timeline)
