Video, Audio, Photos & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Unveils Grand Opening of New Learn-to-Swim Pool and Sprayground at Historic Jones Beach State Park East Bathhouse

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the highly anticipated opening of the historic East Bathhouse at Jones Beach State Park, marking the completion of the final missing piece in the landmark vision for Long Island's premier State Park. Closed to the public since 2009, the fully restored $100 million facility has been reimagined as a safe, highly affordable summer haven for families. Serving as a flagship project of Governor Hochul's New York Statewide Investment in More Swimming (NY SWIMS) initiative, the East Bathhouse now features a new learn-to-swim pool and interactive family sprayground. This new and expanded facility gives all families an affordable way to beat the summer heat while learning vital swimming skills in a safe, welcoming environment.

VIDEO: The event is available to stream on YouTube here and TV quality video is available here (h.264, mp4).

AUDIO: The Governor's remarks are available in audio form here.

PHOTOS: The Governor's Flickr page will post photos of the event here.

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:

There ain't no mountain high enough to stop us from building this incredible place. Thank you all for joining us in the most spectacular place that any human could possibly be anywhere on Earth in the summer, and that is Jones Beach. And I'm not exaggerating one bit. I could not wait to come out here today. Traffic's a little rough, but I'm not telling you anything you don't know. It's a Friday in the summer, but I'm just so, so happy to be able to be here for this really significant occasion, reflecting on the great history of this space, those who've come before us, and I'll talk about that in a moment.

But I want to recommend or recognize some of my incredible partners in government who really worked closely with me to get this finished. I'm going to shout out Assemblymember Chuck Lavine. Let's give him a round of applause. Assemblymember Noah Burroughs has joined us. Noah Burroughs. Members of the Nassau County Legislature, thank you for being here today. Give them a round of applause. Members of my cabinet, the Head of Parks, Kathy Moser. You'll be hearing from Kathy momentarily. And to all the parks workers who are here, let's give it up for them. Parks workers in the house. Yes, indeed. The most fun job in the state after mine. Commissioner Jeanette Moy of OGS, Office of General Services. Thank you, Commissioner Moy.

And you'll be hearing from someone I've gotten to know, Bobby Hazen, the Co-Founder of the New York Water Safety Coalition. He'll talk about why it's so important that we teach our children to swim at a young age. It can literally save their lives, and it starts with building places like this. So let's talk about the work that Bobby has done, but also the people who built this place, the men and women of labor. Let's give a shout-out to John Durso and Matty Aracich, and all the men and women of labor, stand up. Let's give a round of applause. Thank you for making the magic happen. Thank you.

I was reflecting on another governor who happened to be here when this was opened in 1929. Anybody able to guess who it is? FDR. Not a president yet, but a governor. And to be able to stand here today, to reopen this place that means so much to people who live here, so many people have already said it walking in: I came here as a kid, my kids are coming here now, and it is my job as New York's first mom Governor and first grandma Governor to make sure that grandkids will be here as well for many years to come. The next 100 years of Jones Beach. Because I believe that every New Yorker has a right to this kind of space, a place where they can be free, disconnected from the devices - how does that sound? No cell phones, no screens, just being kids again. And for the generation that didn't grow up like that, I want to make sure we get back to that because we lost something. We lost something when our kids had more friends online than in person. I want them to come here, maybe make their first friends, and develop an attachment to the lifeguards and the people, the other adults who are looking out for them. This is where the memories begin for this generation, just like so many of you had a long time ago.

And so it's not just this space, 'cause this is brand new, but also the beach, and making sure that we keep investing, not just in this building that I'll talk about, but making sure that this beach is fortified to withstand whatever Mother Nature throws at us. And we've had a rough few years. A lot of our beaches throughout Long Island have been destroyed or compromised because of heavy, heavy storms, and I'm committed to making sure that we win out against Mother Nature - mother to mother here, I'm coming after her - to make sure that we protect what is the best part of Long Island, is our beaches and our waterfronts and our shorelines. You have my commitment - I'll continue celebrating and protecting.

So for nearly a century, Jones Beach has been synonymous with summer, with fun, and the East Bath House was the first major building completed here. It's where FDR, as I said, dedicated the park in '29. Now, I took note that there are a number of Fords out front. They weren't exactly the latest model. In fact, they're Model A's. Many built in 1930, '31, just a year after this opened, and they wanted to come and celebrate, because the pictures of the early Jones Beach were filled with those kinds of vehicles, as people drove here on the brand-new roads that were built by Robert Moses. And this - what is still an engineering marvel, to have created out of marshland and nothing, such an extraordinary place, this beach. And what it took then is still something that people are in awe of today.

But it's up to us, as I said, to preserve it, and keep the investments. This was closed since 2009. I know the recession came along, there was not enough money to fix it. So literally a generation of kids did not have a chance to use this facility. They'd go by and say, "I don't know what used to be there, but it's not open for me." And people wondered, someday will someone come along and have the ambition that they had back 100 years ago to reopen, and not just reopen, but make it even better?

My friends, I was proud two years ago to come out here and say, "I want this done." $100 million from the State of New York going into this project to make it better than ever before. And I also said on that Memorial Day weekend, "I want it done in two years." People looked at me: "Hm it's, kind of ambitious." I said, "That's how it's going to be." So two years later, summer of '26, it is open for business once again. This beach, this facility is open to all of us, and reflects the pride we have, and the history, and the character.

Just go look at the stonework out front and just realize how people did things in a different way. It's not just about throwing up a building and having it be functional. It was about leaving a lasting legacy. That's what I want to preserve here today. So I will say this: We're going to have upgraded bathrooms. Yay. Yeah, that's great.

New locker rooms, changing rooms, concession areas, places for shade, improved accessibility, stunning new landscaping, and something that makes me so happy because I love the water, state-of-the-art spray ground that gives parents some peace of mind and the kids a safe place to cool off. And I'm really proud of our zero-entry pool. It's especially designed for all people of all ages and abilities to be able to get into the water - not just cool off, but actually learn to swim. And this is part of our New York SWIMS initiative, one of the most ambitious investments into swimming in our entire state's history because I realize that the number one cause of death for children under the age of 14 is drowning.

And a place like Long Island - again, it's what makes it so fabulous - is plentiful water everywhere. So we have to protect our kids, give them this life-saving skill, as well as the enjoyment of participating, maybe, in competitive sports and being part of something special. So we've now invested $260 million in almost eighty projects across the state to teach kids to swim, to invest in facilities, opening pools, especially in areas that never had a pool. And we have three of them on Long Island totaling $10 million.

On Tuesday, I announced a partnership with Department of Health, the YMCA and the State University of New York, to offer free swimming lessons for every child in the state of New York up to the age of 12. That's how you start making a difference. That's how you start saving lives.

So, I'm not going to talk all day because I think these kids are going to want to get in the water soon. So I got a whole long speech about all the great things I've done for Long Island, but - we're doing great things for Long Island, right? Tell my speechwriters I read every word. It was great.

But we've got a job to do right now. Our job is to make very special places for all the families that are here today, for the kids to come, and let them know that they matter to this Governor. This is all about them. It's not just a building, it's about the people who come to this place, and I'm so proud to be able to be here today, following in the footsteps of someone I've long admired, and that is President Franklin Roosevelt back when he was governor.

And I'll give you one little bit of history. I happen to live in the house that he lived in when he was governor, and the wheelchair that he was in is still in our space on the first floor as a constant reminder to me, sometimes when the days seem like there's a lot of challenges coming my way, I will never have to go through the challenges that he had to.

And I'm not just talking about the crash of '29 that happened when he was governor and all the people out of work and the great poverty, but also the physical limitations. So I feel blessed to have this position and really proud that we can be here on a beautiful summer day like today and say, "Jones Beach East Bathhouse is now open once again."

Congratulations, everybody. Onward and upward to the next 100 years. Let's get this, let's get this party started. But first you're going to hear from John Durso, the President of the Long Island Federation of Labor, to talk about the 150 men and women of labor who made this magic happen in a very short time. John Durso.