Astorino Announces Major Construction Phase Completed for Lasdon Glass House Conservatory Oct. 14, 2016 - County Executive Robert P. Astorino yesterday joined other county officials and members of the Friends of Lasdon Park organization to mark the completion of the foundation, a major phase in the construction, for the new 2,500 square foot glass house conservatory, at Lasdon Park, Arboretum and Veterans Memorial in Somers.

“The resounding success of the conservatory project speaks volumes of what can be achieved when the county partners with local groups and private organizations,” Astorino said. “It took nine years of very hard work by this partnership to raise money and to begin construction on the first major new feature at Lasdon in years.”

Astorino was joined by Westchester County Parks Commissioner Kathleen O’Connor, Friends of Lasdon president Michael Katz, and Christine and Pete Monteleone, the owners of A-Team construction.

The project, which began in early June of this year, took over 200 yards of concrete, five tons of rebar, 26 tons of crushed stone, 250 linear feet of six-inch bluestone and more than 200 tons of native stone for the foundation façade.

Rough Brothers Inc., of Cincinnati, is firm that is constructing the glass house and transporting the parts for the structure. Rough Brothers has built conservatories around the world, including the New York Botanical Garden, the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington and the Royal Botanical Gardens in London.

The new conservatory will feature horticultural exhibits and will be made available for weddings, events and concerts. It will also provide needed space for Lasdon to expand its own traditional holiday shows and events.

Westchester County allocated more than $1.3 million to the project from its capital program. The conservatory was also made possible by nearly nine years of fundraising and sponsorships through the Friends of Lasdon in conjunction with the County Parks department. A-Team Construction has donated much of the project’s construction work, valued at more than $350,000.

The Friends of Lasdon presented Astorino with a $500,000 check yesterday for the exclusive use by the Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation to help with improvements to the Westchester County Parks system as well as will contributing $200,000 to the conservatory project.

The Lasdon Family Foundation, the 9th District Federated Garden Clubs of New York State and the Westchester Parks Foundation also contributed significant funds to the project. Additional support came from New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG), M&T Bank, Sav-a-Tree, Prospero Nursery, Ledley Food Service and the Helen Lindsay estate.

Lasdon Park, Arboretum, and Veterans Memorial, a Westchester County Park, is located on Route 35 in Somers. (GPS 2610 Amawalk Rd., Katonah.)