Grants will help projects on water
ALBANY — Six waterfront revitalization projects in the north country will be the beneficiaries of $875,000 in state grants.
The grants, which require a 50-50 local match, are part of a $9.8 million package of 64 grants for projects throughout upstate New York from the state's Local Waterfront Revitalization Program.
The city of Watertown gets $505,000 for phase III of the Black River Rediscovery Project, which seeks to enhance the city's riverfront. Funds will be used to improve accessibility by reconfiguring the 300-vehicle J.B. Wise parking lot, building sidewalks and improving lighting in the area.
"The idea is to create a link between downtown and the Black River — a more pedestrian-friendly way to get to the river," said Michael A. Lumbis, a city planner.
A previous grant in 2005 awarded money for a covered walkway in the J.B. Wise lot to connect downtown with the Veterans Memorial Riverwalk, which was built in 1993 but remains difficult to reach.
"We're currently in the design phase. We'll be going to construction in 2009 once the downtown streetscape project is completed," Mr. Lumbis said.
The village of Potsdam will use its $80,700 grant to re-establish the Raquette River as its focal point.
"It gives us opportunities to bring a lot of people together to talk about the river and use it as a catalyst for economic development," said James A. Murphy, the village's director of economic development. "Historically, the Raquette has always been an integral part of Potsdam, and really of the whole region. That kind of got lost."
"The village has invested millions into maintaining its unique Victorian downtown corridor along the banks of the Raquette River," Mayor Reinhold J. Tischler said in a statement. "These businesses, however, are facing significant challenges to survival, particularly with increased competition on the edge of town. With state support, we envision a river corridor that serves as a local and regional destination that contributes to the economic viability of the village and the entire region."
The village will recruit a project advisory committee to guide the process, and hopes to begin work on updating trails along the Raquette as soon as this summer. It's the beginning of Potsdam's efforts to make the river a tourist attraction, as it is in the Adirondacks, where the river flows from Blue Mountain Lake.
"It's interesting, when you look south, to Raquette Lake and Long Lake, those communities utilized the river to develop a strong tourist economy," Mr. Murphy said. "We always looked at the Raquette as sort of our back porch, while it was their front porch. What's lost is the opportunity to develop the same type of infrastructure."
The city of Ogdensburg received a $35,000 grant to update its waterfront revitalization plan, which dates from 1987. Director of Planning and Development J. Justin Woods said that two decades of knowledge on cleaning up old industrial sites, which dominate Ogdensburg's riverfront, will be helpful.
He said the city also is awaiting action on its application for a Brownfield Opportunity Area grant to assist in that process and to lay a foundation for future revitalization efforts.
"We would hope to use the LWRP and BOA monies to lead a robust community planning process to develop a realistic vision for redevelopment of the city's waterfront," Mr. Woods said.
In Clayton, the town is teaming up with the Clayton Local Development Corp. to hire a professional land planner to examine how to redevelop an eight-acre site along the St. Lawrence River.
"We're very excited about it," town Supervisor Justin A. Taylor said. "The money will be spent to help the town and the CLDC to complete the planning process for the Frink site development. This is a great cooperative effort between local government and the state."
The $35,000 grant will be used to create a site master plan for the area and will complement the town's pedestrian Riverwalk.
The St. Lawrence County towns of Clifton and Fine will use their grant of almost $165,000 for several related projects, including improvements to the Oswegatchie River/Tooley Pond Road boat launch and other access points along the Little River. Also on tap are new signs and markers for the 50-mile Cranberry Lake Trail, as well as publicity materials for the trail.
The town of Martinsburg and the Black River Blueway Steering Committee will use their $55,000 grant to remove navigational hazards in the 40-mile stretch of river between Lyons Falls and Carthage. Funds also will be used to plan and design two river access points in the town of Forestport, Oneida County, and to promote the river.
Staff writers Alex Jacobs and Jaegun Lee contributed to this report.
