CAPE VINCENT — With added financial support from local municipalities — and, it hopes, the public — the Cape Vincent Local Development Corp. will ramp up its efforts this year to support new and existing businesses in the town.

Declan F. Callan, president of the development corporation, said the group is almost ready to submit its application for the federal 501-C3 tax-exempt status and hopes to become a nonprofit next month.

The corporation hopes to raise $3,000 through fundraisers and $40,000 in donations this year to make a start on several development projects in Cape Vincent, according to LDC officials. In addition to some major goals, the group has put together a longer to-do list — which identifies both long- and short-term projects it wants to undertake — and soon will start forming committees to tackle each task.

Already, the organization has persuaded the town of Cape Vincent to provide $30,000 this year in support of its community development activities.

The village board also has decided to give the development corporation $10,000 in the first half of the year and most likely another $10,000 once it puts together a budget for the 2012-13 fiscal year.

This year, the group hopes to complete the concept plans for the Club Street revitalization project and pursue funds for the proposed development of the ferry-docks area.

Another major mission for the organization is helping MetalCraft Marine U.S. expand at its new home — Anchor Marina, East Broadway — and make it easier for the boat builder to ship materials to and from its Kingston, Ontario, shop by having a small commercial port in Cape Vincent.

Cape Vincent’s LDC also aims to create more jobs by supporting the growth of the Wood and Mason farms in the town.

“We need a hell of a lot more members to get involved and get some of this stuff done,” Mr. Callan said.

Helping Cape Vincent seek grant funding and loans for private and public development projects will be Wladis Law Firm, East Syracuse, with which the development corporation has extended its contract for another 12 months.

Thousands of readers like you have made Northern New York Newspapers the number one ranked website* for local news and sports coverage in the north country.

You can continue on to this article in a few seconds, or you can visit one of our websites:

• Watertown Daily Times
• The Ogdensburg Journal
• Daily Courier-Observer