By Lauren Stanforth
Thursday, September 05, 2002
State money to aid local waterfront development
Greece, Irondequoit, Penfield and Rochester received $380,000 from the
state Wednesday to spruce up waterfront areas.
New York Secretary of State Randy Daniels presented the grants at an
Erie Canal marina in Greece.
The money comes from the Waterfront Revitalization Program arm of the
Environmental Protection Fund and will be equally matched by the
municipalities.
Greece got $150,000 to investigate development options for nearly 500
acres of canalside property the town purchased from Eastman Kodak Co.
last year.
The town is already spending around $200,000 for an environmental study
of the area. Greece eventually wants to develop the area around Ridgeway
Avenue and Gates-Greece Town Line Road into recreational, commercial and
industrial ventures.
"We know what we would like to do, but we understand it could take 20
or 30 years to achieve it fully," said Gary Tajkowski, director of
development services in Greece.
Rochester received $150,000 for design work on a river walkway near the
Col. Patrick O'Rorke bridge in Charlotte. The walkway would be on the
Genesee River's west bank between Latta Road and Petten Street.
Penfield and Irondequoit will use their combined $80,000 to help build
sidewalks around Irondequoit Bay's south end off Empire Boulevard.
Penfield Supervisor Channing Philbrick said the town would apply for
more grants to build boardwalks and a viewing platform for bird lovers
in the bay's marshland.
"We're trying to eventually make it pedestrian-friendly," Philbrick
said about the bay's south end.
E-mail address: lstanfor@democratandchronicle.com
