(PLATTSBURGH- August 17th 2022) - As part of New York State’s annual Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) process, the City of Plattsburgh this year submitted grant applications requesting over $4.5 million in total funding spread across seven projects throughout the City. In coordination with the talented staff at Barton & Loguidice, the City’s grant writing consultant for the past two years, City staff from several departments assisted with the compilation of these applications.
Mayor Christopher Rosenquest said of the City’s efforts:
“Since being the Chairperson of the County’s first Economic Development Committee, the focus of my community and political involvement has been to ensure our community is actively engaged in pursuing these funding and development opportunities.
Last year when transitioning to the Mayor’s office, my administration refocused our City’s community and economic development efforts to focus on grant funding for a number of community improvement projects that will make a transformational impact for decades to come. Grant applications on this scale include city wide initiatives from almost every department.”
The funding requests made by the City are:
- $100,000 to fund a comprehensive update of the City’s zoning and subdivision ordinances. These statutes are critical to the City’s ability to facilitate responsible development within its borders but have not been thoroughly updated since 2001. The Common Council has already taken the proactive step of appropriating $250,000 toward the completion of these updates and, if awarded, this funding request would assist in offsetting those costs. The updated zoning/subdivision ordinances will reflect modern planning principles, the policies recommended in the City’s Local Waterfront Revitalization Program, and the results of the ongoing update to the City’s Comprehensive Plan, last updated in 1999.
- $500,000 to fund repairs to the front staircase and basement of historic Plattsburgh City Hall. Years of deferred maintenance have resulted in uneven and/or cracking stairs that present safety concerns and water damage to City Hall’s lower levels caused by rainwater and snowmelt seeping in through the cracks in the stairs and into the building’s basement.
- $1.3 million to fund improvements recommended by the City’s soon to be completed Harborside Master Plan. These include a new pedestrian trail with shoreline access along the Saranac River and Cumberland Bay, a destination playground along Green St. near the Plattsburgh Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market, and improvements to nearby parking areas to improve vehicle circulation.
- $1.0 million to fund a portion of the ongoing replacement of aged and failing water mains throughout the old Plattsburgh Air Force Base. In the spring of 2022, a series of cascading water main breaks on the old base brought home the necessity of completely replacing a substantial portion of the City’s underground infrastructure located there. While this request constitutes a small part of the project’s $10 million price tag, other federal and state funding sources are being tapped to minimize this project’s impact on the City’s ratepayers.
- $400,000 to fund improvements along Oak Street near Oak Street Elementary School that will include widened sidewalks, bike lanes, new signage, and new signaling equipment to provide a safe walking and biking route for students.
- $500,000 to fund various improvements at the City Beach including construction of a new pedestrian pier extending out into Lake Champlain and updates to the beach’s concession and bathroom structures.
- $800,000 to restore the City Beach’s protective sand dunes and improve the water quality within Cumberland Bay via the construction of green infrastructure that will prevent erosion and capture storm water flowing towards the shoreline.
Collectively, these applications represent the most aggressive efforts in the City’s recent history to secure grant funding for projects that will improve the quality of life for all members of the Plattsburgh community.
“Success in obtaining grant funding is based primarily on our City’s consistency and capacity. If we don’t apply for these opportunities we will never obtain them. If we don’t use the funding or don’t finish projects, grant agencies remember that for future awards. We’re at a critical juncture where we have fundable projects, the teams in place to follow-through, and the expertise needed to identify and obtain funding opportunities. Consistency and capacity are defining factors for successfully obtaining grants - we’re developing both,” added Rosenquest
Over the next several months, the various funding agencies to which these applications have been submitted will carefully review each one and make funding determinations based on the strength of the applications. Funding awards will be announced in December.
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