Cayuga and Oswego Planning Committee Showcases 31 Shoreline Resiliency Projects Awarded New York State 'REDI' Funding

New York State Office of General Services Commissioner RoAnn Destito today showcased 31 shoreline resiliency projects in Cayuga and Oswego counties that are receiving an estimated $43 million in state funding through Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's Lake Ontario Resiliency and Economic Development Initiative (REDI). The projects were reviewed at a meeting of the Cayuga and Oswego REDI Region Planning Committee, which includes local elected officials and other stakeholders.

OGS Commissioner Destito said, "The residents of the hard-hit communities along the Lake Ontario shoreline in Oswego and Cayuga counties are now seeing help on the horizon as projects identified through the REDI Commission are taking their first steps forward. OGS and our State partner agencies are here today and will continue to be here down the road to ensure Governor Cuomo's commitment to making sustainable change is realized."

OGS Commissioner Destito and State Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez serve as state agency leads for the Cayuga and Oswego REDI Planning Committee. As part of the state's ongoing response to record flooding that hit the Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River shoreline communities this past summer, Governor Cuomo created the REDI commission, a multi-agency team tasked with studying sustainable solutions to strengthen infrastructure and mitigate impacts from future flooding along the shorelines of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, while bolstering the region's local economies.

DOT Commissioner Dominguez said, "Shoreline communities along Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River have faced extensive damage from high water levels in recent years and Governor Cuomo has been there to help every step of the way. As part of that effort, the State Department of Transportation is working with our sister agencies to help local communities rebuild to be more resilient and better than before, strengthening local infrastructure and enhancing prospects for economic growth."

Projects include:

CAYUGA

• The $1.2 million Fair Haven Beach State Park project will maintain access to the park's waterfront.
• $2.7 million for the West Bay Road Storm Sewer System in the Town of Sterling.
• The $1.5 million Ontario Shores Drive project also in Sterling will improve this road and ensure residents have access to their homes during high water events.
• $438,000 for the Water Tower on Schoolcraft Road project in Sterling to ensure residents have access to clean water.
• $1.6 million to restore and enhance the Sterling Nature Center Trail and Park Area.
• $1.5 million to reconstruct the Phillips Park Walkway in the Village of Fair Haven.
• $600,000 to improve the resiliency of the West Barrier Bar Park in Fair Haven.
• $250,000 to replace docks, replace infrastructure and improve access to Standbrook Park, also in Fair Haven.
• $800,000 to restore the King Street Ramp and Parking in Fair Haven.
• $250,000 to stabilize shoreline and protect Little Sodus Harbor and Cottage Street Public Park.
• $250,000 to stabilize shoreline and protect the Lake Street Pump Station in Fair Haven.
• $900,000 to develop a 13-mile bike touring corridor along Nine Mile Creek.

OSWEGO

• $300,000 for the Port Authority Marina East to stabilize shoreline.
• $1.8 million install new sheet pile and protect the Port Authority Boating Center, the Goble Dry Dock and Ship Yard.
• $70,000 to repair dock near the Lehigh Cement facility also in Oswego.
• $40,000 to install floating dock kits and make infrastructure improvements to the Port Authority Marina.
• $100,000 to repair existing shoreline stabilization at the Port Authority West Pier.
• $6.1 million improve the flood resiliency of the Wrights Landing Marina also in Oswego.
• The $6.5 million International Pier Project to install new water infrastructure.
• $600,000 North Sandy Pond Resiliency Project in the Town of Sandy Creek.
• $480,000 to make Mexico Point Park more resilient to high water.
• $4.8 million to extend sanitary sewer to homes and businesses on County Route 89.
• $400,000 to stabilize the resiliency of the Sithe Trail in the Town of Scriba.
• $200,000 to install new sanitary sewers in Sandy Creek.
• $400,000 to mitigate stormwater with the West Lake Road Outfall to Lake Ontario project.
• $500,000 to address floodwater damage on County Route 5/Lake Street.
• $500,000 to improve the resiliency of Camp Hollis in Oswego.
• Total $480,000 to study and mitigate high water on Joe Fultz Boulevard in the Town of Scriba.
• $200,000 to elevate Lake Shore Road at Snake Swamp in Oswego.
• $430,000 to repair and elevate County Route 89.
• $4 million to replace the YMCA bridge leading to the State Park at Sandy Island Beach on Ford Drive in the Town of Sandy Creek.

Additional details and Cayuga and Oswego counties REDI project profiles are available on the New York State website.

Through REDI, the State has committed up to $300 million to rebuild the shoreline, as well as improve resiliency in flood-prone regions along Lake Ontario. The REDI Commission allocated $20 million for homeowner assistance, $30 million to improve the resiliency of businesses, and $15 million toward a regional dredging effort that will benefit each of the eight counties. The remaining balance, $235 million, has been allocated toward local and regional projects that advance and exemplify the REDI mission.

The REDI Commission will hold an implementation conference in Albany on November 20. The conference will provide REDI funding recipients with information about project implementation, including permitting and environmental reviews, as well as an opportunity to meet with relevant state agencies to ensure REDI projects are implemented as soon as possible.