Capital Region projects got a combined $60 million in the Regional Economic Development Council awards announced Thursday. Of the $60 million in awards (receiving the second-lowest amount out of the state’s 10 regions) more than $2.3 million was dedicated specifically to projects, both public and private, for waterfront development at or a short distance away from the Livingston Avenue Bridge – Places that would be well served by a trail connection across the rebuilt bridge.
Several million has already been committed in the area around this critical link in our region’s bike and pedestrian network. Just last month news broke of Huck Finn’s Warehouse being awarded $650,000 ($400,000 of public dollars) in grants to relocate the iconic Hoffman’s Playland within a 10 minute walk from the Albany side of the Bridge.
Specifically of note, Kiliaen’s Landing Market Study and Master Planfor 18-acres of mixed use development immediately to the north of the Bridge. We’ve written about this project at length before.
See the full list of the Capital Region REDC Waterfront improvements below and then ask yourself – with all the millions of dollars in public financing dedicated to waterfront development immediately adjacent to the Livingston Avenue Bridge, doesn’t it make perfect sense to connect these sites?
| Project Title | Description | Agency/ Program | Agency | Award |
| City of Albany | Corning Riverfront Park Tidal Ponds Design and Engineering | The City of Albany will implement the Corning Preserve Waterfront Master Plan by preparing designs for enhancements to the North and South Tidal Ponds to improve water quality, habitat, and recreation opportunities. | DOS LWRP | $200,000 |
| City of Troy | Riverfront Park North Riverwalk | The City of Troy will provide continuous waterfront access behind the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Restaurant along the Hudson River by designing and constructing a walkway extending public access from Riverfront Park north to the marina district. | DOS LWRP | $214,560 |
| Monument Square, LLC | Troy Waterfront Farmers Market Mixed Use Development | Construction of a mixed use facility on the site of the former Troy City Hall. The Phase I facility will include retail, residential and a public plaza combined with a farmer’s market. | ESD Grants | $1,500,000 |
| City of Rensselaer | Kiliaen’s Landing | Kiliaen’s Landing, an 18-acre site located on the Hudson River, is the subject of a Market Study and Master Plan for redevelopment. The Plan will incorporate LEED for Neighborhood Development guidelines and include mixed use development, water management, and green technologies to create a sustainable, economically viable regional destination. This Project will not only result in sustainable economic development, but is expected to create jobs and attract investment into the area. | NYSERDA CGC2 | $187,500 |
| Erie Canalway Heritage Fund, Inc. | Matton Shipyard Adaptive Reuse Project | The Erie Canalway Heritage Fund (ECHF) will develop a feasibility plan for the Matton Shipyard to develop a strategy for preservation and use of existing structures and waterfront, including one building used as ECHF headquarters; identify a flood protection strategy; and assess the feasibility of a multi-agency use of the site. The Matton Shipyard, established in 1916, is located on Van Schaick Island in Cohoes, New York at the junction of the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers. Matton is a rare surviving example of an early 20th century civilian ship building and repair facility. | Parks HPADP | $238,642 |
| Total | $2,340,702 |