(PLATTSBURGH- Thursday April 27th 2023) - Construction will begin on Monday May 1st to complete the Saranac Riverwalk (Riverwalk) which will be built atop the western bank of the Saranac River between Bridge Street and Broad Street and will end at the intersection of Durkee Street and Broad Street near the current terminus of the Saranac River Trail. This $1.6 million dollar project is funded through the Downtown Revitalization Initiative’s (DRI) Streetscape Improvements & Riverfront Access grant and is expected to be completed by late September 2023. Luck Brothers, Inc. is the City’s general contractor for the project.
A staging area for equipment and materials will occupy the last row of parking spaces closest to the Saranac River in the northern half of the Durkee Street parking lot. Construction vehicles will access the site via the former Highway Oil site on Bridge Street across from MacDonough Park. Both the staging area and work site will be fenced off to the public.
The $2.9 million Streetscape Improvements & Riverfront Access grant is the second largest under the City’s DRI and also provided funding for construction of the Betty Little Arts Park in 2021. The Riverwalk will be open to both pedestrians and cyclists and includes a 10-foot wide multi-use path, two overlooks, improved lighting, and extensive landscaping. It will vastly improve views of the Saranac River and provide a further extension of the City’s trail network which will now stretch nearly unbroken from MacDonough Park to George Angell Drive.
Mayor Rosenquest Says, "Building off of the momentum of the millions invested through the DRI, improved access to our downtown waterfront will continue to enhance and transform our downtown. This is a much needed project that continues to improve our waterfront."
Upon completion of the Riverwalk, $6 million of the $10 million in total funding awarded to the City via the DRI will have been expended on projects throughout downtown. The final $4 million in DRI funding is attached to the Durkee Street Mixed-Use Development project which remains under active litigation.
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