By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- Main Street Grant projects in Massena are starting to pick up, according to Business Development Coporation Board of Directors president Larry Rolston.

He said various projects throughout the village are taking contractor bids and filing state Office of Historic Preservation and environmental certification forms. This means they could be ready to go by spring.

The BDC is not releasing who is getting how much until work begins, but in December they said nine projects have been approved for as-yet undisclosed shares of $250,000. Seven percent of that total goes to the BDC for grant administration fees.

Mayor James Hidy said that CSX has agreed to work with the village on the BDC Industrial Park rail spur so it can link into the bypass that will be added to the rails near the train depot on South Main Street. The bypass will allow faster-moving trains to go around slow or stopped locomotives.

The rail spur will give rail access to the entire Industrial Park, which currently houses Curran Logging.