By JIMMY LAWTON

WADDINGTON -- The town of Waddington has been awarded $30,000 from the St. Lawrence River Valley Redevelopment Agency toward a $144,000 project aimed at improving accessibility and renovations at the Old Town Hall.

According to a project description supplied by St. Lawrence County IDA Director Patrick Kelly, the building currently serves as the home of the  Waddington Chamber of Commerce, the Community Resource Center and a concert hall.

The project would include installing a lift and staircase between the lower and main floors; constructing a sidewalk to the side entrance providing access to a new interior ramp on the lower level; and renovations on the lower floor.

The modifications would include construction of a handicapped accessible restroom, updates to the existing restrooms and moving of partitions to accommodate the other alterations.

According to the project summary, Waddington’s Old Town Hall is central to the community, but is currently underutilized due to, in large part, a lack of handicapped access.

The town board says providing handicapped accessibility to all floors is not only mandated by state building codes, but is also required according to the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act.

The summary says the renovations to the building will bring in more revenue for the town and create additional employment opportunities.

The town’s vision is to rehabilitate the upper level auditorium for varied and extensive public assembly uses (primarily comedy, theater, music and other performing arts) and to develop the lower level as a visitor’s center, incorporating expanded offices for the Chamber of Commerce and exhibits illustrating Waddington’s past, present and future.

The Community Development and Environmental Improvement Program was established by the River Agency as way to give back to local communities that were impacted by the St. Lawrence FDR Power Project. The New York Power Authority granted the agency $16 million to spur economic growth in the county. Each year, the river agency grants up to 5 percent of that funding to community projects.