WADDINGTON -- Island View Park will receive a new pavilion featuring a central hearth and a new bathroom and catering facility.

“I am beyond thrilled to see work begin at Island View Park. This project will showcase the downtown and serve as a welcoming attraction to Waddington and St. Lawrence County,” said Waddington Mayor Janet-Otto Cassada. “I want to thank NYPA for working closely with us and being a great partner to help advance tourism and economic development in Waddington and St. Lawrence County

The New York Power Authority approved a $1.3 million contract withNorthern Tier Contracting of Gouverneur for a new, larger picnic pavilion, including a central hearth and a separate building with bathrooms and catering facilities. Both buildings will be handicapped accessible. The work is expected to begin in the next few weeks and is scheduled to be completed next year. During construction the bathrooms will be closed to the public, but the dock will still be accessible.

Located along a particularly scenic portion of the St. Lawrence Seaway, alongside the border with Canada, Island View Park is a popular stop for boaters and serves as an unofficial welcome center for tourists. The park is part of several area recreational facilities that fall within the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s project boundary for NYPA’s St. Lawrence-FDR Hydropower Plant in Massena and is owned by the Power Authority.

The park improvements are part of the Power Authority’s 10-year review of the 2003 relicensing agreement for the power plant, which was approved by the NYPA trustees in March 2015.