BY JEFF CHUDZINSKI
North Country This Week

MASSENA — The Village of Massena has been awarded $200,000 by the New York State Regional Economic Development Council to assist in paying for a Brownfield Opportunity Area Plan.

Officials say the funds are intended to be used on a 245-acre area in the village that will include waterfront property, the commercial business district, transition districts and the commercial auto-related district.

The grant writing was completed by LaBella Associates, who were contracted by the village for grant writing services, according to Mayor Greg Paquin.

Brownfield sites are areas within a village that may have been negatively impacted by environmental conditions and have been approved by the New York secretary of state for grant funding, state officials say.

According to a press release from Governor Hochul’s office, objectives in the plan include making improvements to Main Street and access to the river, increasing pedestrian connectivity and expanding opportunities for mixed-use and public use redevelopment to “enhance placemaking and increased quality of life to support small business, residents and visitors.”

The $200,000 grant will help bolster the village’s downtown revitalization efforts, which includes a new waterfront riverwalk gateway and courtyard. That project, which will see the old Massena School of Business be repurposed, received an allocation of $1.9 million in DRI funding.

The largest project, the streetscape enhancement project, will receive $2,984,000 in DRI funding to be used for street lighting, sidewalks, street trees, under bridge lighting, pedestrian connections, benches and wayfinding to create a unified streetscape aesthetic, the statement reads.

Other projects include further renovation to the former JJ Newbury building to create new retail and office space, along with apartments, as well as the scenic riverwalk, renovation of the building located at 37 Water Street and renovations to 94-96 Main Street and 48 Main St.

DRI funding will cover up to 60% of project costs in many cases, with project developers matching at least 40%, officials said.