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Oswego, Fulton get state money for waterfront development projects

Payne Horning
/
WRVO News File Photo
Oswego's Wright's Landing Marina is getting state funding to upgrade its facilities and add new amenities.

Many communities in central New York are reaping the benefits of the region's top-place prize at the state's annual regional economic development awards. That includes Oswego and Fulton where plans that have been in the works for years are finally receiving state funding.

Fulton has applied unsuccessfully for New York's Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant three years in a row, missing out on the $10 million award and the many projects it could fund with it. One of the projects the city included in each application was several multi-use trails throughout the city. Now with the $900,000 it won in the latest economic development grant, Fulton can begin work on two of those trails along the Oswego Canal and complete phase 1 on another.

Fulton Mayor Ron Woodward says it will enhance the city for its residents and visitors.

"It probably will help up the tourism industry and what that does is that brings in people and the people will do business here, they will eat lunch here, they will buy gas," Woodward said. "Plus it improves the quality of life for those who live here."

And down the river in Oswego, work can now begin on the Wright's Landing Marina improvement project. The Port City won $930,000 to upgrade the marina's bathroom and shower facilities and add a new pavilion.

Oswego Mayor Billy Barlow says the city's past efforts to upgrade the marina have resulted in new visitors but more can be done to bring in more.

"We need amenities and we need a marina that is desirable to them," Barlow said. "I think these improvements are a couple of large steps we can take to help attract boaters."

The funding will also help install new stone fire pits along the marina and put in a new boater services building.

Oswego also got $800,000 from the economic development awards to help redevelop the city's Midtown Plaza. Work is being done to construct an 88,000-square-foot apartment building with retail space there. It is one of the projects included in Oswego's DRI project.

Payne Horning is a reporter and producer, primarily focusing on the city of Oswego and Oswego County. He has a passion for covering local politics and how it impacts the lives of everyday citizens. Originally from Iowa, Horning moved to Muncie, Indiana to study journalism, telecommunications and political science at Ball State University. While there, he worked as a reporter and substitute host at Indiana Public Radio. He also covered the 2015 session of the Indiana General Assembly for the statewide Indiana Public Broadcasting network.