On January 29, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced the selection of SHoP Architects as the lead designer of the Brockport Loop Pedestrian Bridge over the Erie Canal. Originally announced as part of the Governor’s State of the State address in January 2020, this new pedestrian bridge in the Village of Brockport represents the first large-scale infrastructure project to begin under the state’s Reimagine the Canals initiative.
“The Erie Canal has been a tremendous resource for New York for more than 200 years, and this project will utilize long-standing infrastructure to provide recreational amenities and greater connectivity for the Village of Brockport,” Governor Cuomo said. “The Brockport Loop Pedestrian Bridge builds upon the canal’s iconic infrastructure and provides new opportunities for New Yorkers to get outdoors and take advantage of the beauty and countless activities along the canal and the Empire State Trail. This project is only one aspect of our efforts to Reimagine the Canals – a visionary plan to transform the historic waterway that will help grow tourism, spur economic activity for decades to come.”
Constructed adjacent to an existing Erie Canal guard gate, the new Brockport Loop Pedestrian Bridge will connect the SUNY Brockport campus to the Empire State Trail, a multi-use trail that connects New York City to Canada, and Albany to Buffalo. The trail, which parallels the Erie Canal, provides a centrally located recreational amenity for New Yorkers who want to experience the outdoors. Once built, the bridge will also complement the Village of Brockport’s recent installation of a floating dock and plans for a nearby boathouse by serving as a viewing platform for anticipated rowing competitions on the canal. The Brockport Loop Pedestrian Bridge represents a new future for the Erie Canal by adaptively reusing historic infrastructure for community benefit today.
Funding for this bridge project will come from New York Power Authority (NYPA) and a $2 million grant by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, which will be administered by the Rochester Area Community Foundation. To complete the Brockport Loop, additional funds will be secured to create a new trail along the SUNY campus side of the canal leading from the new pedestrian bridge to the nearby Smith Street bridge, which will also see future improvements.
NYPA selected SHoP Architects, a New York City-based New York State Small Business Enterprise firm, to leverage its experience with revitalizing aging urban infrastructure and further develop a context-sensitive conceptual design for the project. Ove Arup & Partners, a global firm with an office in New York City, has extensive experience with pedestrian bridge design and engineering, both in New York State and around the world.
“The Reimagine the Canals initiative is about adaptive reuse and re-activation of canal infrastructure, offering New Yorkers new ways to engage with canalside communities,” said NYPA President and CEO Gil C. Quiniones. “SHoP’s submission employs contemporary design to highlight and complement the historic infrastructure of the canal, and we are pleased to see the design phase of this exciting project move ahead.”
Brockport Mayor Margay Blackman said, “The Village of Brockport is excited about the Brockport Loop and the pedestrian bridge that is the anchor to the entire project. The state-of-the-art pedestrian bridge not only underscores the strong partnership between SUNY Brockport and the village, but literally links the college directly to the village via the Erie Canal. The bridge itself will provide a platform for viewing future regattas and a place to safely sit and experience activity on the canal. As the architectural anchor for a much larger project (the Loop), the pedestrian bridge represents an economic stimulus to completing a literal loop connecting the college and the village to the Empire State Trail.”
“SUNY Brockport is so pleased that progress is continuing on the Brockport Loop Pedestrian Bridge,” said SUNY Brockport President Heidi Macpherson. “As a college engaged with our community, we know that connecting the campus to the Empire State Trail will benefit both the campus and the village, so I thank Governor Cuomo, NYPA, and the Canal Corporation for their vision.”
Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation President and CEO David Egner said, “The Reimagine the Canals initiative is a great example of how the historic Erie Canal can be redeveloped across the state to become a more vital force for boosting local economies, inspiring new forms of recreation and tourism, and strengthening environmental resiliency.” Egner added that the Brockport Loop will allow “connections to the many recreational, cultural and economic assets in the Brockport community” for those traveling along the Empire State Trail.
Construction of the Brockport Loop Pedestrian Bridge will begin in 2023.
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