Ceremonies officially begin Heritage Park and Trail project
Two groundbreaking ceremonies for the new Heritage Park and Trail in the Town of Ogden and Village of Spencerport took place on Saturday July 28.
The first ceremony took place at 10 a.m. off Spencerport Road near Waters Edge Drive to kick off work on the Town of Ogden’s Heritage Park, a three-acre site on the south side of the canal that will be the town’s first park on the canal.
The ceremony was conducted by Town of Ogden Supervisor Gay Lenhard with officials from the town, Village of Spencerport, Monroe County, New York State Office of Parks, and the New York State Canal Corp taking part. Lenhard said the project is made possible through $275,000 in state Environmental Protection Fund grants obtained through Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Regional Economic Development Council Initiative. The park will include benches, shaded picnic tables and grills, in addition to an 80-foot dock for boaters. The park will have a parking lot for visitors, but also may be reached by bicycle or hiking on the trail that begins in the Village of Spencerport near the Depot and Canal Museum. Future plans include the construction of pavilions and a lodge with a fireplace and restrooms.
The second groundbreaking ceremony took place at noon in the Village of Spencerport near the Depot and Canal Museum to mark the start of work on the East Avenue Heritage Trail. Village of Spencerport Mayor Joyce Lobene led the ceremony along with remarks from Brian Stratton, Director of the New York State Canal Corporation, Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks, and Town of Ogden Supervisor Gay Lenhard. The village will construct, with $75,000 in Economic Development Council Initiative grants, the East Avenue Heritage Trail that will lead to the new Heritage Park project in the Town of Ogden.
In her remarks, Mayor Joyce Lobene indicated that this is a great opportunity to help expand the canal-side area for residents and visitors alike. Brian Stratton commented that he was grateful to be present on behalf of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and to join with Mayor Lobene to mark the official beginning of the project, which will combine with the adjacent Heritage Park project in the Town of Ogden to further advance the economic potential of Canal communities throughout the region.