Parking improvements will add vibrancy for local retailers, village shoppers
New York State Sen. Chris Jacobs announced he has secured $500,000 in capital assistance monies in the current state budget to support a major overhaul of the Village of Hamburg's municipal parking lot behind Main and Buffalo streets. The lot, which serves the village's central business district, will be reengineered with a more efficient design and a new drainage system to go along with new paving.
Preliminary estimates for the project are in the range of $2 million.
"Investing in infrastructure improvements that will support small businesses and help local governments grow their economies produces a great return on the state's investment," Jacobs said. "The newly redesigned and improved lot will add a new vibrancy to the Village of Hamburg's business district, and make for a more enjoyable shopping experience that will hopefully attract more visitors to local retailers."
The majority of the current parking lot is privately owned with a just a small portion being controlled by the village. Trustees Paul Gaughan and Mark DiPasquale have been leading the effort to make the improvements, which includes the village becoming the long-term lessee of the improved parking area and taking responsibility for the maintenance of it going forward.
"The significant Improvement of the parking lot is something many of us in the community have sought for many years going back to the original Route 62 committee, and I am looking forward to its completion," Gaughan said. "I want to thank Sen. Jacobs for his support. Getting this done will complete the metamorphosis started by the road project, and benefit business owners and the community alike. It will increase the quality of life for village citizens greatly."
"We are very appreciative of the significant support that Sen. Jacobs has provided to this project," DiPasquale added. "This funding will allow us to begin pursuing the parallel paths of working with the property owners on the necessary leasing agreements while moving forward with the design stage of the project."
The municipal parking lot is also the site of the weekly farmer's market run by the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce. Executive Director Cyndi Matla and Director of Marketing Jamie Decker attended the announcement and said the new and improved parking lot will be a welcome addition for the Hamburg business community.
"This is extremely exciting for the business owners and the residents of the village as the municipal parking lot has been in need of a revamping for some time," Matla said. "With the resurgence of new companies in the village business district, there has been an influx of residents and tourists alike visiting the area. This improvement will only help to ensure that the current momentum and growth to village businesses continues."
Village officials will hold meetings with project stakeholders in the coming weeks to discuss the lease agreement portions of the project before moving forward with preliminary work.
