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ECHDC board meets and approves items to secure parking at Canalside

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Mon, Mar 30th 2020 02:10 pm

Other items approved include maintenance of Connecting Terminal Grain Elevator lighting and annual budgets

The Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp. board of directors met last week and approved several items, including two measures that will secure parking for tenants and businesses at Canalside.

A press release said, “As open land at Canalside continues to be developed, the need for parking is crucial to the continued success of Canalside partners and projects. The two parking lots are located along Perry Boulevard within the Canalside district (see map here) and will also be used as storage for Canalside back-office operations.”

“As Canalside evolves, providing year-round offerings and experiences, as well as mixed-use projects with housing and commercial space, we expect an increase in visitors and residents to the area,” ECHDC Chairman Robert Gioia said. “The management of these two parking lots will provide ECHDC the opportunity to better regulate parking for new businesses and Canalside residents.”

ECHDC will pay the state Department of Transportation (DOT) $410,707 for a five-year permit for the use and occupancy of existing parking lots under a New York state-owned highway right-of-way. Approximately one acre will be occupied by storage containers, equipment and vehicles that support the day-to-day services provided at Canalside. These back-of-house operations are currently based at the North Aud Block, the site of an upcoming development project. New parking spaces will be created and used by Canalside partners, including Sinatra & Company Real Estate, which will break ground on its Heritage Point project at Canalside in April. The remaining spaces will be offered to Canalside partners such as Benderson Development and the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Explore & More Children’s Museum, before other third-party agreements are reviewed. These agreements with third-party occupants will help defray permit fees.

•ECHDC board also approved a $230,000 contract with LiRo Engineers Inc. for design services associated with the parking lots. The project goals include: maximizing parking in both lots, including accessible parking spaces; improving the perimeter of the parking lots, where feasible, which could include limited fencing and landscape features; providing secure parking spaces in one or both parking lots; improving the parking surface, site drainage and site lighting; and providing space for Canalside back-office operations.

•ECHDC also approved a $600,000 contract with Foit-Albert Associates for scheduled ongoing maintenance over a two-year period at the Connecting Terminal Grain Elevator lighting project. Severe weather at the site has resulted in further damage to the fixtures and caused programming disruptions. A 2018 report had documented prior issues with a server and with fixtures at the site.

In February, the consultant team corrected a December 2019 system failure, and updated a report detailing site fixtures and conditions. The installation still needs significant maintenance, new light fixtures and programming modifications. The services covered in this contract include the labor, equipment and materials required to perform ongoing maintenance visits throughout 2020 and 2021.

•Lastly, the ECHDC Board approved ECHDC’s fiscal year 2020-21 operating and capital budgets.

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