Project Seneca celebrates 10 years

WATKINS GLEN--County leaders both present and past gathered together at the Seneca Lake Event Center at Clute Park to mark the 10-year anniversary of Project Seneca and the investment of nearly $130 million in Schuyler County. Initiated by local leaders to spur investment into the area, many in attendance remarked on the transformational impact of the project. This has made the waterfront and village of Watkins Glen and Montour Falls more accessible and allows for future growth.
Some of the more notable projects include the Catharine Valley Water Reclamation Facility, Clute Park Event Center and ice rink/spray park, Captain Bill's Terminal replacement, Seneca Lake Kayak Launch, Catharine Valley Trail bridge extension over the canal, and the northern gateway street improvements.
"This started 10 years ago before my time but to see what has been accomplished in those 10 years has been amazing," said Watkins Glen Mayor Luke Leszyk. "We are talking about hundreds of millions in investment from both public and private investors that would not have been possible without our local businesses that care about reinvesting into our community."
Along with current village and county officials, the celebration included recently retired County Administrator Tim O'Hearn and former Montour Falls Mayor John King.
Instead of celebrating a finished project, both Judy McKinney Cherry, executive director of SCOPE, and Leszyk said Project Seneca is far from over.
"It has spurred so much economic growth, we are not even at the halfway point," Leszyk said.
According to the Schuyler County Partnership for Economic Development, Project Seneca has directly influenced the investment of $129.7 million in private and public investment along the Seneca Lake Waterfront within the Villages of Montour Falls and Watkins Glen. For every dollar invested by the private sector into Project Seneca, it has helped generate a $320 return. Key private supporters listed include Corning Enterprises, Community Bank, Chemung Canal Trust Corporation, Cargill, and Welliver Builders as well as by private individuals.
"Project Seneca is an excellent example of what can be accomplished when the private sector, state and local government leaders, and community all pull in the same direction," said Cherry.
Going forward, Leszyk said the village's attempts to invest another $21 million into the water infrastructure are also part of Project Seneca.
"For a small community, we have millions of visitors every year so we have to be prepared for that because it is only going to grow. More wineries, breweries and more industry so we are very excited for the future," Leszyk said.
Additional information about the revitalization efforts can be seen at https://dos.ny.gov/watkins-glen-local-waterfront-revitalization-program.