Power Authority Awards Contract to Build New Recreation Facilities

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Carol Simpson
315-764-0226 Ext. 304
carol.simpson@nypa.gov

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Chairman Ciminelli's remarks

July 27, 2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MASSENA – Construction of new recreation facilities at town beaches in Waddington, Massena and Lisbon and in Whittaker Park in Waddington will soon be underway after New York Power Authority trustees Tuesday approved a $3.7 million contract for the work.

“This marks yet another positive phase in our continuing operation of the St. Lawrence-Franklin D. Roosevelt Power Project,” said Louis P. Ciminelli, Power Authority chairman. “We promised to provide a significant contribution to new and improved recreation and tourism-related facilities in the North Country and this work is a tangible result of that pledge.”

The trustees, meeting at the St. Lawrence-FDR Project, awarded the contract to the J.E. Sheehan Contracting Corp. of Potsdam. Work is scheduled to begin this year and be completed by 2005.  The scope of the work planned at the four sites is extensive.  The facilities at the Massena Town Beach and Whittaker Park and the Town Beach in Waddington will be completely rehabilitated and/or replaced.    

Ken MacDonnell, mayor of the Village of Massena and chairman of the Local Government Task Force, said, “We’re delighted that these long-awaited improvements will soon be reality and we’re thankful that the efforts of the Power Authority and so many others are bearing fruit.”

The trustee meeting preceded a celebration marking the new 50 year license awarded to the Power Authority by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on Oct. 23, 2003. As part of the new license, the Power Authority is required to rehabilitate existing and build new recreational facilities. In December 2003, the trustees authorized expenditures totaling about $170 million – including the costs of recreational facilities – to comply with the new license. Earlier this year FERC approved the recreation plan and required that work begin this year.

Work planned in the Town of Lisbon is included in a separate agreement with the town, but is not part of the license. Lisbon successfully asked to be excluded from the boundary of the power project.  Construction of a new bathhouse was completed last year.  This year new campsites will be built and the septic facilities for recreational vehicles and the existing boat launch will be replaced.

The Power Authority will renegotiate existing agreements with the Towns of Massena and Waddington for maintenance of recreational facilities and adjust the annual payments to reflect the cost of maintenance of all facilities.

Every 12 years during the term of the new license, after consultation with the towns within the project boundary and other organizations that signed the relicensing settlement agreement, NYPA will prepare and file with FERC a report on the adequacy of the recreational facilities associated with the power project to meet recreation demand.