FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 28, 2005
CANAL CORPORATION AND THE CITY OF ITHACA HIGHLIGHT WATERFRONT REVITALIZATION EFFORTS
Dedication of Stone Wall at Lookout Point Preserves
Historic Connection to Erie Canal
ITHACA, N.Y. – New York State Canal Corporation Director Carmella R. Mantello today joined City of Ithaca Mayor Carolyn Peterson, and numerous State and local officials, to highlight the City’s plans for the Inlet Island Promenade and to dedicate a stone wall representing the historic connection of the City to the Erie Canal.
The Canal Corporation is partnering with the City to facilitate construction of the Inlet Island Promenade on Canal-owned lands.
“The Canal Corporation is proud to partner with the City of Ithaca to move forward their vision for the waterfront,” Director Mantello said. “180 years ago, the Erie Canal helped promote trade and commerce, opening up the vast western frontier and solidifying New York’s standing as the Empire State.
“Today, the Canal holds untold potential for continued growth and prosperity
in communities throughout upstate New York. As the southern terminus of the
Canal, this exciting project will not only help draw more residents and tourists
to the waterfront but will preserve a rich part of the region’s history,”
continued Ms. Mantello.
The navigable waters of the New York State Barge Canal run through Seneca and
Cayuga lakes. Historically, Cayuga Harbor marked the southern terminus of the
Canal.
City of Ithaca Mayor Carolyn Peterson said, “The Promenade is the centerpiece
of the City’s Inlet Island development and seeks to preserve some of the
original elements of the historic Cayuga Harbor, including a portion of the
original Erie Canal wall at Lookout Point. I thank the Canal Corporation for
their partnership in moving forward the Promenade project and our plans for an
exciting, accessible and vibrant waterfront.”
Earlier in the day, Director Mantello and Mayor Peterson hosted local and
community officials at a Canal Connections Tour meeting at the nearby Boatyard
Grill restaurant. The purpose of the meeting was to gather input and ideas from
federal, State and local planners, as well as from Canal interest groups, on the
creation of an Erie Canal Greenway and the future of the Canal Corporation.
Ithaca is the final stop of the Canal Connections Tour. The Tour kicked off in
July in Canajoharie and has made ten stops in communities along the Canal System
over the past three months.
The current phase of construction on the City’s Master Plan for Inlet Island encompasses Canal-owned lands and includes a plaza consisting of stone, modest landscaping, and preservation and construction of an 18-foot long, free-standing stone wall with decorative lettering reading “Lookout Point” and “Erie Barge Canal.” The wall is designed to highlight Ithaca’s historic connection to the Erie Canal and Cayuga Harbor.
The Promenade will link to a complex urban network of multi-use trails such as the New York State Parks Black Diamond Trail and the City’s Cayuga Waterfront Trail. Related improvements will make it easier for the public to access the Island. These enhancements will add curbing and sidewalks along Old Taughannock Boulevard, and increase parking and the number of bike racks.
Future plans for the site also call for restoring boating activity at the north end of the island, through construction of docking facilities.
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The New York State Canal System is comprised of four historic waterways, the Erie, the Champlain, the Oswego and the Cayuga-Seneca Canals. Spanning 524 miles across New York State, the waterway links the Hudson River, Lake Champlain, Lake Ontario, the Finger Lakes and the Niagara River with communities rich in history and culture.
In late May 2005, Governor Pataki unveiled his vision for establishing the
Erie Canal Greenway and, ultimately, the Empire State Greenway, connecting the
Niagara, Erie and Hudson River Greenways. The Canal Corporation and an
interagency task force are conducting an outreach campaign to gather input and
ideas, and develop a comprehensive set of recommendations to create the new Erie
and Empire State Greenways and examine certain roles and responsibilities
currently assigned to the Canal Corporation. The recommendations will be
delivered in a report to the Governor by December 2005.
For more information about tourism attractions along the New York State Canal System, please call 1-800-4CANAL4 or visit www.canals.state.ny.us.
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