OGDENSBURG -- Half a million dollars in grant money is headed to Ogdensburg for boating infrastructure projects in the St. Lawrence River city.

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced that $501,311 in federal funding will be used to add a fueling station and berthing for between 32 and 45 transient recreational boats on the river.

The funding is allocated through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG) program.

“This is a great investment for Ogdensburg,” Senator Gillibrand said. “These federal dollars will have an enormous impact on the city’s waterfront and boating infrastructure. The BIG project will make the Ogdensburg Marina a destination for families and recreational boaters, as well as bring in much needed jobs and economic development.”

“Much of Ogdensburg’s three-mile shoreline sits vacant due to contamination from the city’s industrial heritage,” said Arthur J. Sciorra, Ogdensburg City Manager. “However, the city is focused on returning brownfields to productive economic and social use through an area-wide redevelopment strategy, part of which includes attracting visitors and tourists to Ogdensburg’s waterfront. The Boating Infrastructure Grant will allow the city to double its 71-slip full service marina and add a marine fueling station."

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s BIG program is funded through the Sport Fishing and Boat Trust Fund. The program provides federal dollars to construct, renovate, and maintain infrastructure used by transient boats, and promote recreational boating.