To the Editor:

I would like to invite the Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) to hold a public outreach session here in Ogdensburg. We will also give them a tour of our community to help them understand our needs – and there are a lot.

The REDC manages the State’s competition in the North Country for over $750 million in statewide funding assistance. Grant applications opened on May 10 and close on July 30. The co-chairs and Council members have not been to Ogdensburg in an official capacity yet and we would hope that they would be interested in acquainting themselves with our community’s needs.

I would also like to propose that the City of Ogdensburg establish a goal to write ten grant applications for this year’s competition. The REDC needs viable, outstanding projects, and we have them and need to help them.

If our Manager and Planner do not have time to write these, we can hire public and private consultants to write the applications. The County IDA, County Planning Office and DANC can be paid to write these critical grant applications. The investment is minimal, and the return can be sizeable.

I would like to see grant applications submitted to assist projects that are under consideration by the Frary’s; Richardson’s; the new owners of the OBPA property; and any and all other private projects that are in the works. Someone needs to reach out to them now to support these projects.

I would also like to see grants applications submitted for a downtown redevelopment plan or project; a plan to address the blight created by the decay of the beautiful and historic SLPC buildings and a redevelopment plan to address the entire massive site; a grant to tear down the cheese plant; a grant to fix up 212 Ford Street or tear it down and redevelop the site if we have to; a grant for redevelopment of the beach area with new bathrooms and volleyball courts; grants to fund the cleanup of our waterfront; a grant to explore redevelopment projects for the dredge disposal area and to clean up the contamination; first time homebuyer grants; homeowner assistance grants; grants for water and sewer projects and other infrastructure needs; etc.

This is roughly ten projects, and I am sure there are many more to consider. Some will want to do less. My goal is ten or more. The point is, now is the time to act with a goal to spur development in Ogdensburg while working with the State to give them viable projects that they can fund. There are many other potential projects in the draft Community Development Plan. Let us get to work! We have so much to do.

The deadline is July 30, and the invitation to the REDC has been sent.

John A. Rishe, Deputy Mayor

City of Ogdensburg