Some businesses in St. Lawrence River shoreline communities are slated to receive state funding from the Lake Ontario Business Resiliency Program.

The governor's office recently announced that more than $17 million was awarded to more than 140 businesses in communities around Lake Ontario and on the St. Lawrence River.

Businesses that will receive the funding in St. Lawrence County were not listed in the press release or on the state website.

The funding will be used to assist with restoration and resiliency efforts from prior flooding events, and to strengthen businesses against future flooding, a press release from the governor’s office said.

The grants were awarded to affected businesses in the eight county area that surrounds Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River as part of the governor's Resiliency and Economic Development Initiative, which was established in response to flooding along shoreline communities in 2017 and 2019.

The multi-agency REDI Commission has been studying ways to strengthen infrastructure along Lake Ontario's waterfront while bolstering the region's local economies.

This funding was made available to support resiliency-related capital improvement projects at affected businesses and other eligible organizations, which qualified for reimbursement of up to 50% of project costs, with a maximum award of $200,000.

Eligible applicants included most private businesses, homeowners associations, certain not-for profits, farms, and owners of multiple dwellings used for business purposes located in the eight-county coverage area.

Eligible capital projects will reduce the applicant's vulnerability to risks that were experienced during the high-water events along the shores of Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence River and other nearby waterways such as flooding or erosion. Examples of eligible projects included:

• Elevating and or moving, landward, non-water dependent features such as offices, restrooms, stores, restaurants, parking or boat storage;

• Raising/relocating fueling facilities;

• Converting to floating docks or other docks that allow for movement with water levels (adapted to both high and low water) such that docks can raise to a minimum elevation;

• Strengthening existing dockage by evaluating and strengthening connection points between dock sections (typically the weakest point in a dock's design); and

• Retaining or creating vegetated buffers along the waterfront.

All applications were reviewed in consultation with the New York State Department of State to ensure that projects met the program's resiliency project requirements.