BY ADAM ATKINSONNorth Country This Week

POTSDAM – The village is getting closer to starting construction on its streetscape overhaul and riverwalk trail projects with approval of a $4.68 million bond to cover the upfront costs of the work. 

The village board of trustees at their meeting April 7 also accepted a bid from a contractor for the construction of the new Brooks Street which will connect Depot and Raymond streets, and hired a marketing firm for its Downtown Revitalization Initiative plans. 

First, the trustees and mayor passed a resolution which set the total maximum cost for the Downtown Streetscape and Riverwalk Trail improvements at $4,680,415. 

The resolution also authorizes the village to acquire a 10-year bond for that amount through a bank to cover the upfront costs of the work which will include street, sidewalk and curb reconstruction, street lighting, stormwater infrastructure, incidental furnishings and landscaping and other incidental improvements and expenses. The projects’ costs, at first covered by the bond, will be reimbursed through various state agencies and grant funds under the auspices of the villages 2018 New York State Downtown Revitalization Initiative. 

According to the bond resolution approved by the board an annual appropriation will be budgeted to pay the principal and interest on the bonds. 

“This is going to provide the bonds that we need to get our DRI projects off the ground,” said Village Mayor Alexandra Jacobs Wilke. “As you know, we're only compensated on a quarterly basis (through DRI) and there could be a lag. So this provides us the funding to get those paid.”

The village board also voted to direct Wilke to enter into an agreement with North Carolina firm Destination by Design Planning, LLC for branding and marketing services. The services provided will be part of the village’s Riverwalk Trail and Streetscape Enhancement projects. 

The firm will be paid from a state Department of State grant.   

“We're about to appoint a firm award, a contract for a branding. Our marketing and branding, which is through our Downtown Revitalization initiative money,” said Wilke at the April 7th meeting. 

“We hope that process will build off the work that we did in that Visioning Workshop earlier this past year, led by David Thurlow, our economic developer. And so we're really excited to keep things moving in the village of Potsdam,” said the mayor.

The village also is getting closer on a somewhat related project. At the April 7 meeting, a bid from T.J. Fiacco Construction, LLC for the Brooks Street Construction Project based on the recommendation of the project’s landscape architect was approved.

“Fiacco’s base bid with contingency and alternates 1 and 2 total $ 272,400 and is within the Village of Potsdam’s project budget,” said a resolution accepting the bid. 

According to the resolution, the Northern Border Regional Commission will provide a grant not exceeding $279,968 to help pay for the work. Total development and construction costs are projected to be $377,050, the resolution said. 

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