WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) – Watertown kicked off its $3.6 million streetscape project with a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday. The work will focus on Court Street and around Lachenauer Plaza as well as a few other areas.
City Council Member Sarah Compo Pierce says the project “is really going to improve the appearance. When you look around, there’s been a lot of improvements. It’s going to continue that and help everything come together.”
The project stems from Watertown winning a $10 million state prize to improve downtown.
It’ll make parts of downtown more pedestrian-friendly, with work happening on Franklin and Coffeen streets. It’ll also improve protection around the Governor Roswell P. Flower monument.
Most improvements will happen around Lachenauer Plaza and along Court Street.
Court Street is where Christine Filipelli just opened The Eatery. She says after the streetscape project is finished, she’ll open a new patio out front.
Mayor Jeff Smith says the Streetscape project is a small part of larger things happening downtown.
“All part of downtown Watertown redevelopment in conjunction with the Y(MCA) the number of businesses that have come back to downtown – downtown is really, really doing well,” he said.
Assemblyman Mark Walczyk owns property downtown and says the area has a different “feel” these days.
“You can feel the momentum building. When we talk about downtown revitalization this is it and this is the type of project that really allows people to feel it,” said Walczyk (R- 116th District).
The $3.6 million price tag ended up being double the cost city officials expected because of inflation. Most of the work will be completed by next summer.
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