Tupper Lake Town Supervisor Rick Dattola discusses town matters with the town board in a special meeting on Feb. 20. (Enterprise photo — Oliver Reil)

TUPPER LAKE — The town of Tupper Lake has a lot on its plate as it works toward steady growth for not only the local economy but infrastructure as well. Town Supervisor Rick Dattola said on Friday that the town board has a lot of things they hope to accomplish this year, with a few topping the priority list.

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Economic growth

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Economic development is Dattola’s biggest priority, with the Adirondack Rail Trail poised to bring serious business to the town. According to a letter from Director of Community Development Melissa McManus, plans for the Junction — the area surrounding the train station downtown and the part of the rail trail in which people will enter town — are underway, with hopes to revitalize the area and create a thriving epicenter of business and connectivity.

The village of Tupper Lake prepared a “Junction Connectivity Study” with funding from the Cloudsplitter Foundation in 2022. The study inventoried sidewalk and trail connections, streetscape conditions and developed concepts for improvements to both the Junction’s street infrastructure — curbing, sidewalks and crossings — and visual elements — lighting, signage, greenspace and decorative banners — with the goal of improving the quality of life for residents and the quality of experience for visitors. Planned improvements to the site will also include the installation of amenities, such as a picnic area and benches, landscape plantings, ornamental lighting and public art.

The town also hired LaBella Associates to prepare cost estimates using state Department of Transportation estimating tools. The estimates have been used to submit multiple funding requests. After funds are received, the community will partner with stakeholders and prepare detailed designs, the letter said.

The town is also currently partnering with the Franklin County Economic Development Corporation to seek grant funding to assist business development and expansion related to the rail trail.

Another piece of Tupper Lake’s economic development is the town’s Recreation Department, which Dattola said is excelling. Director Laura LaBarge and Youth Activities Coordinator Christielee Geiger are constantly at work to bring new activities and events to the community, for adults, children and families alike.

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Housing

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Another top priority is housing, the lack of which plagues not only the Tri-Lakes but the North Country as a whole. Dattola said the upcoming repurposing of the Oval Wood Dish Factory is the town’s best start.

The former OWD factory on Demars Boulevard was purchased by Lahinch Group in 2021 with plans to repurpose the 126,000 square feet of vacant space into 80 workforce-affordable housing units, co-working and commercial space.

Last year, the project received $1.6 million in state funding, on top of a $1.35 million Restore New York grant awarded in 2022 and a $1.95 million chunk of a broader $10 million DRI grant awarded to Tupper Lake. It also received $2.5 million in Regional Economic Development Council awards and $500,000 from the Northern Border Regional Commission in 2021.

“We’re eager to get a shovel in the ground and help solve the housing crisis in the Adirondacks,” Joe Gehm, founder of Lahinch Group and an owner of the project, said on Friday.

Gehm said the total cost of construction will likely land around $40 million in the face of rising construction costs and interest rates. All nine buildings on the property will be saved and repurposed. Currently, Lahinch Group is out for construction bids, with work set to begin this summer. Once construction begins, he said the project should be done in 12 to 16 months.

Dattola said that the town board is currently discussing other ways to bolster local housing, but added that any ideas are still theoretical as the board works with the town attorney to find out exactly what’s “in their wheelhouse.” The big picture idea, he said, is to create an environment in the community that encourages local developers to buy houses and fix them up, for either apartments or to sell to young locals looking to break into the market. This could cut through some of the development red tape, Dattola added.

“It’s not easy,” he said.

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Roads and codes

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Last year, town taxes were raised by 6%, 3.2% of which was to fund road repairs across town. Dattola said it had to be done, as the roads have been long neglected, and that the town is dedicated to using the funds for repairs as soon as possible.

Road work is poised to start in the late spring or early summer, but Dattola added that, with the current weather trends, there is potential to start even earlier.

The town is looking to ratify its building and zoning codes by May 1, Dattola said, with a joint village and town board meeting set for early April to discuss the codes’ current state. A public hearing will follow at a later date in April.