A site plan for the Harrietstown Community Recreation Facility Project sports complex proposed next to the Saranac Lake Civic Center. (Provided photo)

SARANAC LAKE – A sports complex on an “underused” field, a housing and commercial redevelopment on an “underutilized” street, a train station connecting a railroad with a rail trail. These are just a few of the dozen-or-so projects in the Tri-Lakes which got boosts from state grants last week.

Of the $3.2 million in state grants awarded to 26 projects around the Adirondacks through the state Department of Environmental Conservation’s Adirondack Park Community Smart Growth Grant program, around a dozen local projects in Saranac Lake, Tupper Lake, Paul Smiths, Keene and Jay got funding. Saranac Lake alone will see around $840,000 of the grants.

Projects include an outdoor hockey rink next to the Saranac Lake Civic Center; redevelopment of five properties on River Street in Saranac Lake; expansion of the mountain biking trails at Mount Pisgah and the East Branch Community Trails; accessibility upgrades at Lake Colby Beach, the Wild Center and Paul Smith’s College’s Visitor Interpretive Center trails; enhancements at the Tupper Lake Junction train station; construction of an “architectural salvage warehouse” in AuSable and restoration of the historic abandoned AuSable Street Bridge.

In a separate grant from the state Environmental Facilities Corporation, the village of Saranac Lake got $44 million toward its $250 million water and sewer system upgrades.

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Lace up the skates

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The project to turn an “underused” field next to the Saranac Lake Civic Center on Ampersand Avenue into a $1 million sports complex got a boost last week through a $300,000 state grant.

This will directly fund the outdoor hockey rink portion of the project. The project already has a grant for the creation of bocce courts. Organizers are still fundraising for the creation of a T-ball and Wiffle ball field, as well as the construction of a pavilion, warming hut and restroom building.

Two years ago, Saranac Lake Youth Baseball and Softball Association President Chris Knight pitched the idea of renovating the town-owned land to the Harrietstown board. His organization uses the Rotary baseball diamond next to the grassy area for games and practices in the summer. Next to the ballfield, they set up a batting cage and construct a “Little Fenway” T-ball field for the youngest players, complete with a mini “Green Monster” outfield wall. The field is also used by the public for Wiffle ball. But the grass there is in very poor shape.

SLYBSA has been growing each year. Knight said, last season, they fielded around 180 kids ages 4 to 12.

Initially, he said he was just thinking about youth baseball and softball – building a permanent T-ball field there with better grass, better dirt and a more stable outfield wall. The idea expanded from there. The more he talked with people, the more ideas they had for the underused land.

For years, in the winter, the flat grassy area has been flooded to create a 200-foot-by-200-foot outdoor ice rink.

But the rink hasn’t been working recently. Volunteer numbers are down, winter temperatures are inconsistent and the water pressure at the hydrant used to flood the field has been down. In recent years, the rink has not opened several times.

The grant awarded last week will fund the construction of a roughly 120-by-60-foot refrigerated hockey box and accessible connecting pathways. A regulation NHL rink is 200-by-85 feet. The hockey box would have refrigeration mats to aid in icemaking.

Knight said it could also be used for rollerblading and street hockey in the summer.

He said this grant is a “huge milestone” for the project.

A separate $100,000 state appropriation – secured by former Assemblyman Billy Jones through the State and Municipal Facilities Program – will fund the creation of bocce courts. Knight said the local Adirondack Rednecks Special Olympics team would be able to practice there.

In the future, a baseball/softball/Wiffle ball field, a community pavilion with a warming room and bathrooms are proposed at the park.

Harrietstown and the Saranac Lake Kiwanis Club have also put funding toward the project, and Upstone Materials gave an in-kind donation of $10,000 in materials.

Knight said they have applied for more grants and will launch a more formal local fundraising campaign this spring.

He said they’re trying to get work done this year with the money they have.

Knight said their hope is to have the ballfield, bocce courts and hockey box completed by the end of 2027. Ideally, there would be outdoor skating there again in the second half of the winter of 2027.

The plans for the pavilion, warming hut and restroom will take longer, he said.

The project, titled the “Harrietstown Community Recreation Facility Project,” is proposed as a multi-generational, year-round use for residents of all ages and abilities.

A Harrietstown Rotary Park Committee has been formed, involving the town, SLYBSA, the Rotary Club of Saranac Lake, the Kiwanis Club of Saranac Lake, Special Olympics New York and private businesses. Knight chairs the committee.

Town Supervisor Jordanna Mallach called the grant “a tremendous win for the entire Saranac Lake community.”

She noted that only three of the grants in this award package were for the maximum $300,000 – and this project was one of them.

Knight said SLYBSA will continue to use the Rotary Field this summer.

The project got grant application assistance from LaBella Associates and North Woods Engineering produced a detailed site plan and construction cost estimate.

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New housing, commercial project planned on River Street

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A new plan to redevelop five “underutilized” properties on River Street in Saranac Lake into a mixed-use residential/commercial development got a $300,000 jump-start last week as part of a state grant package.

The town of North Elba and the Adirondack Housing Development Corporation plan to purchase five properties on the stretch of road to turn them into affordable housing and new storefronts.

AHDC CEO Patrick Murphy said they are under contract to purchase the properties, but that the sale has not been finalized yet. He said he cannot reveal the exact location yet.

The entire project is still very much early in its concept and development, he said, adding that many of the small and large details are still to be determined.

In the coming months, they’ll be doing “due diligence” and planning – environmental reviews, site analysis and community engagement to see what is possible and desired at the site.

He said the plan is for AHDC to take ownership of the properties. It would rent and lease the apartments and storefronts after renovation and possibly some demolition. Murphy said AHDC might sell some of the properties eventually.

Murphy said he believes there’s a potential for them to increase the number of units on the parcels. Currently there are four housing units – a single-family home, a duplex and an apartment in one of the commercial buildings.

The total project is expected to cost several million dollars – $5 million to $10 million, Murphy estimates.

He said they are fundraising and seeking more fundraising partners to continue the project.

“A not-for-profit is a great tool to be able to bring a redevelopment like this to town where we can ensure its affordability,” Murphy said.

“Addressing housing needs is one of the most important challenges facing our community today,” North Elba town Supervisor Rick Preston said in a statement.

Preston called it an “underutilized corridor.”

“The River Street corridor has long been viewed as one of Saranac Lake’s most promising opportunities for revitalization,” and AHDC press release states, adding that the plans strengthen walkable downtown areas and build on existing infrastructure.

North Elba Community Development Director Haley Breen said the project is “essential to addressing the housing challenges” facing the town.

North Elba was the lead applicant for the grant and AHDC is the lead development partner.

Murphy thanked the town of North Elba for partnering with AHDC on this project. Without the municipality involved, he is not confident they would have been given the grant.

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Trails, trains and tradition

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The town of St. Armand got $125,000 to improve and expand the 5-mile mountain biking trail network at Mount Pisgah in Saranac Lake.

“The 15-year-old trail network is difficult to navigate, lacks beginner-friendly terrain and has sustainability issues,” according to its grant application.

The Barkeater Trails Alliance will lead the design of the project.

The village of Saranac Lake got $119,107 to produce design documents for accessibility upgrades at Lake Colby Beach and William Wallace Park on Lake Colby.

“This phase will produce shovel-ready documents that modernize the beach/bathhouse facility, ensure ADA compliance and enhance community access,” according to a state announcement.

The town of Tupper Lake got $141,365 to enhance the Junction train station that connects the recently completed Adirondack Rail Trail with the Adirondack Scenic Railroad. This would complete a previously funded DEC Smart Growth Transformational Project.

The Wild Center nature museum in Tupper Lake got $77,400 to create accessible waterfront access and a new dock for paddling on the Raquette River. This 300-foot “All Persons Trail” would include a kayak and canoe launching dock and would replace an existing shed with a new compost toilet.

Paul Smith’s College got $35,264 to do a full accessibility assessment of its VIC trail network. The center hosts 40,000 residents and visitors annually, according to its grant application.

The Adirondack Ski Touring Council Inc. got $100,000 to finalize the last phase of its East Branch Community mountain bike trail network in Keene. This project will be carried out by the town of Keene and BETA and involves building another mile of trails, creating a series of short jump trails for youth and novice riders, expanding the parking lot to meet increasing demand and refurbishing the picnic shelter.

Adirondack Architectural Heritage got $122,935 to establish an “architectural salvage warehouse” in AuSable.

“The warehouse will accept donated building materials for reuse and make them available for the Adirondack Park community,” according to its grant application. “This project will divert waste from landfills while providing high-quality building materials at a low cost for residents. In addition, the warehouse will offer opportunities for hands-on traditional trades training.”

Essex County got $125,000 to develop a feasibility study and plan to reopen the historic abandoned AuSable Street Bridge to foot traffic and two-lane traffic.

The Saranac Lake wastewater treatment plant project includes improvements to the collection system and water pollution control plant. EFC previously provided an Engineering Planning Grant to this project.