JAMESTOWN – The effort to help enhance waterfront activity and recreation along the Chadakoin River in the city of Jamestown is set to get a boost from a local foundation.
During Monday night’s Jamestown City Council Meeting, lawmakers learned that the Gebbie Foundation in Jamestown would be giving the city property along the Chadakoin River to help enhance and expand the Jamestown Riverwalk project. In addition, the foundation will also give the city a $19,000 grant to help pay for the site work needed in the expansion.
Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi said the property is part of a larger parcel of land the Gebbie recently acquired.
“The Gebbie Foundation has acquired that and has offered as a gift to the city, not the entire parcel – because they are looking to create another private recreation area that they are going to develop and own and operate just as they did in conjunction with our portion of the Riverwalk on the southside a couple of years ago – but 25 feet along the shoreline of the river.”
According to city operations engineer Mark Schlemer, the property that will be given to the city by the Gebbie Foundation begins just west of the Washington Street Bridge and runs between the river and a retaining wall near the railroad tracks. It stops at a point across from Panzarella Park. Eventually, a bridge will connect the north shore Riverwalk with the park and subsequently the south shore portion of the Riverwalk.
Officials say that once the city council gives its formal approval to accepting the land and the $19,000 grant, construction on the expansion will begin by late spring or early summer.
Leave a Reply