Empire State Development Announces Support For Renovation Project At Oswego YMCA

by Contributor | March 28, 2018 10:38 am

OSWEGO – Empire State Development today (March 28) announced $150,000 in support for a renovation project at the YMCA in the city of Oswego.

The organization is investing close to $750,000 to reinstate access to its swimming pool facilities.

The project will construct and equip a connector between the YMCA’S Armory building on West First Street and the pool via the agency’s garage.

All told, the project will add eight new jobs to the YMCA’S existing workforce of more than 30.

The project is expected to be completed sometime this fall.

Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Howard Zemsky said, “The YMCA has been a part of the Oswego community for more than a century and this upgrade, which ultimately benefits the health of the one in nine residents who are Y members, is in line with the strategic investment and planning led by the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council. Investment in livable, vibrant downtowns, including Oswego’s selection as a Downtown Revitalization Initiative winner, is re-energizing New York cities and citizens.”

The Central New York Regional Economic Development Council is providing a $150,000 Capital Grant to assist the project.

Additional funding comes from an award of $300,000 from the Richard S. Shineman Foundation, from the proceeds from the sale of the YMCA’s previous facility, along with additional business and community support.

Founded in 1858, the City of Oswego’s YMCA has been serving the community for 160 years.

With more than 1,500 members, one out of every nine people living in the Oswego community is a member of Oswego YMCA.

Kerrie Ann Webb, executive director, Oswego YMCA said, “We are extremely grateful to be the recipients of this funding. This could not have been done without the collaboration and partnership along with vision of our city leader Mayor Barlow and his team. This funding will allow our organization to continue our mission and serve the changing needs of our community all with a positive impact.”

The YMCA’S renovation project is part of the transformation under way in Oswego.

In July of 2016, Governor Cuomo announced that the city had been selected as the Central New York Round I winner of the administrations Downtown Revitalization Initiative.

With assets that include a scenic waterfront location, a walkable downtown, rich cultural history and anchor institutions such as SUNY Oswego, Oswego Health and the Port of Oswego Authority, the city is well-positioned for a transformation into a regionally competitive area while at the same time maintaining its small-town charm.

Through the DRI, Oswego is focusing on catalytic projects in the downtown area that will leverage significant private investment and provide new housing opportunities, mixed-use development, a business incubator, commercial/retail development and community services.

Mayor Billy Barlow said, “The Oswego YMCA is an important piece of our community fabric and is one of the many assets we have to offer in downtown Oswego. The Oswego YMCA’s recent resurgence under the leadership of Kerrie Webb has added to the momentum downtown Oswego is currently experiencing and this critical funding from Governor Andrew Cuomo and Empire State Development will ensure the Oswego YMCA has more to offer to its members and will continue to be part of the Oswego community for many years to come.”

State Senator Patty Ritchie said, “The city of Oswego’s YMCA plays a vital role in helping people of all ages, and especially our children, improve their health and well-being. This investment is another example of New York State’s commitment to helping revitalize Oswego’s downtown and the Port City’s economic future. I would like to thank Governor Cuomo, as well as Commissioner Zemsky for recognizing the importance of this project and look forward to seeing how these improvements help build a stronger, healthier City of Oswego.”

Assemblyman William Barclay said, “What the Oswego YMCA offers the community is invaluable. I am pleased the state has awarded the YMCA this funding that will help increase amenities and enable access to the pool for its members. In addition, the pool will help the Oswego YMCA to attract more members who can benefit from all of its programming and facilities. The pool will also bring more people to downtown Oswego and hopefully this investment will benefit generations to come.”

Shane Broadwell, Oswego County Legislature Chairman said, “The historic Oswego Armory has been serving the residents of New York and more specifically, the Greater Oswego area for more than 110 years now. The bulk of that time, it was used to house and train the men and women of New York’s National Guard. For the last dozen or more years, it has been successfully repurposed by the YMCA as a venue to provide a variety of training opportunities for our residents hearts, minds and bodies, helping men, women and children become healthy and productive community members. We have begun a new era of proactive efforts to make Oswego County a better place to live, work and raise a family and we are grateful to Governor Cuomo and his team at Empire State Development as well as all of the other state agencies for their continued support of initiatives throughout the County of Oswego.”

Source URL: https://oswegocountytoday.com/news/oswego/empire-state-development-announces-support-for-renovation-project-at-oswego-ymca/

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