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Rensselaer planning staff outlines $300K EPA study, parks and trail grants and other funding plans
Summary
Planning and engineering staff told the Common Council they have secured or are pursuing multiple grants — including a $300,000 EPA reuse study, a parks grant of roughly $500,000, a $54,000 linkage study and DOT/TAP and DRI proposals — and described timelines, project scopes and next steps for trails, downtown redevelopment and workforce training.
Planning and engineering staff updated the Rensselaer Common Council on a multi-pronged grants and projects program that includes downtown reuse studies, workforce training for DPW, electric vehicle charging, parks improvements and new trail planning.
Planning staff said the city received a $300,000 technical-assistance grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to study four vacant downtown properties and develop reuse plans; Labella Associates was noted as the consultant that will do environmental assessments and reuse planning. The council learned a parks and recreation grant just over $500,000 will fund improvements to East Street Park, Eastland Park and the Esplanade, including playgrounds, resurfaced basketball courts and a 38-by-38 outdoor fitness court studio; staff said a $50,000 contribution from the National Fitness Campaign helped secure matching funds.
Other awards and applications discussed included a Department of Labor grant to provide OSHA 10 training for frontline DPW staff and 30-hour OSHA supervisory training, and a DEC-funded two-port electric-vehicle charging station at the library that will be free to use for the first year under the grant. Staff described a $54,000 linkage study grant from the Capital Region Transportation Council to examine access issues for neighborhoods isolated by railroad tracks and said the city is awaiting decisions on a $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative application and a Brownfield redevelopment grant.
Staff also briefed the council on active applications for a DOT Transportation Alternatives Program grant (seeking roughly $1 million) to build a walking trail on Old Rockut Road and on Northern Border Regional Commission funding opportunities for waterfront water/sewer improvements or engineering studies. The Hollow Trail phase one design was reported as a $3 million project, with $2.5 million already awarded and the city seeking grants to offset the local match.
“We also received a $300,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to study four vacant properties in the downtown area and develop a reuse plan for them,” the planning spokesperson said. “We’re working on the final paperwork with the EPA to get that done and then we’re going to get that started.”
Staff gave timelines where possible: the TAP application was noted as due May 12, and the Downtown Revitalization Initiative decisions were described as likely to roll out between March and July depending on state scheduling. Several projects will require future council approvals for design and construction contracts.
The council asked for maps and more detailed cost breakdowns for parks, trail and waterfront proposals as staff proceed to finalize contracts and grant paperwork.
