In addition to the Gateway Lofts project, city officials expect to see the Minnow Brook project and work that is part of the Chadakoin River Activation Project begin soon.

MINNOW BROOK

CULVERT REPLACEMENT

Minnow Brook, which Crystal Surdyk, city development director, said her department isn’t directly involved with, is part of a coordinated effort to improve infrastructure in a key area of the city. The city received $1.5 million as part of the 2024 Bridge NY Awards to support the Minnow Brook Culvert Rehabilitation project to replace a rusted, perforated and high-maintenance culvert that is needed to maintain access to Water Street and UPMC Chautauqua Hospital.

From left, Crystal Surdyk, city development director, Greg Edwards, Gebbie Foundation CEO, Journey Gunderson, National Comedy Center executive director, and David Leathers, Jamestown Board of Public Utilities general manager, during a tour of the Chadakoin River Strategic Business Plan at Comedy Center Park behind the National Comedy Center near the Greater Jamestown Riverwalk and the Chadakoin River. P-J file photo

The failure of the culvert would significantly affect access to UPMC Chautauqua, Western NY Urology, and other facilities on Water Street, potentially leading to flooding, water damage to nearby facilities and homes, infrastructure disruptions, and compromised traffic flow, posing safety risks to the community. Surdyk said her department is coordinating with the Gateway Center to do the work that is needed done there and coordinating resources and efforts to make sure things are not being done twice or contradicting each other.

CHADAKOIN RIVER ACTIVATION PROJECT

In the meantime, there are quite a number of projects going on when it comes to the Chadakoin River.

“We have been working on stabilization projects for many years with the Greater Jamestown Riverwalk trail system,” Surdyk said. “It is an underutilized recreational opportunity for residents and visitors, and an unexpected place in the city where you can go to be surrounded by nature but still be in the center of the city.”

The city has been working on this project with a number of partners, including the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy, the Roger Tory Peterson Institute, the Gebbie Foundation, the County IDA, the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation, the BPU and more. A strategic business plan was developed a few years ago with a look at design, focusing on the value of the river and the value that the waterfront has for the city.

Additional kayak launches along the Chadakoin River are among the pieces of the Chadakoin River Activation Plan being worked on by city officials and several partner organizations. Photo courtesy Chadakoin River Activation Partners

“It is an opportunity to create something with a tourism focus, including for local people, to come and experience the water,” Surdyk said. “The riverbank stabilization project ensures the river remains an asset for the city.”

Also ongoing for the Chadakoin River is the Chadakoin River Basin Activation Project, which kicked off a few weeks ago. This project focuses on things like furnishings in the park, river and basin, identifying parts that can be done quickly, and including other things like art and tiered seating for work in the future.

“The whole project will not be done by the end of the year, but some parts will be,” Surdyk said. “We will keep looking at additional funding sources and foundation aid for other parts of the project such as the addition of small boats or kayak rentals on the river. This is an opportunity for something that we have that is critical to the local economy and encourages locals and other visitors to use it and come to Chautauqua County to look at the river.”

These efforts to stabilize the Chadakoin River are ongoing, but Surdyk said work may begin on parts of the project on a decent warm day in the spring. Some work has already been done, including the clearing of trees and the invasive tree of heaven, with things like the planned new furnishings coming in the spring. There may also be some educational signage put in at the Comedy Center Park to help educate people about what’s happening on the river.

For questions on these projects or other things going on in the city, Surdyk welcomed people to reach out to the Department of Development.

“Sometimes it appears not much is going on but that’s never the case,” Surdyk said. “There’s a lot going on behind the scenes. We are always happy to talk about what’s going on. We are open Monday through Friday and are available to provide information and excited about these things that we get to do.”

Sometimes, Surdyk said, it can be easy for the department to forget what they have accomplished, and that people are not necessarily always informed on everything that is going on. The best way to stay informed, she added, is by participating and coming to things like city council meetings and committee meetings. There are always things going on, shown in things like the recent ARPA report, which Surdyk said shows millions of dollars have been distributed to help city businesses, and rehabilitation projects, all of which invest the money back into the city.

“We don’t expect you to come to everything, but find something that interests you and come provide your input,” Surdyk said. “We don’t want people to think there is not enough going on. Things need time to bake, and there’s not always an obvious shiny new piece of equipment that can be seen helping businesses. These small things still have a big impact on our community.”