County deserved ‘Reimagine the Canals’ win

Madison County has much to celebrate after a team, led by the county Planning Department, won a $1.5 million prize on Oct. 3 at the Reimagine the Canals competition, a plan by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to help boost economic development and tourism in the canal corridor, which was sponsored by the New York Power Authority and New York State Canal Corporation.

The county, in collaboration with STREAM Collaborative, an Ithaca design firm and Camoin Associates, a Saratoga Springs economic development consultant, put forth a remarkable plan to build pocket neighborhoods—compact communities along the canals with a common greenspace that would be walkable to a downtown business district. The pilot project will be in Canastota. The anchor for the neighborhoods would be the canals, which were the reason places like Canastota sprang to life.

Even if the current-day Canal System no longer runs through the village, there is still a strong connection because of the path of the Old Erie Canal State Historic Park. We know people like to live near the water, especially if they can also take advantage of the scenic beauty along the canals. This project not only allows that to happen, but it can also help canal communities flourish anew and be reimagined along with the canals. My congratulations to the team for a job extremely well done.

Gil Quiniones, President and CEO, New York Power

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