The Warren-Washington IDA is thrilled to announce that it has been awarded a $4.7 million grant from New York State to construct a sewer system and improve the water infrastructure at its shovel-ready Canalside Energy Park in Fort Edward.
“This is a game-changing development for bringing new businesses, jobs and economic growth to Washington and Warren Counties,” said IDA Chairman Dave O’Brien. “We are grateful to Gov. Hochul and Empire State Development for recognizing the potential in this Park and helping the IDA take it to the next level of readiness for prospective tenants. We also owe a great deal of gratitude to the team at the Lake George-Lake Champlain Regional Planning Board for joining with us to prepare our application and champion the attributes of this tremendous property. This was truly a regional effort that will have region-wide benefits for years to come.”
The Canalside Energy Park is an 80-acre, industrial-zoned site featuring two industrial buildings of 41,000 and 25,000 square feet, with considerable acreage for expansion and new construction. The Park has an on-site rail yard located next to a Class 1 rail line and the New York State Champlain Canal, and also features an extensive concrete tarmac, robust industrial power, fiber optic service, and extensive stormwater controls. The IDA acquired the Park — formerly the home of General Electric’s de-watering facility during the Hudson River dredging project — in January 2022 and is actively marketing it for agribusiness, industrial machinery manufacturing, renewable energy manufacturing, and other uses.
The new funding, awarded through the state’s Focused Attraction of Shovel-Ready Tracts New York grant program, will be used to install a sewer line and connect the Park to Washington County Sewer District #2 in the Village of Fort Edward, replace the Park’s water main, and construct a 340,000-gallon water tank at the Park for enhanced fire protection and operational storage capacity. Preliminary engineering for the sewer line and water main work has already been completed, thanks to a combined $1.5 million in federal grants through from the Northern Border Regional Commission and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
“An industrial sewer system is the final piece we need to attract quality businesses to the Canalside Energy Park,” said IDA Chief Executive Officer Chuck Barton. “Interest in the Park has been great in recent years, but time and again the lack of a sewer system has led prospective tenants to look elsewhere. No more. Once these improvements are complete, the Canalside Energy Park will provide an ideal setting for a wide variety of businesses to invest and grow and contribute to our region’s economic prosperity.”
The Warren-Washington IDA provides incentive-based assistance to encourage and help businesses start, expand, or move into the bi-county region – creating jobs for local people and driving economic activity in local communities. The IDA also owns the Airport Industrial Park on the border of the two counties, in addition to the Canalside Energy Park. The IDA’s business assistance programs are self-funded and not supported by taxpayer dollars. For more information on how the IDA can help your current or future business, call (518) 792-1312 or visit warren-washingtonida.com.