Village of Potsdam Downtown and Waterfront Revitalization

LaBella later worked with the Village and NYSDOS to prepare design and construction documents for landscape improvements for Ives Park, a Victorian park located along the Raquette River. Working with the project advisory committee, LaBella completed the schematic design, design alternatives, final designs, and construction documents for construction of the initial improvements by Village forces in 2014. The major design objectives were to reconstruct and align new pedestrian circulation pathways, design a new open-air farmers market pavilion, provide an accessible canoe/kayak launch, re-vegetate the existing shoreline, provide new LED and park lighting, and construct a new natural playground area.

As part of the Village’s Downtown Revitalization Plan, LaBella prepared conceptual corridor plans and construction documents to enhance Market Street and Raymond Street within the Historic District in the Village of Potsdam. The plans included evaluation of roundabout and traffic signal intersection control as well as converting Raymond Street from two-way flow to one-way to enlarge the sidewalk for improved pedestrian accommodations. Waterfront access improvements to Raquette River were also studied. The DRI was awarded in 2019, and the Village is looking to proceed with this high-priority Market Street Corridor project.

LaBella assisted the Town of Colton with the development of trail access improvements and planning for a whitewater access center along the Stone Valley segment of the Raquette River, considered to be one of the best Class V sections of whitewater in New York State within the kayaking community. LaBella provided survey, engineering, environmental, and landscape architecture services as part of the design and permitting process.

Construction was recently completed for the reconstruction of Garner Park along the banks of the Raquette River. LaBella prepared design and construction documents aimed at establishing a stronger connection of residents and tourists to the river through enhanced access, recreational opportunity, enhanced safety, and extension of park hours with LED park lights, drainage improvements and most importantly, creation of an attractive and inviting landscape setting. The project design and connectivity are complementary with the larger Riverwalk initiative born from the Waterfront Revitalization Initiative.