Western New York counties are among the recipients of a second round of funding through the County Infrastructure Grant Program. Governor Kathy Hochul announced Thursday more than $38 million has been awarded to 49 small- to medium-sized infrastructure projects statewide.
“We are giving local governments the tools they need to thrive and expand opportunities for New Yorkers,” said Hochul in a written statement. “These investments will help communities build the infrastructure they need to create more housing, attract new businesses and make New York’s communities stronger and more affordable.”
Western New York was awarded more than $4 million for six projects:
• Allegany County – $215,000: Village of Belmont – Funding will be used to transform an undeveloped site into a fully accessible, commercial-grade infrastructure hub. This project includes the construction of County Road 51, a new 2,500-linear-foot roadway that will establish a vital transportation link by connecting to the existing County Road 20 corridor. By installing this strategic roadway, the County provides the heavy-duty transit foundation necessary to support the future development of a planned travel center, hotel, fueling station, and restaurant. Additionally, this streetscape expansion unlocks a future 220-unit housing development on the adjacent property.
• Cattaraugus County – $500,000: Town of South Valley – This project allows for extensive electrical grid upgrades inside Onoville Marina Park. Funding will allow for the complete removal and replacement of the park's aging electrical distribution system, and the rehabilitation of the park's interior power grid to safely handle modern utility loads. Primary electric lines will be upgraded, and existing, inadequate 30-amp campground receptacles will be replaced with heavy-duty, high-capacity RV utility hookups. These targeted hardware overhauls will directly resolve widespread service deficiencies and eliminate severe infrastructure constraints across the campsites. These enhancements will permanently stabilize the marina's utility backbone and ensure long-term operational reliability.
• Chautauqua County – $1 million: Hamlet of Chautauqua – This infrastructure project involves the construction of a comprehensive municipal sanitary sewer system along the northeast shore of Chautauqua Lake. This critical environmental infrastructure will extend public sewer lines from Point Chautauqua to Midway State Park. By closing this remaining infrastructure gap, the civil project successfully completes the structural utility connection around the lake’s northern and southern basins. The installation of this extensive collection network will intercept wastewater from inadequate, failing private septic systems and safely convey it to the existing South & Center Chautauqua Lake Sewer District treatment plant. This massive public works overhaul builds in the necessary mainline utility capacity to support 174 units of new housing within the planned Sunset View Development. Additionally, the expanded grid establishes immediate, localized sewer access for 66 vacant, buildable parcels.
• Erie County – $1 million: City of Buffalo – Funding will be used to support the execution of critical utility and vault infrastructure overhauls at the Norstar Building, located at 560 Main Street. Foundational utility upgrades are required to transform this vacant office space into a massive mixed-use development. The scope of work focuses on heavy civil modifications to subterranean vaults and street-level sidewalk structures directly servicing the building. Funding will be used to replace and increase the capacity of existing water mains, sewer lateral pipes, and primary electrical grid connections. These heavy-duty hardware upgrades replace obsolete commercial systems with modern, code-compliant utility infrastructure designed to handle dense residential demands. By fortifying the subterranean vault systems and replacing adjacent sidewalks, the project establishes a stable structural envelope to safely route the new high-capacity utility lines, creating build-ready utility connections necessary to support 120 new housing units and 45,000 square feet of commercial space. Once finalized, this foundational utility work will permanently connect the rehabilitated tower to Buffalo's municipal grids, clearing the path for full re-occupancy.
• Genesee County – $500,000: City of Batavia – Funding will be used to support the DeWitt Recreation Area Shoreline infrastructure project. Critical public infrastructure improvements will be constructed along the DeWitt Pond waterfront. Enhancements will include shoreline stabilization, ADA-accessible pathways and boardwalks, a reconstructed fishing platform and cantilevered deck, stormwater and drainage infrastructure. These improvements will enhance public safety, strengthen recreational use and tourism, allow for year-round programming, and fortify connections to the Ellicott Trail and downtown Batavia.
• Niagara County – $1 million: City of North Tonawanda – This project will prepare a three-plus-acre waterfront brownfield for the upcoming Bridge Street Landing development. Funding will be used to convert the former fire department training facility on Tonawanda Island into a fully serviced, build-ready site. Extensive utility line expansions, environmental remediation infrastructure, new high-capacity domestic and fire protection waterlines, comprehensive sanitary sewer upgrades, and advanced stormwater drainage networks will be deployed, complete with dedicated bio-retention basins. Subterranean infrastructure improvements also include the extension of primary gas lines, major electrical grid connections, and the installation of specialized radon mitigation systems. Additionally, extensive asphalt paving and concrete sidewalks will be completed. This new utility framework and stabilized streetscape will successfully service a planned 80- to 100-unit market-rate residential development, 45,000 square feet of commercial space, and a new 310-linear-foot public benefit corridor along the Little River.