The Beat

Ithaca, NY—The Finger Lakes Land Trust today announced it has acquired a 35-acre property featuring 2,300 feet of undeveloped shoreline at the southeastern end of Otisco Lake, in the town of Otisco. The property was identified as a priority for protection due to its role in maintaining the lake’s water quality.

The acquisition features meadows with scattered trees as well as several shallow ponds, two seasonal tributaries to the lake, and forested wetlands. Flocks of waterfowl utilize the area during migration and herons are frequently observed feeding in the ponds. The site also provides habitat for area Bald Eagles. 

Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming Counties are excited to launch a new regional tourism program – “Fresh Air Adventures – New York’s Falls to the Finger Lakes”. This is a refresh of the successful long-running Country Byways of Greater Niagara and the Finger Lakes program, which has existed for over 25 years and has given the GLOW Counties collaborative capabilities to leverage our unique rural towns and villages, collective attractions and prime location between Niagara Falls and the Finger Lakes.

Hudson, NY – The Olana Partnership is pleased to announce that it was awarded a $14,400 matching grant from the Environmental Protection Fund’s Park and Trail Partnership Grants program administered by Parks & Trails New York. The grant will fund the design of the trailhead for pedestrians entering Olana State Historic Site from the Hudson River Skywalk from State Route 23.

Constructed in 1869, North Road served as Olana’s main entrance from the City of Hudson until the site became a state Historic Site in 1966. Olana’s nationally-recognized Strategic Landscape Design Plan completed in 2015 included establishing a trailhead here, and the opening of the Hudson River Skywalk in 2019 made it the pedestrian entry point. The trailhead design will create a more visible, accessible and attractive entrance and integrate the Hudson River Skywalk with Olana's historic carriage road network.

Updates to Amenities Will Help Campground Continue to Attract Visitors of All Abilities

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos today announced the completion of improvements to the Kenneth L. Wilson Campground and Day Use Area in Ulster County. Updates to the campground's shower house and three comfort stations, which include several accessible features to make camping fun for people of all abilities, will help connect more New Yorkers to the outdoors and reduce the facility’s environmental footprint.

Completion of Pedestrian Bridge and New Trail Connections in Onondaga County Bring Visionary Plan for Statewide Pathway Closer to Completion  

Project Complements "CNY Rising" - The Region's Comprehensive Strategy to Revitalize Communities and Grow the Economy  

(August 6, 2020) – Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced a major milestone in the construction of the Empire State Trail, the state's historic initiative to create a 750-mile pathway from New York City to Canada, and from Albany to Buffalo. Major construction has been completed on a new pedestrian bridge over Interstate 481 and key sections of the trail in the City of Syracuse and the Town of Dewitt in Onondaga County, helping to connect several of the last remaining gaps in the Empire State Trail, which is expected to be completed in 2020.

Public Boat Launch Access Now Available at Each of 11 Finger Lakes

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced that the new boat launch site on Otisco Lake is complete and open to the public. Prior to the launch’s completion, Otisco was the only Finger Lake without a public boat launch. With this facility, boaters will have a new option to explore the region and its fishing and boating-related recreational opportunities.

Housing Its Comprehensive Collection of Shaker Material, The New Museum Facility Will Embody Shaker Values of Inclusion, Innovation and Equality

$15 Million Project Expected to Break Ground in 2021 and Be Completed in 2023 Represents Bold Optimism for the Future and Radical Enthusiasm for the Notion of Community

Chatham, NY – Shaker Museum has announced that it has selected Selldorf Architects to create its new permanent facility in downtown Chatham, New York to exhibit its comprehensive collection of more than 18,000 pieces of Shaker material culture and accompanying archives. Like the objects themselves, the physical building will embody Shaker values of inclusion, innovation, and equality to create a museum that both tells the Shaker story and is responsive to the needs of the community in Chatham, Columbia County, and the surrounding Hudson Valley. It was also announced that Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects will collaborate on the project. The museum will retain and maintain the historic Shaker site in Mount Lebanon.

Auburn, NY (Aug. 5, 2020) - The Schweinfurth Art Center recently completed a $543,000 project to upgrade its heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, adding both to its second floor gallery and studio classroom. The contractor for the project was Century Heating & Air-Conditioning in Syracuse.

"This project will enable us to offer more exhibits and classes, since it will allow us to use the second floor facilities year-round," said Schweinfurth Executive Director Donna Lamb. "Until now that area had inadequate heating and no air conditioning."

Planning for the project began in 2017, when the art center's Board of Trustees developed a long-term plan for the facility. They picked the HVAC system as their top priority - the first of a three-part master plan - because it would allow the art center to expand its offerings.

New Carousel Building Adds to Overall Vision for a Redeveloped Waterfront 

See Renderings of Carousel Building Here 

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the start of timber construction on the Buffalo Heritage Carousel project at Canalside. The project consists of a new building near the corner of Prime and Perry streets to house the near century old De Angelis Carousel. The carousel is planned to open in the summer of 2021.

Rochester, N.Y. – After months of construction, the new restaurant and brewery experience at 56. S. Union Street will open to the public on Thursday, August 6. The F.L.X. Wienery at Roc Brewing Co. A partnership between the F.L.X. Wienery and Roc Brewing Co. LLC., will bring a new culinary experience to the city, serving loaded Zweigle’s hots (white and red), gravy-smothered burgers, Korean-style street fries, vegan and vegetarian fare, boozy milkshakes, house-made soft serve, and more. Craft beer lovers will also enjoy classic Roc Brewing favorites and a lineup of new beers brewed in-house.