Waddington, New York, Planning Marina Upgrades

Located along the St. Lawrence River in New York State, the Town of Waddington and the Village of Waddington are working together to build a new marina. (The Village of Waddington is located within the Town of Waddington, but each has their own government.)

Waddington’s current marina has about two dozen slips, which are located off a dock at the end of its main street. “We’re looking to increase that number by anywhere from 32 to 40 slips. But most important is the installation of a breakwater and attenuator wall,” said Mike Zagrobelny, Waddington Village Mayor.

The project is still in the engineering phases. Current plans call for the breakwater to come out at a 30-degree angle from the shoreline for about 100 feet. Attached to that will be a floating breakwater that runs parallel to the shore with the river current. The new docks will be located between the breakwater and the shoreline.

The estimated cost for the project is about $3 million. The Village of Waddington has received a $750,000 Resiliency Economic Development Initiative (REDI) grant from the state to help fund the marina. “The REDI program is meant to promote resilience for varying water levels along the waterfronts of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River,” said Zagrobelny. The water levels in this area have fluctuated between very high and very low for several years, wreaking damage on docks in these areas.

Another portion of the funding will come from the Town of Waddington, which will be getting a grant from the New York Power Authority to help improve recreational access along the waterfront. The amount of that funding is not yet known.

Zagrobelny said they are looking at installing floating aluminum docks. The municipalities hope to have the plans ready for bidding by the fall of 2021, with construction starting during the winter of 2021 and an anticipated opening in the summer of 2022.

Approximately 75% of the new slips will be reserved for seasonal rentals, and another 25% for transient boaters. (Waddington has additional transient dockage available along the shoreline.) The existing marina already offers shower and bathroom facilities as well as a municipal pavilion that is used for concerts, weddings, etc.

“Our hope is that the increased dockage and tourism, will help revitalize our main street,” Zagrobelny said.