Photo by Jerrid Lavoie
POTSDAM, NY — The Village of Potsdam broke ground on a new two-way roadway known as Brooks Street, in a ceremony held on Thursday, April 24. This exciting infrastructure project will contribute to the Village’s broader Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) and is aimed at improving traffic circulation, enhancing pedestrian safety, and supporting new economic development in a key commercial district.
Brooks Street will feature new sidewalks, LED streetlighting and street trees—creating a more walkable, welcoming, and connected environment for residents, visitors, and local businesses, while adding more parking at the same time.
“This project is a major step forward… and we are proud to be moving ahead with a vision focused on accessibility, sustainability and growth,” said Village Administrator Isabelle Gates-Shult. “This achievement would not be possible without the collaboration and support of our dedicated local leaders, regional stakeholders, and our federal and state partners.”
The $370,000 Brooks Street project is supported through a combination of local funding and grant support from the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) and the St. Lawrence River Valley Redevelopment Agency. NBRC Federal Co-Chair Chris Saunders traveled to Potsdam to take part in the ceremony, and representatives from the offices of numerous federal, state and local officials were also in attendance.
“This project is one piece of a puzzle that I am excited to say is quickly starting to come together. One step at a time, one block at a time, we are making our downtown more vibrant. And it’s not a top-down effort. It truly takes a village. It takes businesses and organizations working together. And it takes vision, to see how these pieces of the puzzle come together over time to create a cohesive, beautiful whole,” said Village of Potsdam Mayor Alexandra Jacobs Wilke.
The new roadway will support a number of ongoing and planned investments in the Raymond–Depot Street district, including the expansion of the North Country Children’s Museum, expansion of the Creative Spirit Community Arts Center by the St. Lawrence County Arts Council, the redevelopment of the Market Square Mall, and the Six Depot Street Redevelopment Project.
By improving access and infrastructure in this targeted area, the project will help attract new visitors and businesses, reduce commercial vacancy, and eliminate longstanding issues related to traffic flow and blight. In addition to Village staff, the project’s development team includes LaBella Associates, Maine Land Surveying and T.J. Fiacco Construction.
Construction has already begun, and is expected to be completed in June.
For more information, please contact the Village of Potsdam at 315-265-1670.