State announces big investments coming to canal in Medina
New public art sculptures dedicated today, with more projects in the works
Photos by Tom Rivers: Brian Stratton, commissioner of the NYS Canal Corp. was in Medina today to celebrate the new public art sculptures by the canal between the Glenwood Avenue canal bridge and the lift bridge on Route 63. Stratton also announced several big projects are coming to Medina to better capitalize on the canal.
MEDINA – On a day when Medina celebrated a new public art sculpture by the Erie Canal, state officials announced several big projects are headed to the community to better capitalize on the canal and build on recent successes in Medina.
The new public art sculpture is a memorial to Sydney Gross, a New Jersey native who was a student in the UB School of Architecture and Planning. She was killed in a car accident in July 2009.
The memorial consists of 23 precast concrete modules, weighing anywhere from several hundred to several thousand pounds. The sculptures have bent steel inside to give them their shape.
People can rest or play on the sculptures, which are near the Big Apple sculpture created by Richard Bannister.
The new memorial is set on 26 tons of stone. UB students did the site work about a month ago. The 25,000 pounds of concrete pieces were installed on Monday and Wednesday with a forklift used to move them into place.
UB architecture students join Sydney Gross’s mother Lori Duckstein in celebrating the completion of a year-long project to design and build the sculpture. They met with Medina High School art students in Jen Scott’s classes to get their input last spring and in the fall. There were 43 UB architecture students involved in the project which was led by Christopher Romano and Joyce Hwang, faculty members in the UB School of Architecture and Planning.
• Several other major projects also were announced today for Medina. The state Canal Corp. and New York Power Authority will make repairs to the concrete wall on the northside of the canal near the waterfalls and Horan Road bridge.
• NYPA and the Canal Corp. also want to improve the view for the public to see the Medina waterfalls. That will definitely include better management of the vegetation by the waterfalls and could include an elevated platform. The project is in the planning stages, said Angelyn Chandler, vice president of planning at NYPA for Reimagine the Canals.
The north wall of the canal is shown near the Horan Road bridge. The wall will be repaired, the Canal Corp. and New York Power Authority announced today.
The state also want to give the public a better view of the Medina Waterfalls by the canal. Those waterfalls carry the Oak Orchard Creek through the Medina aqueduct under the canal.
Medina Mayor Mike Sidari said he is grateful for the new public art sculpture in Medina and the upcoming projects.
• The state announced the towpath trail will be upgraded from the lift bridge to the Bates Road bridge, which is about 1.5 miles.
The Rehabilitation of the Erie Canalway Trail & Empire State Trail from the Horan Road bridge to the Bates Road bridge will leverage a $411,495 Federal TAP Grant, the Canal Corp. and NYPA announced.
• J.J. Tighe, director of the Parks and Trails Initiative for the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, announced a $2.654 million grant from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation to establish a vibrant public waterfront park that seamlessly links the gateways at the Medina lift bridge and Horan Road bridge to downtown Medina. It will create an accessible loop designed to unify the community around the Erie Canal.
Designed by City Architects of New York City, the initiative places a premium on recreational amenities for boaters and trail users, promoting a dynamic public space and enhancing the quality of life for residents.
“Our efforts in Medina reflect the goals of the Reimagine the Canals initiative – we are working collaboratively with local stakeholders to enhance and reenergize the Erie Canal so that it remains a vibrant driver of economic activity for decades to come,” said New York Power Authority President and CEO Justin E. Driscoll. “The initial art sculpture unveiled today, and the preliminary ideas being considered to improve the village’s connection to the canal, underscore NYPA and the Canal Corporation’s commitment to leveraging canal infrastructure as a way to encourage year-round visitation to our historic communities.”
• NYPA and the Canal Corp. also announced a major Art Triennial event to be held in Medina every three years with the first in 2025, the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal. The art event will be spread over weeks and months.
The large-scale art event includes support from the Hungerford family in Medina, the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, NYS Council on the Arts, and institutional partners from Rochester’s Memorial Art Gallery and the Buffalo AKG.
The groups are identify spaces to showcase the art, and work from emerging artist and established ones.
“For generations, Medina thrived as a canal port exporting sandstone to support construction projects around the world, and now this picturesque canalside village is evolving to rediscover itself as an emerging center for arts and culture in Western New York,” said Stratton, the canal commissioner. “By initiating the preliminary design work that will guide future projects that aim to improve and rehabilitate our infrastructure, the Canal Corporation is demonstrating its commitment to Medina, and we are building upon a great foundation already laid by the community.”
UB students and their professors climb on the sculptures for a group photo after a year of hard work on the project.
