There are more federal dollars being allocated to complete the dredging of the Port of Rochester and Irondequoit Bay. That according to Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, who says there is now an additional $2.2 million in the federal budget to complete a full dredging of the Port of Rochester and an additional $350,000 to complete dredging of Irondequoit Bay.
Slaughter says that funding is in addition to the $1.2 million originally allocated last year to dredge 100,000 cubic yards of silt that accumulated in the Port of Rochester, and $ 410,000 to dredge 10,000 cubic yards of silt that accumulated in Irondequoit Bay from Superstorm Sandy. Slaughter sent a letter to federal officials last December urging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to provide the funding needed to complete a full round of dredging.
Slaughter, a Democratic Rep. from Fairport, says this dredging is important to the region's economic health since $10 million worth of goods are imported through the port every year. And she says that Irondequoit Bay is not only a crucial harbor for boaters, it's also important to summer tourism in this area.
Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren says the Port of Rochester Marina development is one of the city's signature projects. It calls for constructing a marina that can accommodate 85 boat slips. Other work includes a park and public promenade that will connect the Genesee Riverway Trail to the Charlotte Pier.
