The former Marine Midland Bank will possibly be redeveloped into the new location for Enchanted Mountain Spirits. The Jamestown City Council supported a consolidated funding application that will be submitted by the Jamestown Renaissance Corp. on behalf of Enchanted Mountain Spirits to apply for a $200,000 New York Main Street Downtown Anchor grant through the state Regional Economic Development Council program. P-J photo by Dennis Phillips

The Jamestown City Council has given its support to an economic development project that would relocate a city distillery into downtown Jamestown.

On Monday, the council approved a resolution to sponsor a consolidated funding application that will be submitted by the Jamestown Renaissance Corp. on behalf of Enchanted Mountain Spirits to apply for a $200,000 New York Main Street Downtown Anchor grant through the state Regional Economic Development Council program.

Last week, Mick O’Neill, Enchanted Mountain Spirits owner, president and head distiller, and Pete Miraglia, Jamestown Renaissance Corp. executive director, discussed the proposed project to renovate the former Marine Midland Bank, located at 201-203 N. Main St., into a new location for the distillery with the council. The total project is estimated to cost around $450,000.

O’Neill told the council that there will be around 40 jobs at the distillery after the first few years in business. He wants to work with other local breweries and distilleries, like the soon-to-open Jamestown Brewing Company and the established Southern Tier Brewing Company, to start a beer and distillery trail with other businesses north of Jamestown.

In February, O’Neill told The Post-Journal the new equipment and renovations would cost about $130,000. He said at their new location they will be expanding their production by five times what they were producing at their old facility, which was located along Water Street. The distillery’s goal will be to produce around 3,600 bottles a month of the three spirits they produce, with plans for a new spirit once they open.

O’Neill said they had to stop using their old facility after they had and electrical brownout that fried a new agitator and heating system they had just spent $30,000 to install. That is when city officials, Arnold Duke, Mainstreet Developers and owner of the former Marine Midland Bank, and Lori Galster, project manager for the renovations of the former Key Bank and Marine Midland Bank buildings, invited O’Neill to look at the former bank site.

Prior to the council vote, Nick Dean, Forte bar manager, spoke to the council supporting the grant funding application. He said the Third Street restaurant and bar had visitors several times asking for Enchanted Mountain Spirits after the customers had toured the former Water Street location.

In other business, the council approved to enter into an agreement with S. Tabone Construction for $99,082 worth of improvements at Veterans Memorial Park. Enhancements to the park include nine parking spaces, construction of a gazebo, adding granite curbs and milling and paving Logan Avenue.

In April 2017, former state Sen. Cathy Young announced at the park that she had secured $100,000 in state funding for improvements to Veterans Memorial Park, which is located along West Third Street near Logan and Harding avenues. The park was created when it was decided in 2011 to move war memorials from the former park location near the intersection of East Third and East Second streets near Jamestown High School.

That is when the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation and Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi started the relocation project. The chairman for the project was Ronald Cotton, who spent the last four years of his life toward making the relocation project a reality.

The six historic monuments located in the former Veterans Memorial Park were relocated and set in a stamped concrete base with landscaping added to accentuate the memorials. New park amenities and the relocated memorials were joined by three brick circles connected by a handicapped accessible walkway. The first circle displays a cannon, the second and largest circle displays a flag pole and monuments honoring the branches of the U.S. military, and the third circle consists of a memorial to those who lost their lives in combat.

Through the assistance of approximately 130 local organizations, veterans groups, business and individuals, $300,000 was raised to develop Veterans Memorial Park.

The council approved to enter into an agreement with Greater Lakes EZ Dock to install a kayak launch at McCrea Point Park. Earlier this month, Vince DeJoy, city development director, said funding for the kayak launch installation is from the state Downtown Revitalization Initiative program. As part of the $10 million in funding city officials received from the state, $325,000 is going to fund the “Enhance Riverwalk Experience.” The project will mainly consist of implementing the Greater Jamestown Riverwalk illumination plan to decoratively light waterfront features. However, some of the funding will also go toward installing the kayak launch and to complete a floating debris collection system around the Warner Dam.