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Council To Review Grant Applications

The former Spirits Bar & Grill is part of a Prendergast Landing project the Jamestown Renaissance Corp. is working on developing. The JRC is applying for $182,000 in state funding for the project. P-J photo by Dennis Phillips

On Monday, the Jamestown City Council will be voting to support two Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) grants for community projects and to approve its own grant submission to the state.

One of the resolutions is to support the CFA application being submitted by Northwest Arena officials for a grant of $1.4 million to fund the completion of TheZone children’s area that will be constructed in the new three-floor addition at the facility.

TheZone will be an indoor, fully American With Disabilities Act compliant sports-themed play space for toddlers through pre-teens occupying the second floor of Northwest Arena’s recently completed expansion. According to the resolution, this new project will create a memorable childhood experience that promotes healthier futures, enhance Chautauqua County’s appeal to visitors, fuel Jamestown’s economic momentum and will be a point of community pride.

In May, Keith Martin, Northwest Arena general manager, led the council on a tour of TheZone that will have several features, with one being an announcer stating a child’s name as they enter the area with the colors of their favor sports team being highlighted. There will be a space for children to have their photo taken with their favorite sports team uniform for their very own sports card. He added children will also be able to design their very own locker for their favorite sport.

In the free play area, children will be able to play all kinds of different sports and games, and there is even an overhead jumbotron that will show instant replays. The area will include STEAM and STEM educational learning activities. TheZone will also include a toddler bullpen for infants. Children will also be given an RFID chip to record each experience they have at TheZone, so they can know when they’ve hit a personal best score.

A conceptual rendering of “The Locker Room” inside “The Zone,” which is going to be an interactive children’s play area inside Northwest Arena’s new addition. Submitted photo

In other business:

¯ The council will be voting on a resolution to support the Jamestown Renaissance Corp.’s Prendergast Landing project, which will focus redevelopment efforts on converting an abandoned building and two adjacent undeveloped parcels into a small business, recreational and retail hub. The abandoned building is located at the corner of West Eighth Street and Fairmount Avenue that has been known by many names through the years.

The building most recently was known as Spirits Bar & Grill, but, through the years, it has also been where Sky Bar and Joyce’s Keg Room have been located.

According to the resolution, the Prendergast Landing project’s concept is to focus on the development of the only undeveloped corner on Jamestown’s prime waterfront location. Additionally, the inclusion of a small business office suite will provide a new frontier for business entrepreneurs who are ready and eager to take the next step in their business endeavors.

The JRC is asking the state for a $182,000 grant for the project that will be located at 106-108 Fairmount Ave.

¯ The council will be voting to approve its own CFA application for $110,000 in funding for the Smart Growth Comprehensive Planning Grant Program. Crystal Surdyk, city development director, said previously that the funding will be used to develop a new comprehensive plan for the city with “Smart Growth” elements included in the proposal. She said the city’s last comprehensive plan was completed in 1998.

¯ The council will vote to enter into an agreement with Hope Chautauqua Coalition to acquire 10 sharps containers for syringe disposal, with medial waste costs covered by the state for one year.

Last month, the council heard a presentation from Kari Huels and Kelley Potter of Prevention Works about the syringe disposal program.

Huels said it’s a state funded program that would purchase the syringe disposal kiosks and one year of medical waste disposal services. She said Advowaste is a regional medical waste disposal company that could perform the service for the city.

Huels toured the city with Dan Stone, city parks manager, to see some of the areas in the city that are problematic when it comes to syringes not being disposed of properly. These areas included city parks like Panzarella and Dow, the Greater Jamestown Riverwalk and city parking garages. She said Chautauqua County is considered a high-intensity drug area, so Jamestown should be approved for the program.

Huels said this a multiagency effort, and she is also working with the Jamestown Police Department and Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office.

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