Improvements to Chautauqua Belle’s gateway area is part of the Lakeside Park Improvement Project, which is moving ahead. P-J photo by Gregory Bacon

MAYVILLE — Village officials are moving forward with some major improvements at Lakeside Park.

During a meeting last week of the Mayville Village Board, board members unanimously approved hiring Barton & Loguidice of Rochester to do the project design and engineering for the Lakeside Park Improvements Project at a cost of $145,000.

Barton & Loguidice was selected over Fisher Associates of Ithaca, which had proposed charging $157,810 for the engineering and design.

Board members said they were impressed with Fisher Associates ideas; however, they charged more and said it would take them longer to complete the engineering and design.

In its proposal submitted two months ago, Barton & Loguidice said it could complete the design phase by February 2024, with construction to begin three months later, completed by November, 2024.

The plans call for improvements to the Chautauqua Belle gateway, a new kayak/canoe launch, and a waterfront pedestrian and bicycle trail.

The Chautauqua Belle gateway will include:

¯ design and construction of an overlook and improvements to the existing docks;

¯ realignment and improvements to the existing parking area and boat launch;

¯ landscaping and installation of new signage/kiosk;

¯ sidewalk land boardwalk enhancements at the Bell launch site;

¯ seating amenities.

For the kayak/canoe launch, a boardwalk will be designed and constructed with the launch, which will be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. A pathway will connect the existing parking with the site of the new launch for nonmotorized watercrafts.

The multi-use trail will be constructed along the shoreline of Chautauqua Lake and will incorporate features that control and filter stormwater. The trail will be ADA-compliant as well.

In January, Mayor Rick Syper announced that the village was awarded $675,000 for improvements at the park, which is located at 78 Water St. (Route 394). The money came from the state’s Local Waterfront Revitalization Program, which will cover 75% of the costs. Chautauqua County, through its Partnership of Economic Development, has also pledged $50,000 for the project, with the village responsible for the remaining amount.

Mayville’s costs are expected to be $175,000. “We will be figuring that out in next year’s budget,” Syper said.

The three projects are part of the Mayville Strategic Waterfront Activation Master Plan that was presented last summer. The master plan has seven phases. After these three, the remaining four phases include a new splash pad/ice rink area, an enhanced Mayville Depot Museum, a Complete Streets project and the installation of a new pier.

The remaining four phases have a price tag of around $3.3 million. Village officials last summer chose the Chautauqua Belle gateway enhancements, kayak launch and waterfront multi-use trail because they were the lowest cost of the seven projects in the master plan.

Some residents have been pushing the village for a second pier, noting the high traffic volume in the summer, but that project alone is expected to cost $1 million.