Staff Report / August 22, 2026
URBANA – Construction is officially underway on a $2.8 million infrastructure project to replace the aging Champlin Beach Pier and expand public access to Keuka Lake in the Town of Urbana.
New York Secretary of State Walter Mosley joined local officials on Thursday to announce the groundbreaking. The development is backed by state funding, including $1.35 million from the NY Forward program and $1.47 million from the Local Waterfront Revitalization Program. The project fulfills a long-term goal established in the 2015 Keuka Lake Waterfront Redevelopment Master Plan.
Plans center on removing the existing pier and constructing a modern, fully ADA-accessible dock system equipped with a gazebo, tour boat accommodations, and public waterfront amenities.
Key details regarding the project impact and surrounding regional investments include:
- Downtown & Water Connections: Hammondsport Mayor Jean Jensen and Urbana Supervisor K. David Durepo noted that expanded docking space will better connect boaters and visitors to Champlin Beach and downtown Hammondsport’s shops and restaurants.
- Streetscape Upgrades: $1.6 million in NY Forward funds will reconstruct Liberty and Mill streets to improve pedestrian safety between downtown and the waterfront while correcting drainage issues.
- Historic Renovation: $885,000 is dedicated to transforming the historic Curtiss School into multipurpose community space and rental housing.
- Business & Tourism Initiatives: Additional grant allocations support a bicycle-friendly café in a converted service station ($172,000), renovations for a restaurant at 31 Shethar Street ($118,000), and a $362,000 effort for community branding, wayfinding signage, and a heritage trail.
- Park Improvements: The groundbreaking builds on the recent completion of $1.26 million in state-funded upgrades to nearby Glenn H. Curtiss Park in Hammondsport.
