Wayne County Business To Help Disabled Opens With Help From Canal Corporation Funding

For Immediate Release: 05/02/19

NEWARK--Erie Shore Landing, a new business along the Erie Canal that both employs people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Wayne County opened its doors today. The nonprofit venture from The Arc Wayne organization was funded, in part, by $150,000 from the New York State Canal Corporation.

Erie Shore Landing includes an ice cream shop, a café, a print shop, gift shop and a training kitchen designed to teach those with and without disabilities essential retail and cooking skills.

"This is an incredible resource for Newark and Wayne County to be proud of," said Canal Corporation Director Brian U. Stratton, who was on hand for today's opening. "Being so close to the Erie Canal will enable more people to find out why Erie Shore Landing is so special."

The project received $150,000 in 2017 from the Canalway Grant Program, which provides funding to canal-related capital projects as part of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's Regional Economic Development Council.

"We are very excited for our guests to appreciate how much the individuals we serve have to offer," said Ben Jones, Erie Shore Landing retail manager. "We look forward to increasing awareness in our community, creating an environment of trust, confidence, friendliness and mutual support."

The primary mission of The Arc Wayne is to advocate for and serve persons of all ages with or without special needs to enable them to live independently and work through an array of services tailored for their individual situations. The organization also runs Key Industries, which employs more than 150 disabled persons, and the Roosevelt Children’s Center, which has early intervention and preschool programs for children with special needs.

The Canalway Grant Program includes up to $1 million in competitive grants available to eligible municipalities, and 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations along the New York State Canal System for canal-related capital projects. The minimum grant request amount is $25,000. The maximum grant request is $150,000.

Proposed projects need to demonstrate how they will achieve some or all of the following: expand public access, increase visitation and recreational use, stimulate private investment, improve services and amenities for Canalway land and water trail users, and enhance the connections between the canal and the corresponding region.

Priority this year will be given to projects that encourage canal-related tourism and stimulate private investment in tourism infrastructure. The deadline to apply is July 26. View more information about the Canalway Grant Program.

About the New York State Canal Corporation

New York's canal system includes four historic canals: the Erie, Champlain, Oswego and Cayuga-Seneca. Spanning 524 miles, the waterway links the Hudson River with the Great Lakes, the Finger Lakes and Lake Champlain. The canals form the backbone of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor and connect hundreds of unique and historic communities. In 2019, New York will mark the 200th anniversary of the first trip taken on the Erie Canal, from Rome to Utica.

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Contact

Steven Gosset
Steven.Gosset@nypa.gov
Media Relations
(914) 390-8192