REDI Webster almost near completion

WEBSTER, N.Y. — Flood protection work on Lake Road in Webster is nearly complete years after Lake Ontario overflowed, covering the road in several feet of water.

Tuesday, leaders toured the area and gave an update about the state’s Resilience and Economic Development Initiative, commonly known as “REDI.” The announcement focused on new improvements at Sandbar Park, which hopefully will prevent future flooding.

“We’re hoping that everyone will enjoy it and make it, you know, Webster, where life is worth living,” said Webster Town Councilmember Ginny Nguyen.

Webster and Albany are both patting themselves on the back for working on creating a stronger and more resilient public infrastructure at Sandbar Park.

“What we did here was we put $2.5 million to focus on rebuilding both the road, and to deal with the shoreline area, and help prevent against flooding to the pump station,” said New York State Secretary of State Robert Rodriguez.

The historic flooding during the summer of 2019 is still fresh in the minds of many Webster residents. For several days Lake Ontario was connected to Irondequoit Bay. Rodriguez says besides the $2.5 million, the state also used the local waterfront revitalization program to put in amenities at the park.

“So, the park, the parking facility, the bathroom, the kayak launch, the children’s play area, all of those are to invest in a more friendly and useful waterfront,” said Rodriguez. 

He said other improvements also include the raising of Lake Road by a couple feet. Webster is not the only community getting investments.

“We are almost 75 percent of the way completed of the $300 million allocated to the REDI Program. We have 66 projects that are done, and the balance of them are either in design, or construction. So, we’re well on our way to where we were when we began this initiative in 2019,” said Rodriguez.

The project’s near conclusion is a big win for Webster.

“This is where we want the community to gather and is for the future of our next generation. It’s a historic landmark, and we want to preserve it for many years to come,” said Nguyen.

Parma, and Hamlin have also received REDI funding. Their projects are still ongoing.