PLATTSBURGH — The Town of Plattsburgh’s Battlefield Memorial Gateway project just got a $300,000 boost in funding before it advances construction on phase two this year.
Assemblyman Billy Jones (D-Chateauguay Lake), who was critical in getting funding for phase one of the project, secured the substantial support once again.
“I’ve fallen in love with this project,” Jones said at a news conference at the Plattsburgh Town Hall Friday.
“Any time you can bring an attraction to a region that honors our significant historical past, as well as thanking and honoring our veterans past and present, I think it’s a home run.”
The Battlefield Memorial Gateway or “BMG,” located off Route 9 on the shores of Lake Champlain just south of the City of Plattsburgh, will be a premier veterans park dedicated to the area’s rich history and will connect generations new and old when it’s completed.
PHASES
The project first launched in 2017 and it was planned to be rolled out in phases.
Phase one was completed in the fall of 2023 and included the outline of the park area and the Purple Heart Community walking trail, which is connected with the City of Plattsburgh’s Terry Gordon Bike Path.
Phase 2 will focus on completing Remembrance Plaza, which, among many of its features, will include medallions to represent each branch of the armed services, and is expected to be completed by the Battle of Valcour Island’s 250th anniversary in October of next year.
“This space is meant to be an elevated premier space that’s going to last generations,” Plattsburgh Supervisor Michael Cashman said about Remembrance Plaza.
The town is sending out construction bids May 8.
However, Cashman said the Trump Administration’s proposed tariffs have left them with some uncertainty.
“We have recalibrated products in the face of the developing tariffs. Everything from the type of stone to the types of metals and other materials to build this,” he said.
“We, in theory, could get back some bids that we cannot afford. That’s just the reality of the situation … What we’ve really tried to do is be very, very strategic so that we can continue to advance this project.”
RAISING MONEY
The first way is getting the message out that the BMG project still needs plenty of donations from the community.
The full cost of the project will be around $6 million and Cashman said they have spent upwards of approximately $2 million so far.
“We are calling upon our community to support this largely veteran-led program. Cash is king, unfortunately. It’s the most flexible way for us to be able to address the needs of this project and the many amenities that are represented in the project,” he said.
“But what we have done in a very creative fashion is we’ve taken the Remembrance Plaza, for example, and we’ve identified key features, key items that if there are individuals in our community that they would like to sponsor, underwrite or provide direct resources, like stone material, they could provide just that material. If they wanted to provide benches, they could provide just benches … it’s not just cash donations that we’re looking for.”
Cashman said donating items that can be raffled off are another option for those looking to contribute to the project in a non-monetary way. One person donated a camper, another donated a painting, he said as an example.
This summer’s inaugural Michigan Fest on Aug. 2, will also be a big fundraiser for the BMG.
“There’s lots and lots of ways to support the Battlefield Memorial Gateway … we have a lot to celebrate,” Cashman said.
BREAKING GROUND
The town is hoping to break ground on phase two late this summer.
“I’m hoping that by the end of May, we’ll have a better position of where we’re going to go,” Cashman said.
“Then, like we did with phase one, (break ground) late summer, early fall, and kind of plug away at it. Phase one was a great model for us. We proved to the public that as long as the money, the resources and partnerships are there, we can make speedy work of it. There was a very quick turnaround from the time that we had shovels on the ground in phase one to the completion of the baseline infrastructure.”
PHASE THREE
Phase three will encompass construction on the waterfront and the former Plattsburgh Air Force Base jetties.
“That’s the biggest, heftiest lift out of all of them, because we’ll have to work with numerous agencies for waterfront development,” Cashman said.
John Rock, a member of the Battlefield Memorial Gateway Committee, said the Battlefield Memorial Gateway has always been a dream of his.
“This new Battlefield Memorial Gateway project is going to help educate our young and also help connect with the community,” he said.
“Our veterans will be down here walking around and talking, and this should be able to give them a chance to interact with our students, our younger generation and be able to have them come up to ask them questions about what it’s like to serve and protect our country. Our freedoms aren’t free, and it’s come at a high cost.”