UTICA — Utica Mayor Robert Palmieri announced that the city will begin removing trees along the Varick Street corridor this week as the initial phase of the street’s green infrastructure and streetscape improvements begins.

The tree removal is the first step in a plan that will see several improvements to the corridor’s streetscape including:

• New, distinctive standing light posts.
• Decorative string lighting that hangs over the roadway.
• A new tree canopy that better matches the district and allows for better sightliness.
• Permeable pavers and rebuilt sidewalks.
• Improvements to road paving where necessary.

The changes are designed to make the historic district more appealing, more
environmentally-friendly and more unique. Varick Street has become a hub for Utica’s nightlife, as well as the host of many significant structures and events. The Boilermaker Road Race finishes as the street begins and it hosts the Post Race Party annually.

Improvements will give the street the infrastructure and look to make for a signature corridor for residents and visitors.

“Varick Street connects downtown to west Utica and brings together people that seek entertainment and experiences only Utica can provide,” Palmieri said. “It has become a showcase for the culture of the City of Utica.”

“It’s critical that we make the investments to build on all of that takes place along Varick Street and provide a functional, memorable corridor that enhances all of those experiences,” Palmieri added.

These improvements follow many recent significant investments along Varick Street and the surrounding neighborhood, including F.X. Matt’s new Biergarten, the Lofts at Globe Mill, and the Irish Cultural Center. Officials say with so much public and private investment, improving the streetscape became a priority of the city administration.

The upgrades taking place are part of the Utica Prosperity Initiative and will be funded from a number of sources, the most significant being the American Rescue Plan Act. The trees being removed along the sidewalks from Court Street to Columbia Street are currently dying or decaying. Improvements will start this week, with much of the work taking place in the spring and culminating in the summer of 2023.