UTICA — Mayor Robert M. Palmieri and Mohawk Valley Gardens have announced plans to bring a new state-of-the-art restaurant, banquet facility, and regional event center to Harbor Point.

MVG’s proposed investment would rehabilitate the historic 1933 Building and construct an adjoining 8,000-square-foot facility at the southeastern portion of the harbor. The two buildings will combine to make a unique facility that will overlook the water and serve as a catalyst for inner-harbor development, the announcement said.

“The City of Utica and the Utica Harbor Point Development Corporation, in partnership with the State of New York, have invested significant public funds in recent years at Harbor Point to create an environment in which the private sector would likewise want to invest,” Palmieri said on Tuesday.

“This important first step with Rob Esche and Mohawk Valley Gardens is a culmination of those efforts,” Palmieri added. “Rob Esche and MVG have a proven track record in having a vision and implementing that vision successfully – whether it be at Aqua Vino on the Canal, the Memorial Auditorium, the Nexus Center, or Bagg’s Square.”

Esche is president of Mohawk Valley Gardens.

“Development of a premier waterfront restaurant and events center at Harbor Point is a natural next step for Mohawk Valley Garden, given our efforts on a number of different projects in the surrounding area,” Esche said. “We thank Mayor Palmieri and the Utica Harbor Point Development Corporation for their faith in Mohawk Valley Garden and look forward to bringing this project to fruition.”

The announcement comes after decades of planning, environmental remediation and investment to restore Utica’s historic waterfront.

To help facilitate the redevelopment, Mayor’s office has submitted legislation to the Common Council authorizing the
submission of a Restore NY Communities Initiative application seeking $3 million in state assistance in the rehabilitation of the 1933 building.

The Common Council is set to discuss that legislation at its meeting tonight.

In August, the Utica Harbor Point Development Corporation (UHPDC) voted unanimously to authorize the negotiation of a purchase and sale agreement with Mohawk Valley Garden (MVG) for the purchase of roughly 2.9 acres of land at the southern end of the Harbor, which includes the historic 1933 Building. A tentative purchase price of $458,150 has been agreed to by Mohawk Valley Garden and UHPDC.

Utica’s Harbor Point comprises more than 100 acres of waterfront real estate uniquely situated around the City’s historic harbor, between the Mohawk River and Erie Canal, the announcement said, adding that the city and the UHPDC are advancing the transformation of this former industrial area into a year-round destination for residents and tourists.

A consultant team led by Elan Planning, Design & Landscape Architecture, PLLC was hired in 2013 and has been working with the City of Utica and the Utica Harbor Point Local Development Corporation to complete the Harbor Point waterfront plan. More than $10 million in investments have been made to date, including the construction of a road and entranceway, expanded sewer and water lines, demolition of dilapidated buildings, and the rebuilding the bulkheads and seawalls at the edge of the water.

The investments have begun the transformation of the Harbor into a mixed-use destination for both residents and tourists and have attracted private and public investment, the announcement said.

The decision by MVG follows recent investments including:

• Construction of a Starbucks store, slated to open soon;
• Two new hotels that are currently being operated by Visions Hotels;
• A $2 million federal investment in a walking bridge connecting the Harbor to the Adirondack Bank Center and adjacent properties; and
• $18 million worth of federal funds to improve the “gateway” corridor of North Genesee St.

The UHPDC’s approval allows Mohawk Valley Gardens to access the property for purposes of conducting due diligence activities necessary to finalize a purchase and sale agreement. The parties expect to complete the sale shortly and begin work on the new facility in the coming months.