By Patricia Breakey
The Margaretville eCenter is one of four Watershed Education, Job Creation and Energy Conservation Initiative projects that received $250,000 grants from the Catskill Watershed Corp.
The grants to nonprofit organizations in four Watershed counties are for projects that will combine educational services with job-inducing renewable energy initiatives.
In addition, the CWC Board of Directors authorized $250,000 in matching funds for a federal grant application by Margaretville Telephone Co., which is seeking to extend high speed broadband and Wi-Fi Internet access to underserved parts of Delaware and Schoharie counties. The grant application to the Rural Utilities Service and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, is to be submitted by the M-ARK Project on behalf of MTC.
The $1.25 million for these projects will come from the Catskill Fund for the Future for economic development.
"We believe these projects will create jobs, enhance community character and the potential for business development, provide educational opportunities and help protect the environment," CWC Executive Director Alan Rosa said.
The Margaretville eCenter is being developed by the Catskill Development Foundation. Like the pilot project in Delhi, which was also supported by the CWC, the Margaretville Center will serve as a small business incubator to accelerate the growth and success of new and existing entrepreneurial companies with a focus on the attraction and development of high tech and technology dependent businesses.
Mary Beth Silano, Delaware County Chamber of Commerce executive director, said the new eCenter will be located in the Masonic Lodge building on Main Street in Margaretville.
Silano said the building was owned by the Masons and the purchase was made with the agreement that they would continue to use the third-floor meeting rooms.
Renovations on the building are under way and are being done by contractors from Second Nature. The building was built in 1908.
Silano said the first floor of the building will have six offices and a reception area with a shared kitchen. There will also be a combined computer training/conference room, she said.
The second floor has three apartments. The tenant in one of the apartments will remain, but the other two apartments will be converted into offices, Silano said.
The vinyl siding on the outside of the building is being removed and will be replaced with original clapboard siding.
. Silano said when the vinyl was removed original stained glass windows were discovered.
"It's amazing," Silano said. "The stained glass windows and the detailed woodwork are just beautiful. We also discovered that the original window frames are still there and they are right where we want them."
Silano said it is hoped that the work will be completed in time to open the eCenter in late winter.
The project is estimated to cost $650,000 and energy conservation will be an important component of the project. Silano said Sen. John Bonacic has also procured funding for the project.
The other community projects to receive CWC support include:
The Daniel Pierce Library in Grahamsville, which is undergoing a $4 million expansion.
The Ashokan Center, formerly the Ashokan Field Campus of the State University College at New Paltz, for the relocation and redesign of its outdoor education and cultural center in the town of Olive.
The Mountain Top Library and Learning Center, in Tannersville, with a major expansion involving the renovation of a vacant building.
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Patricia Breakey can be reached at 746-2894 or at stardelhi@stny.rr.com.
