At his first State of the City address, Port Jervis Mayor Dominic Cicalese remarked on the urban revival over the past years and vowed to take it to a new height under his administration.
“When I look around our city, I see a completely different town than the one I grew up in,” Mr. Cicalese said, citing long-vacant downtown storefronts restored to life by enthusiastic entrepreneurs.
“Economic development and future development will be the focus of this administration,” he said.
During his first month in office, he met with core county economic development teams and discussed opportunities for his small city, which is situated by the bank of the Delaware River on the western edge of Orange County.
“There is so much excitement,” he told The Epoch Times. “It is the time for our city. It is our time.”
Among projects considered for the $10 million state grant, a new at-grade railroad crossing connecting Riverside Park with the downtown area has the potential to unlock another urban growth wave.
“It will open up our downtown,” Mr. Cicalese said, adding that he and city council members had been preparing for a hearing to first gain regulatory approval on the crossing.
Public members are invited to voice their opinions at the hearing at city hall on Feb. 14.
The state will release a final list of projects chosen for the $10 million grant in a few months, after which city-sponsored ones can go out for bids, to be followed by construction likely next spring, Mr. Cicalese said.
Recreation and Infrastructure
Aside from the major improvements proposed for Riverside Park as part of the revival grant, Mr. Cicalese noted upcoming investments at West End Beach, Church Street Park, and Orange Square Park.He also called for a new recreation center to be built for the city’s children.
“We have simply outgrown our current location on Pike Street and what that building was originally meant for,” he said. “It is time that we have a new one.”
As for the costly, state-mandated sewer realignment project, a topic of concern shared by many residents he met on his campaign trail, Mr. Cicalese said work would begin in spring and likely take several years.
A $20 million loan for the project from a low-cost state financing fund will be finalized in a few months, he said, and the city is still actively looking for grants to offset borrowing.
Commending Department Heads
During his speech, Mr. Cicalese commended the work of department heads and employees, including public works director Steve Duryea, police chief William Worden, building inspector David Rivera, recreation department director John Faggione, and fire chief Keith Brown.Also mentioned were city clerk and treasurer Laura Quick, city assessor Teresa Spradling, and community development agency director Valerie Maginsky, who was instrumental in the city’s securing the $10 million downtown development grant.
“While we are only 30 days into a new administration and council, we have hit the ground running, and we are only just getting started,” he said near the end of the address.
“There is a lot of work to handle over the next two years, and I am confident that the city will see dynamic, positive changes and growth.”
Mr. Cicalese, a Republican and former fire chief, won the open mayoral seat last fall against Democratic candidate and former city councilwoman Elizabeth Miller.
Five-term Democratic mayor Kelly Decker did not seek reelection.
Mr. Cicalese works as a professional firefighter in the City of Middletown.
