A project several years in the making to improve an exceptional Northern New York organization resulted in a ribbon-cutting ceremony last week.
Representatives of The Arc Jefferson-St. Lawrence celebrated the completion of renovation work July 15. The 43,000-square-foot structure on Gaffney Drive in Watertown opened in 1968, and the only significant improvement occurred when an addition was built in 1972.
The $12 million project began three years ago. This included initial planning, design and engineering, construction and carrying out a capital campaign to help with funding the work. Renovations started last year.
âThe project will transform the building into a modern, state-of-the-art facility,â according to a story published May 5, 2020, by the Watertown Daily Times. âDoorways and hallways will be widened to better accommodate motorized wheelchairs. Classrooms and peer group rooms will be updated and relocated to provide natural light. Entrances will be relocated
WATERTOWN â With a countdown from five, a group of those close to the project brandished the pairs of large, gold scissors handed to them and cut the ribbon for the reopening ceremony of The Arc Jefferson-St. Lawrenceâs Gaffney Drive facility Thursday evening, a culmination of years of work and millions of dollars.
The renovation project has taken about three years to complete, including initial planning, design and engineering, construction and a capital campaign to assist with the cost of the project. Construction began last July, when The Arc Jefferson-St. Lawrence embarked on the first major renovation of its Gaffney Drive campus since it was built in 1968: an estimated $12 million project. Except for an addition in 1972, the 43,000-square-foot building had not undergone any major renovations since it was built.