ALBANY, N.Y. (WRGB) \u2014 Both ends of Erie Canal\u2019s Lock 1 have finally been found, allowing Albany to work towards locking back into the Hudson River. It\u2019s only about a foot-and-a-half underground, but there is still a lot of work to be done before a marina opens up.<\/p>\n
Elected officials joined together on Water Street to celebrate the excavation by SUNY Polytechnic Institute and Albany Waterway Inc. \u201cAs a port city, Albany has always been a place of innovation, commerce and opportunity, and as mayor, I am committed to working alongside all of our colleagues and partners in government to reestablish our waterfront as Albany\u2019s crown jewel,\u201d stated Mayor Dorcey Applyrs.<\/p>\n
Associate Professor Andrew Wolfe said the good news is the lock should be in really good shape. \u201cAs far as the walls go and the floor go, it would need new gates. All of the upper works would have to be rebuilt and it would have to be dug out. It\u2019s 22-foot deep, but it\u2019s all fill.\u201d<\/p>\n
But there\u2019s no timeline on when construction on the marina will begin.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the $200 million question. It\u2019s all a matter of money. We\u2019ve shown that this is here. We know the weigh lock is here, we know the little basin is there. So all the pieces are there. Now, it\u2019s really the politicians figuring out how to make it happen,\u201d added Wolfe.<\/p>\n
Unearthing Lock 1 has been a decades-long passion project. But it is not without its above-ground obstacles.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs we make progress on Central Warehouse, this is vital. And I do want to give a little update. I met with Modern Press yesterday and the owner, and he didn\u2019t say no. It was a great conversation, so I\u2019m hoping that we can find that ground to help him get where he needs to get and fairly do it where he\u2019s happy and we get to open this up,\u201d explained County Executive Dan McCoy.<\/p>\n
Whenever the marina project begins, Wolfe told CBS6’s Anthony Krolikowski construction could take at least four to five years.<\/p>\n
MORE: NYS canal to open with Albany Symphony launching Water Music NY fest<\/a><\/p>\n