Sewall's Island and Factory Square Redevelopment Plan Watertown, New York

Services Provided

Master Planning
Urban Design

People Involved

Darren Meyer
Sean Hare

Creating new opportunity and adaptive reuse for development and recreation at a vacant infill site

Watertown, New York sits along the scenic Black River and is the largest city within the Northern New York region. The Black River, running through the heart of the city is home to numerous rapids and fed industry in the city for years. Sewall’s Island and Factory Square are two former industrial sites adjacent to the Black River about a half mile from the center of Downtown. Former factory sites, primarily vacant today, have offered the city a unique opportunity for redevelopment within the downtown area that has potential for a variety of uses.

MKSK was selected to lead the redevelopment planning effort for the area. The plan will focus on reusing any historic structures within the study area, creating opportunities for new development, new and improved riverfront park space, and increased access to the Black River and its rapids for kayaking and whitewater rafting. The visioning process will work with the city to also identify possible project partners to work with during the plan’s implementation.