Troy

The federal government is providing $14.2 million toward the $19.6 million cost to repair and rebuild Troy's crumbling Hudson River seawall, officials said during a press conference Monday morning in Troy's Riverfront Park.

Several storms have damaged the seawall and put a major sewer line at risk of puncture, something that Schumer said could have been a "major environmental disaster" in Troy and economic disaster for surrounding communities.

Total construction cost is $19.6 million, said John Salka, a spokesman for Troy Mayor Patrick Madden. The work will take just under two years to complete and be performed by Troy-based C.D. Perry. Overall cost, including design and contingency costs, is $24 million, Salka said.

The new wall will fix erosion below the waterline that was threatening to compromise the existing wall. The work also includes filling in gaps in the wall's uniform height where mooring bollards were north of the Green Island Bridge.

U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer said the last time the seawall was repaired was in 1978. That likely would have been during the reconstruction of the Green Island Bridge, which collapsed on March 15, 1977.

At least two major floods since then have filled Troy's riverfront park and nearby parking lots, as well as the basements of nearby buildings.

"Where we are standing right now was underwater during (Tropical Storm) Irene," Schumer said. "The damage to (the seawall) made the entire waterfront vulnerable to future storms and future flooding."

The project, Schumer said, would "help protect residents and business owners from flooding. Second, it builds on the great revitalization efforts of Troy."

Garry Brown, who bought a building on the river that became Brown's Brewing Co., said the proximity to the river "sealed the deal" to launch his business there. The brewpub's deck overlooking the Hudson is a popular gathering spot on summer days.

Rensselaer County Executive Steven F. McLaughlin took the opportunity to push for a bike trail that would connect Troy and the city of Rensselaer, something that Schumer, an avid bicyclist, said he'd support.

Schumer has previously pushed for Amtrak trains to accommodate bicyclists.

The city also is a popular stopping point for recreational boaters and smaller cruise ships headed to Lake Champlain or the Erie Canal.

"It's important that we think about the waterfront," said Katie Hammon, executive director of the Downtown Troy Business Improvement District.

During the press conference, Schumer also criticized President Donald Trump for seeking to help keep ZTE, a major Chinese manufacturer of smartphones and other electronics, in business after the U.S. Commerce Department blocked U.S. suppliers from providing it with sensitive technology that it then resold to Iran and North Korea.

Schumer cited General Electric's power equipment division in Schenectady, which he said was forced into sharing its intellectual property with China when it was selling turbines and generators there.

"They learn how Schenectady does it, then they start doing it there," and block GE from the market, he said.

But Schumer said he supported Trump in recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's new capital. The move has resulted in protests by Palestinians and nearly four dozen deaths, all Palestinian.

"Every country should be allowed to open" its capital where it wants, he said.