CLAYTON — The town is continuing its effort to improve and modernize the Cerow Recreation Park Arena on East Line Road.

Trustee Robert W. Cantwell III said the town and Clayton Local Development Corp. hope to secure a $400,000 state Community Development Block Grant to install shower facilities, build larger locker rooms, modify the front entrance and possibly add storage space.

The application deadline is Monday and money is expected to be awarded in the fall.

If Clayton can secure the grant, the construction would begin as soon as spring 2013, Mr. Cantwell said.

Mr. Cantwell said the proposed renovation project is part of an ongoing effort to get more swimmers, ice skaters and hockey players to use the facility.

With the help of Fourth Coast Inc., Clayton, a renewable energy consulting firm, the town in 2010 finished a $176,768 renovation project to make the aging facility more energy-efficient.

At that time, the town had replaced the arena swimming pool’s 37-year-old filtration system, the building’s heating system, electrical panels and the leaky roof.

Clayton also purchased a pool cover to conserve heat and later installed solar panels on the arena’s roof with a $120,913 federal grant.

Town Supervisor Justin A. Taylor said the town also recently purchased a $17,000 backup generator for the arena.

To further identify and prioritize needed improvements to the aging facility, Trustee Cantwell said, Clayton gathered community feedback through a survey about a year and a half ago.

Clayton has a full plate of projects it’s been working on — including the proposed luxury hotel development at the former Frink America site — but the town has remained committed to modernizing the arena and does not intend to drop the ball, he said.

Thousands of readers like you have made Northern New York Newspapers the number one ranked website* for local news and sports coverage in the north country.

You can continue on to this article in a few seconds, or you can visit one of our websites:

• Watertown Daily Times
• The Ogdensburg Journal
• Daily Courier-Observer