Ground broken for Finger Lakes Museum

Lt. Gov. Duffy (center) and groundbreaking crew.

BRANCHPORT -- Groundbreaking  for the Finger Lakes Museum project drew a lineup of local officials who joined Lt. Governor Robert Duffy for the Friday event.

The new educational and cultural center will be located on the Discovery Campus along Keuka Lake.

The project was designated as a priority in 2011 by the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council, and it was awarded $2.3 million to support the renovation of the former Branchport Elementary School.

"The Finger Lakes Museum is a transformational project that will create much-needed jobs and provide a significant boost for the tourism industry and local-area businesses," Duffy said.

"The Finger Lakes region is one of the most beautiful areas of New York State, as well as our country, and the museum will serve to reinforce its history and aesthetic beauty. The Regional Council demonstrated great forward-thinking vision in identifying this priority project that uses our past to build a path toward a brighter economic future. We are extremely pleased to see it breaking ground and moving forward with constructing the Discovery Campus, and I look forward to coming back to visit the completed Museum and learn even more about the history and culture of my home-town region."

The Discovery Campus is the first of a two-phase indoor/outdoor natural and cultural complex highlighting the region. The project is sponsored by the museum and will create and retain 100 direct jobs at the museum, create 330 construction jobs, and generate an estimated $12 million to $15 million annually in the region through increased tourism, which will spur local economic activity with area businesses and benefit the surrounding communities.

Don Naetzker is executive director of the museum. Design plans and a virtual tour of the exterior and interior improvements of the Discovery Campus can be seen online.