Local communities receive funding from latest round of Restore New York Communities Initiative
ALBANY, NY- Governor Kathy Hochul has announced that more than $50 million has been awarded to 50 projects through the State's Restore New York Communities Initiative, including three local communities receiving a piece of the pie.
“Revitalizing and rehabilitating vacant and blighted areas of our communities for housing or development is vital to make downtowns thrive,” Governor Hochul said.
“Restore New York helps our municipalities plan for the future by catalyzing economic growth and supporting housing, businesses and cultural spaces. We are further unlocking the potential of these sites and communities across New York."
The Mohawk Valley was awarded nearly $8 million to support six projects, including:
Village of Boonville – $1 million: The Boone Building at 133, 135 and 139 Main Street suffered a devastating fire in 2020, hollowing out the core of the village's downtown. Reconstruction is planned that will create three first-floor commercial spaces to house a sporting goods store, artisanal meat market, and jewelry store/boutique gift shop. The two upper floors will be ten residential one- and two-bedroom units.
Meanwhile, the North Country was awarded more than $8.6 million to support eight projects, including:
Town of Lowville – $560,000: The project will redevelop approximately 6,500 square-feet of vacant space at 7623 North State Street, a historic brick block building in Downtown. Funding will assist with the costs for the installation of electrical and plumbing throughout the building, the construction of an ADA-compliant elevator, a stairwell, masonry repairs, and the construction of eight market-rate housing units and amenities.
Town of Martinsburg – $1 million: The General Martin Apartments project repurposes the former Glenfield Elementary School at 5960 Main Street into 63 affordable housing units. This adaptive reuse will include 55 one-bedroom, six two-bedroom, and two studio apartments. The building will undergo substantial renovations, incorporating community amenities like a fitness center, laundry facilities, a community room and an outdoor garden.
In addition, the City of Rome was listed as a "special project" and was awarded $3.5 million to rehabilitate two buildings that were destroyed by the tornado that touched down in Rome on July 16, 2024.
This project will repair, rehabilitate, and modernize two tornado-damaged vacant properties at 220 South Madison Street and 522 Henry Street.
The EF-2 tornado that swept through the region on July 16, 2024 extensively damaged the 180,000-square-foot facility, collapsing portions of the roof, shattering windows, blowing out entire exterior walls and damaging critical electrical infrastructure.
One building will be developed for mixed use with first-floor commercial and event space, and the other will become the largest available industrial space in the Utica-Rome metropolitan statistical area.
Upon completion, these buildings will add an additional 180,000 square feet of commercial manufacturing space to the community.
According to the Governor's office, Restore New York supports municipal revitalization efforts with funds to help remove and reduce blight, reinvigorate communities and generate new residential and economic opportunities statewide.
The program, administered by Empire State Development, is designed to help local governments encourage new commercial investments through community revitalization, growing local housing, and putting properties back on the tax rolls to increase the local tax base.
New York Capitol image.
