BY JOHN ANDERSON
Governor Kathy Hochul came out with a list this week for more than $102 million awarded to 64 projects through the Restore New York Communities Initiative.
One of the projects is for the Town of Prattsburgh.
The block of 12-16 Main Street will have work done that will add five apartments and create room for two businesses thanks to $337,500 from the state.
The grand was award to the “12-16 Main Street Rehabilitation.” Hochul said of the money, “The proposed project involves the rehabilitation of two vacant, mixed-used row buildings in the heart of the town’s commercial district. Upon completion, the project will create two newly renovated commercial spaces and five new affordable housing units.”
The governor said Restore New York supports municipal revitalization efforts across the state, helping to remove blight, reinvigorate downtowns, and generate economic opportunity in communities statewide. The program, administered by Empire State Development, is designed to help local governments revitalize their communities and encourage commercial investment, improve the local housing stock, put properties back on the tax rolls and increase the local tax base.
“These Restore New York grants will help to reimagine downtowns across our state and transform vacant, blighted, and underutilized buildings into vibrant community anchors,” Hochul said. “Thanks to $102 million of state investment, we are breathing new life into communities from Hudson to North Hempstead, jumpstarting new economic activity, and ensuring that New York State continues to be a place where people come to live, work, and raise their families.”
In a release, the state said more than $19 million has been awarded to three municipalities in this round for special projects. The City of Albany will receive $9.75 million for the Central Warehouse project, the Village of Endicott in Broome County will receive $6 million to renovate the former IBM building, and the City of Utica in Oneida County will receive $4 million to rehabilitate the Mayro Building. Special projects are awarded to municipalities where a highly visible and blighted property causes severe economic injury and has a depressing effect on the overall economic development potential of the community.
Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Hope Knight said, “Restore NY invigorates our urban centers and is a vital tool in the economic development tool kit for rebuilding communities that need it most. This funding will help local governments find solutions to blighted buildings so they can move forward towards a more vibrant future.”
