ALBANY, N.Y. — New York will offer a fifth round of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) with $200 million available for communities across the 10 Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) regions. The funding seeks to “bring new life to their downtowns through a comprehensive strategic planning process,” followed by the implementation of key projects,” the […]
ALBANY, N.Y. — New York will offer a fifth round of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) with $200 million available for communities across the 10 Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) regions.
The funding seeks to “bring new life to their downtowns through a comprehensive strategic planning process,” followed by the implementation of key projects,” the New York governor’s office announced.
As part of DRI’s fifth round, the state will announce up to two funding awards — for a total of $20 million — per REDC region.
REDCs will decide whether to nominate two $10 million awardees or one $20 million awardee for downtown-redevelopment projects upon review of the submitted applications.
As is the case with past DRI rounds, each selected community will develop a plan that “articulates a vision for the revitalization” of its downtown and identifies a list of projects. The state will then award DRI funds for selected projects that have the “greatest potential to jumpstart revitalization and realize the community’s vision for the downtown,” per the governor’s office.
Applying
Applications for DRI’s fifth round — which are available on the DRI website — should be submitted to the appropriate Regional Economic Development Council by Sept. 15. All applications should be submitted with a $10 million award in mind but may indicate that they would also like to be considered for a $20 million award. Applicants that indicate interest in being considered for a $20 million award must respond to supplemental application questions in which they describe and confirm “specific transformative or catalytic” DRI projects and “demonstrate the readiness of those projects and local capacity to manage” the full $20 million in DRI funds.
New York Secretary of State Rossana Rosado is leading the initiative. Communities receive support from private-sector experts and a team of state-agency staff led by the New York State Department of State in partnership with Empire State Development and New York State Homes and Community Renewal.
About DRI, past regional winners
Launched in 2016, the Downtown Revitalization Initiative seeks to “accelerate and expand the revitalization of downtowns and neighborhoods to serve as centers of activity and catalysts for investment in all 10 regions of the state,” the state says.
New York has awarded DRI funding to communities across upstate New York. By region, the recipients have included in Central New York (Oswego, Cortland, Auburn, and Fulton); in the Mohawk Valley (Oneonta, Rome, Amsterdam, and Utica); in the Southern Tier (Elmira, Watkins Glen, Owego, and Hornell); in the North Country (Plattsburgh, Watertown, Saranac Lake, and Potsdam) and in the Finger Lakes (Geneva, Batavia, Penn Yan, and Seneca Falls).