Village of Owego seeks projects for Downtown Revitalization Initiative $10M award

OWEGO, N.Y. — Following the community’s win in the state’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) contest, the Village of Owego now wants suggestions as to how to spend the $10 million in funding.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Aug. 23 announced Owego as the Southern Tier winner in the third round of DRI contest.

The Southern Tier Regional Economic Development Council had recommended the Village of Owego as a nominee to win the $10 million grant award, Cuomo’s office said.

The Owego local-planning committee (LPC) has issued an open call for potential DRI projects to seek proposals for privately sponsored projects “to be considered for DRI funding,” Tioga County said in a news release issued Thursday.

Committee members want to hear from those who have “potential transformative” projects on private sites that provide economic and community benefits. The process will enable the LPC to “fully vet” private projects that could impact Owego’s downtown area “in a uniform, open and transparent process.”

Submissions should include capital/construction projects; business expansion or creation projects; and renovation of existing buildings on private sites.

They should “demonstrate commitment” of private-funding sources and discuss the project’s “transformative nature and potential community benefits.”

The LPC says it encourages new ideas, along with “established project concepts.”

All submissions should include “as much information as possible” on potential projects in order to demonstrate that the idea is feasible and will have a meaningful impact on downtown Owego. After submission, the Owego LPC and its consultant team, led by New York City–based BFJ Planning, will work with project sponsors to gather additional information as needed.

All requirements for submissions can be found in the “Open Call” for potential DRI projects. Hard copies of the “Open Call” for projects are also available at the Village office at 178 Main St. in Owego and the Tioga County Economic Development & Planning office at 56 Main St. in Owego.

Those interested can email project submissions to OwegoDRI3@gmail.com by Dec. 7. The consultant team will hold “office hours” to discuss questions about potential submissions on Nov. 14 from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Tioga County Office Building, 56 Main St. in the second floor conference room. In addition, questions on the Open Call can be sent via email by Nov. 16.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com