DRYDEN — The Village of Dryden was selected by the Southern Tier Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) to receive a $4.5 million award through the NY Forward (NYF) program. Investment from this program will allow Dryden to develop a Strategic Investment Plan (SIP) and implement transformative projects in Dryden’s downtown, according to a press release by the village.
“It’s a great way to revitalize, our main street on West Main Street is one of the main focuses,” Dryden Mayor Mike Murphy said. “Our focus is on other places too, but that’s the main focus because that’s the oldest. Most of it was built in the 1800s. There could use some real change.”
The first Local Planning Committee (LPC) meeting is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Dryden Village Hall upstairs, located at 16 South St., Dryden. Use the George St. entrance. The meeting is open to the public and will include an opportunity for public comment at the conclusion of the meeting.
The meeting will provide an overview of the NY Forward program and planning process, define the LPC’s role and responsibilities, review Dryden’s NY Forward application and facilitate a discussion related to the vision and goals for Dryden’s NY Forward program. The LPC will oversee the planning process and development of the SIP.
“The state since 2016 gave DRI (Downtown Revitalization Initiative grants), and three years ago they started giving grants for villages to revitalize their community. And the DRIs were $10 million grants and the village one is typically $4.5 million,” Murphy said. “There’ll be more meetings, and other meetings will be how you can propose to have grant money for your project. Whether it be to put windows into your main street building, or a roof, whatever you think you need. And it’s not guaranteed that you get it, but we go through the process, then we send it to Albany and Albany says ‘yup, that’s a good project. OK, we’ll give you money, or nope, sorry.’”
Murphy said the Wednesday meeting will be a presentation of how the program works and recommended anyone looking to receive grant money should attend.
“The process that we’re going through is, the local community will be looking at what type of projects there are, and reviewing them and helping people create them so they can go after the grant money,” Murphy said.
“It’s a matching money. So, the owners contribute a small amount of money percentage wise and the big percentage of grant money is from the state,” he said. “And since it’s their money, they make the final decision, but what we’re looking for is people to learn how they can go about applying whether they’re trying to remodel the upstairs of main street, the building is closed because of safety. They’d like some money to help revitalize it so they can turn it back into apartments. That’s one example.”
Murphy said the matching ratio has not been determined, but likely by the second meeting it will be.
“They typically have like, six meetings with the public and the local committee, and during that process they find the percentage,” he said.
For more information on the NY Forward program and upcoming opportunities for public involvement, visit drydennyf.com. Materials presented at the LPC meetings will also be available on the project website, for those who cannot attend in person.
For more information on the press release, contact Village Clerk/Treasurer Rotha Marsh at 607-844-8122 or via email at villageclerk@drydenvillageny.gov.
