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Governor Hochul Announces
Cape Vincent, Lyons Falls and Waddington as North Country Winners of First
Round of NY Forward Program
Published: January 24, 2023
at 08:00 a.m.
By: Press Release from Governor Hochul’s
Office (Issued January 23, 2023)
Governor Hochul Announces
Cape Vincent, Lyons Falls and Waddington as North Country Winners of First
Round of NY Forward Program
Village of Cape Vincent to Receive $4.5 Million;
Villages of Lyons Falls & Waddington to Receive $2.25 Million Each
New $100 Million NY Forward Program Builds on
Momentum of the Successful Downtown Revitalization Initiative to Support a
More Equitable Downtown Recovery for New York's Smaller and Rural
Communities
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that the Village of Cape Vincent
will receive $4.5 million and the Villages of Lyons Falls and Waddington
will each receive $2.25 million in funding as the North Country region
winners of the first round of NY Forward. Building on the momentum of the
State's successful Downtown Revitalization Initiative, the $100 million NY
Forward program adopts the same "Plan-then-Act" strategy as the
DRI to support a more equitable downtown recovery for New York's smaller
and rural communities. As part of NY Forward Round One, two to three awards
will be made to smaller communities in each of the state's ten economic
development regions to support development and implementation of
revitalization plans for their downtowns.
"My
administration is committed to making sure all of New York's communities
thrive, and strategic investments like this will help smaller and rural
communities reach their full potential," Governor Hochul said. "We are thrilled to see these
funds go towards Cape Vincent, Lyons Falls and Waddington, and look forward
to getting projects underway that will strengthen their downtowns."
NY Forward is a
central component of the State's economic development efforts, working
together with the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI), to accelerate
and expand the revitalization of New York's downtowns. NY Forward serves
smaller communities with historic character that distinguishes them from
the larger, more urban central business districts typically funded through
DRI. NY Forward communities are walkable, less dense areas that serve the
immediate local community, and are more local in nature - focusing on the
immediately surrounding residential or rural agricultural centric
development.
Like DRI, each NY
Forward community will develop a Strategic Investment Plan to revitalize
its downtown through a slate of readily implementable projects. The
Department of State will provide enhanced technical assistance to better
support smaller communities and fund projects appropriately scaled to the
size of each community. Projects may include building renovation and
redevelopment, new construction or creation of new
or improved public spaces and other projects that elevate specific
cultural, historical qualities.
Cape Vincent
The Village of Cape Vincent is a small-town, rural community with unique
scenic, historical and natural resources. Cape
Vincent's downtown is a commercial and residential area. A Village Green
where concerts and other activities are held sits at the center, and the
St. Lawrence River runs parallel to the downtown's main thoroughfare. Many
private and public investments within the village are underway
,creating momentum for additional revitalization efforts, and the
Village is committed to preserving the essential qualities that make it a
desirable place to live while improving the local economy by promoting
compatible residential and small business growth. To realize its vision for
revitalization, Cape Vincent seeks to create safer streets and enhance
gateways to the community, improve an international port of entry, develop
mixed-use and multi-story buildings and improve
connectivity to the waterfront.
Lyons Falls
The Village of Lyons Falls is located at the confluence of Moose and Black
River and is situated on a 70-foot waterfall. The Village has undergone
significant changes over the past 20 years with the closure of the Lyons
Falls Pulp and Paper Mill, but recent public and private investment, local
planning efforts and infrastructure improvements have begun to spur
redevelopment. The Village seeks to build on these efforts by increasing
recreational tourism opportunities focused on the Moose and Black Rivers,
spurring economic development and celebrating the
rich history and beauty of the area.
Waddington
Waddington's downtown is a well-defined, compact
and walkable business district intertwined with single and multiple family
residential structures along with an eclectic mixture of 19th century wood
and stone multi-story buildings and 20th century utilitarian architecture
ready for redevelopment. Lifestyle and work habits changed by the COVID-19
pandemic have made Waddington an attractive location for residents of all
ages, resulting in public and private investments that have further created
economic opportunities within the downtown. Waddington seeks to build on
these investments by enhancing streetscapes and wayfinding, redeveloping
historical mixed-use buildings and connecting the
downtown to the waterfront.
Secretary of
State Robert J. Rodriguez said, "New York's new and innovative
downtown revitalization program, NY Forward, supports a more equitable
recovery for our state's smaller downtown communities. Cape Vincent, Lyons
Falls and Waddington all have the historic small-town charm and scenic
natural resources, combined with future growth potential, that make them
ideal communities to receive NY Forward funding. I look forward to seeing
each community's strategic plans to realize the full potential of these
downtowns."
Empire State
Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope knight said, "As
the North Country's first-round NY Forward recipients, the Villages of Cape
Vincent, Lyons Falls and Waddington represent the beauty and charm of these
small and rural communities that make them wonderful places to live, work
and visit. Locally led strategic plans will lead to projects aimed at
increasing the economic health and vibrancy of the villages, while
preserving what makes them unique."
North Country
Regional Economic Development Council Co-Chair James McKenna said, "On
behalf of the Council, thanks to Governor Hochul
for supporting smaller communities through the NY Forward program. Through
the NY Forward program, the projects supported through the funding awarded
to Cape Vincent, Lyons Falls and Waddington will catalyze new investments
and growth, generating further regional economic development."
State Senator Dan
Stec said, "Waddington is a town with a
great deal of potential and opportunity for further growth and development.
The NY Forward funding announced today will help the community strengthen
its public spaces and boost its local economy. This will have a positive
impact on Waddington families and businesses alike."
Assemblymember
Scott Gray said, "It is welcome news that the villages of
Cape Vincent and Waddington will both be receiving funding from the NY
Forward program. I look forward to working with the Department of State and
local elected officials in offering any assistance needed with these
revitalization projects to help ensure the future prosperity of both
villages."
Assemblymember
Ken Blankenbush said, "The village
of Lyons Falls will benefit greatly from this NY Forward funding. It is
critical that we give equal attention to our small rural communities as we
do to the big cities. I look forward to seeing the revitalization projects
that will take place in Lyons Falls and how they will help its continued
success."
Waddington Mayor
Mike Zagrobelny said, "The
NY Forward award will be a game changer for Waddington,
and build on the incredible work that local residents and business
owners have done for years. As Mayor of Waddington, I am grateful to
Governor Hochul and her clear commitment to
rebuilding and strengthening the economy not only in in Waddington but
throughout the North Country. Our successful application would not have
been possible without the hard work of the small committee of local residents who created the draft. Their commitment
to community, innovative thought, and cooperative work in completing this
application is just one example of the generosity and volunteerism that
makes Waddington such a special place. Residents and visitors to Waddington
past and present have long recognized Waddington as the hidden gem of the
St. Lawrence River. Thanks to Governor Hochul's
recognition and support of the NY Forward program, Waddington will continue
to shine even brighter."
Village of Cape
Vincent Mayor Jerry Golden said, "It is very exciting news for
Cape Vincent to be honored with an award from New York Forward this year.
We have been investing so much in our community not only with money but
hard work to make our community special for not only our residents for for all that visit us througout
the year. We are all very thankful to the commission and Governor Hochul for honoring us with this ward. Thank you."
Village of Lyons
Falls Mayor Donna Dolhof said, "We
are so grateful to New York State for its investment in our small
community. This grant is a game changer for our Village
and we are excited to use these funds to move our economic development plan
forward"
The North Country
Regional Economic Development Council conducted a thorough and competitive
review process of proposals submitted from communities throughout the
region and considered the criteria below before recommending these
communities as nominees:
- The downtown should be compact, with well-defined
boundaries;
- The downtown is able to capitalize on prior
or catalyze future private and public investment in the neighborhood
and its surrounding areas;
- There should be recent or impending job
growth within, or in close proximity to the downtown that can attract
workers to the downtown, support redevelopment and make growth sustainable;
- The downtown must be an attractive and
livable community for diverse populations of all ages, income, gender,
identity, ability, mobility and cultural background;
- The municipality should already embrace or
have the ability to create and implement policies that increase
livability and quality of life;
- The municipality should have conducted an
open and robust community engagement process resulting in a vision for
downtown revitalization and a preliminary list of projects and
initiatives that may be included in a Strategic Investment Plan;
- The municipality has identied
transformative projects that will be ready for near-term
implementation with an infusion of NY Forward funds; and
- The municipality has the local capacity to
manage the planning process and implementation of projects, including
the ability to oversee contracts for awarded municipal projects.
Cape Vincent,
Lyons Falls and Waddington will now begin the process of developing
Strategic Investment Plans to revitalize their downtowns. A Local Planning
Committee made up of municipal representatives, community leaders and other
stakeholders will lead these eorts, supported by
a team of private sector experts and state planners. The Strategic
Investment Plan will examine local assets and opportunities to identify
projects that align with each community's vision and that are poised for
implementation. Funding will be awarded for selected projects that have the
greatest potential to jumpstart revitalization and generate new
opportunities for long-term growth.
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