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State Announces 10 Projects to Receive Village of Lowville’s
$10M Downtown Revitalization Initiative Award Funding
Published: May 15, 2025 at
02:45 p.m.
Ten projects were
announced as the recipients of the Village of Lowville’s $10 million-dollar
Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) award funding in a press release from Governor Kathy Hochul today. The
projects, as outlined in the release, are included below.
Project Renderings can be viewed here.
Village of
Lowville $10M DRI Project
As the “urban
heart” of Lewis County, the Village of Lowville seeks to preserve and
enhance its small-town, rural charm, while diversifying and expanding its
economic base in ways consistent with its unique character. The
Village’s DRI projects are focused on transforming its downtown
into a more vibrant neighborhood through private and public sector project
opportunities that will achieve its vision for the downtown. Lowville’s
investments will build on its past and ongoing efforts to make the downtown
a regional center for business and culture, drawing on its position as the
“intersection corridor of the Thousand Islands, the Tug Hill Plateau and
the Adirondack Mountains.”
The 10
Lowville DRI projects, totaling $9.7 million, include:
- Improve Access and Parking at Veteran’s
Memorial Park Creating a Safe and Inviting Space ($2,848,000): Reconfigure the parking lot at Veteran’s
Memorial Park to create a welcoming gateway, improving access and
increasing pedestrian safety. Key features include an improved
entrance from State Street, curb bump-outs, upgraded sidewalks,
green infrastructure for stormwater management, and new street trees.
A formal monument sign will mark the park entrance, while parking
improvements on Parkway Drive will optimize access and aesthetics.
- Revitalize State Street to Enhance Safety,
Accessibility, and Aesthetics in Downtown Lowville ($1,711,000): Enhance safety, accessibility and aesthetics
through the installation of high-visibility crosswalks, curb
bump-outs, Rectangular Rapid Flash Beacons, street tree plantings and
green infrastructure to manage stormwater runoff and beautify the
area.
- Renovate the Stevens Block to Create Market
Rate Apartments at 7623 N State Street ($1,558,000): Renovate an abandoned space at 7623 N State
Street, creating market-rate residential units on the upper floors,
with comprehensive upgrades including a new vestibule, stairwell,
energy-efficient systems and exterior improvements.
- Restore the Historic Keller Red Building to
Create a Mixed-Use Commercial and Residential Space
($1,193,000): Preserve
a historic downtown building by renovating its second and third
stories into commercial and residential spaces, establishing a professional office space, enhancing meeting
capabilities for Naturally Lewis, and upgrading the building’s
structural, mechanical, and safety systems.
- Rehabilitate the Historic Masonic Temple into
an Efficient Community Hub ($776,000): Rehabilitate the historic National
Register-listed Masonic Temple building in downtown Lowville,
enhancing its role as a center for historical preservation, education,
and cultural activities while modernizing its facilities for energy
efficiency to serve the community and promote heritage tourism.
- Establish a Small Project Fund to Enhance
Downtown Lowville ($400,000): The Small Project Fund will support smaller projects in
downtown Lowville with improvements such as facade restoration and
improvement, interior renovation, signage, public art, and business
assistance.
- Develop a Downtown Branding and Wayfinding
Strategy to Enhance Lowville’s Identity ($358,000): Revitalize its downtown area through a
comprehensive initiative that includes a branding and marketing
strategy, a wayfinding signage system, and interpretive elements that
highlight local history.
- Reimagine Veteran’s Park to create Community
Space with Modern Amenities and Enhanced Accessibility
($320,000): Upgrade
Veteran’s Park with improvements that aim to create a vibrant and
accessible community space.
- Restore the Historic Town Hall Theater into a
Community Asset ($294,000): Restore a historic building to its original state while
modernizing its functionality, including facade restoration, window
replacement, interior renovations, stage construction, and
technological upgrades to create a versatile cultural center for the
community.
- Reopen 5423 Shady Avenue to Create a
Mixed-Use Building ($242,000): Renovate the second floor into a functional law office,
restoring the building’s integrity, while transforming the long-vacant
third floor into safe, and affordable mid to
long-term housing.
Village of
Lowville Mayor Dan Salmon said, “First, on behalf of the
Village of Lowville Board of Trustees, its residents, and
the DRI committee, I would like to thank Governor Hochul and
staff for this gift. We are excited to receive the announcement of
the DRI project awards that will enhance our community.”
DRI and NY
Forward communities developed Strategic Implementation Plans (SIPs), which
create a vision for the future of their downtown and identify and recommend
a slate of complementary, transformative and implementable projects that
support that vision. The SIPs are guided by a Local Planning
Committee (LPC) comprised of local and regional leaders, stakeholders and
community representatives, with the assistance of an assigned consultant
and DOS staff, all of whom conduct extensive community outreach and engagement
when determining projects. The projects selected for funding from the SIP were identified as having the greatest potential
to jumpstart revitalization and generate new opportunities for long-term
growth.
About the
Downtown Revitalization Initiative
The Downtown Revitalization Initiative was created in
2016 to accelerate and expand the revitalization of downtowns and
neighborhoods in all ten regions of the state to serve as centers of
activity and catalysts for investment. Led by the Department of State with
assistance from Empire State Development, Homes and Community Renewal and
NYSERDA, the DRI represents an unprecedented and innovative
"plan-then-act" strategy that couples strategic planning with
immediate implementation and results in compact, walkable downtowns that
are a key ingredient to helping New York State strengthen its economy, as
well as to achieving the State's bold climate goals by promoting the use of
public transit and reducing dependence on private vehicles. Through nine
rounds, the DRI has awarded a total of $900 million to 91
communities across every region of the State.
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