The Seneca Falls Development Corporation (SFDC) is inviting Seneca Falls residents, business owners, and community leaders to a public Community Workshop to discuss and gather potential projects for inclusion in this year’s $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) grant application.
The open meeting will take place from 6:00pm-7:00pm on Wednesday, May 8th at the Seneca Falls Community Center, located at 35 Water Street in Seneca Falls.
In 2018, Seneca Falls was selected as a Finalist in the Finger Lakes Region for the $10 million award. Encouraged by the feedback received after last year’s process, the SFDC is looking to continue to involve the community as they prepare the 2019 DRI application.
New York State’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative seeks to “transform communities ripe for development into vibrant neighborhoods where the next generation of New Yorkers will want to live, work, and raise a family.”
“With the DRI’s purpose echoing our Town’s interests,” says SFDC Director, Greg Zellers, “we plan on hosting a series of community workshops to discuss and outline potential DRI-related projects.”
State funding secured through the DRI can be used towards eligible capital projects that have the potential to spark economic vitality and growth in the downtown area. Guided by the framework of the recently-adopted Seneca Falls Economic Development Plan, core project goals may include:
- Improve Seneca Falls’ downtown as a source of economic growth by expanding current businesses, attracting new businesses, and developing housing opportunities;
- Retain and attract a diverse group of people of all ages, ethnicities, and incomes;
- Enhance the quality of life for Seneca Falls residents;
- Ensure that growth and investment projects align with the Economic Development Plan
“Together, we can work to make Seneca Falls a thriving downtown corridor once again,” added SFDC Board Chair, Joell Murney-Karsten, “and we invite the community to add their ideas, projects, and priorities so we can assemble a master list of projects to consider for inclusion.”
The SFDC has made the DRI Worksheet available online so that interested community members can either come to the meeting with a completed worksheet or send it separately to the SFDC prior to April 30th should they not be able to attend in person. Attendance is not required to submit project ideas for consideration.
Subsequent community workshops will discuss viable project ideas to help narrow the prospective list ahead of the application’s submission.
The DRI worksheet can be viewed, printed, or downloaded at:
http://senecafallsdevcorp.org/dri
To ensure suitable space, those interested in attending the workshop are encouraged to inquire or RSVP via email at greg@senecafallsdevcorp.org or by telephone at (315) 338-4359.