Poughkeepsie, Nyack, Dobbs Ferry To Share $19M in Development Grants
ALBANY—New York State officials announced on Tuesday that the City of Poughkeepsie will receive $10 million in funding as the Mid-Hudson winner of the eighth round of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative, and the villages of Nyack and Dobbs Ferry will each receive $4.5 million as the Mid-Hudson winners of the third round of NY Forward.
The funding awards were announced at a ceremony in Poughkeepsie on Tues., March 11. Among the dignitaries at the event were New York Secretary of State Walter T. Mosely, who was joined by business and political leaders. To receive funding from either the DRI or NY Forward program, localities must be certified under Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Pro-Housing Communities Program—an innovative policy created to recognize and reward municipalities actively working to unlock their housing potential. Gov. Hochul’s Pro-Housing Communities initiative allocates up to $650 million each year in discretionary funds for communities that pledge to increase their housing supply. So far, 287 communities across New York have been certified as Pro-Housing Communities.
The $10-million award will focus on downtown revitalization initiatives in Downtown Poughkeepsie, which boasts a host of entertainment and hospitality venues. These include the Bardavon 1869 Opera House, the Chance Theatre, the Mid-Hudson Civic Center and the former Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel. The city hopes to transform its Main Street Corridor into a thriving multi-modal transportation link to all critical assets and attractions in the city, state officials noted.
Nyack officials hope to leverage the $4.5-million NY Forward award and its history and geography to attract further investment in business growth, affordable housing, gateway improvement and equitable access to the waterfront.
The Village of Dobbs Farry seeks to fully realize its potential by redeveloping and improving key properties and opening space in the downtown area and the pedestrian corridor linking the Metro-North station to the downtown. The Village will also expand economic opportunities and create a more sustainable, walkable and vibrant downtown with the help of the $4.5-million NY Forward funding.
Poughkeepsie, Nyack and Dobbs Ferry will now begin the process of developing a Strategic Investment Plan to revitalize their downtowns. A Local Planning Committee made up of municipal representatives, community leaders and other stakeholders will lead the effort, supported by a team of private sector experts and state planners. The Strategic Investment Plan will guide the investment of DRI and NY Forward grant funds in revitalization projects that are poised for implementation, will advance the community’s vision for their downtown and that can leverage and expand upon the state’s investment, state officials said.