How MARK Lifted the Central Catskills This Past Year

Submitted by Peg Ellsworth

In these challenging economic times, our communities have continued to move forward and create positive change. This past year has been one of the most transformative in the history of the MARK Project. Across the Central Catskills—in every valley and on every Main Street we serve—there has been a shared sense of rebuilding, imagining, and rising together.

In 2025, MARK continued critical recovery work following Tropical Storm Debbie and provided resources for much-needed repairs to income-eligible, owner-occupied homes. At the same time, we remained focused on restoring iconic historic spaces and revitalizing Main Streets, strengthening the local workforce, and expanding housing opportunities that will support our region’s growth in the years ahead.

Throughout it all, the MARK Project has acted as both a steady hand and a visionary partner—unwavering in our belief that small rural communities can thrive when they are given the tools, resources, and dignity they deserve.

In the wake of Tropical Storm Debbie, MARK became a lifeline for homeowners who had lost so much, stepping in as the region’s trusted disaster recovery administrator. Through the Resilient & Ready Home Repair Program, we guided families through insurance hurdles, damage assessments, and construction processes, delivering up to $50,000 per household to restore safety and habitability. At the same time, our ongoing Community Development Block Grant programs in Middletown and Roxbury helped preserve existing housing stock by providing income-eligible homeowners with essential resources to repair and maintain their full-time residences. For many families, these repairs made the difference between staying in the communities they love and being forced to leave.

We also invested in the people who keep our homes and neighborhoods safe. With support from New York State Homes and Community Renewal, and in partnership with Western Catskills Community Revitalization Corporation, RUPCO, Delaware Opportunities, and Schoharie County Rural Preservation Company, MARK helped certify dozens of contractors, supervisors, and firms in EPA-required lead abatement. This effort not only expands local workforce capacity but also ensures that federal housing repair dollars can flow more quickly, safely, and efficiently into our communities for years to come.

Housing—long one of our region’s greatest challenges—also saw meaningful progress. Through the work of MARK’s Housing Development Coordinator, we identified multi-site housing opportunities, supported the rehabilitation of 10 Church Street, and laid the groundwork for new rental units and vacant-property revitalization across our service area. These projects, while complex, reflect a simple truth: our communities cannot grow unless the people who work here, teach here, and raise families here can afford to live here.

The Inn at Kirkside—a project years in the making—moved from vision to construction, supported by strong state, local, and community investment and partnership. Soon, the historic Kirkside Mansion will stand as a teaching kitchen, restaurant, and hospitality training center where residents can learn, work, innovate, and launch new careers. The redevelopment of Kirkside is not simply a construction project; it is an act of stewardship—honoring the past while preparing the next generation for meaningful opportunities, advancing green technologies, and supporting sustainable food systems.

Over the past several months, the MARK Project has also been helping prepare the communities of Grand Gorge and Roxbury as they await project contracts associated with their 2024 $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) award. In addition, we submitted several grant applications throughout the year. While not all were successful, we continue to revisit and resubmit applications when appropriate, and we worked collaboratively with the Village of Margaretville on its NY Forward application and other funding opportunities.

While strengthening the hands-on work of construction, planning, and development, we also embraced the future. Once again with the assistance of New York State Homes and Community Renewal, our AI Workshop for small businesses and nonprofits brought national expertise to Margaretville, offering practical and accessible tools to help local organizations adapt, innovate, and become more resilient.

Across all of this work, one theme has remained constant: collaboration. From Town and Village boards to state agencies, from local business owners to long-standing community volunteers, none of these accomplishments belong to MARK alone. They belong to all of us—each person who showed up, shared ideas, pushed through obstacles, and believed that our region deserves to thrive.

As we look to the year ahead, we carry this momentum forward with gratitude and purpose. Upcoming work includes a newly funded Fleischmanns Main Street Program, a Vacant Rental Rehabilitation Program serving the entire region, the 10 Church Street rehabilitation, the Grand Gorge–Roxbury Small Project Fund, the Grand Gorge–Roxbury Streetscape Project, and Civic Center Rehabilitation as part of the larger DRI award.

Together, we are rebuilding more than structures—we are strengthening community, expanding opportunity, and shaping a future worthy of the place we call home.

In closing, MARK will always respect the public’s right to ask questions and expect transparency from community organizations. At the same time, we encourage responsible dialogue rooted in facts. If you have concerns, we invite you to reach out to us directly through the appropriate channels. We remain firmly committed to ethical governance, transparency, and serving our community with integrity.

Here’s to a happy and healthy 2026.