Schoharie Announces Next Local Planning Committee Meetings for the Downtown Revitalization Initiative DRI

SCHOHARIE - The fourth Local Planning Committee (LPC) meeting for the Schoharie Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) will be held on Monday, August 25th from 4:00  - 6:00 PM at 300 Main Street in Schoharie. The LPC will review feedback received from  

the public during outreach events in August and will continue their discussions on  potential DRI projects. All LPC meetings are open to public observers. 

Potential DRI projects were first presented at the LPC meeting on August 4th. The  project ideas were then presented for comment at a public Open House later that same  day. Community members who were unable to attend the Open House were able to share their thoughts on the projects via an online survey between August 5th and August  18th.  

The NYS Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) provides state funding to New York  communities to foster vibrant downtowns. The ultimate goal of the DRI is to fund  projects that will help transform downtowns into places where New Yorkers want to  live, work, and raise families. 

As the Round Eight DRI winner for the Mohawk Valley, the Village of Schoharie receives $10 million in funding from New York State Governor Kathy Hochul to develop  and implement a Strategic Investment Plan for the downtown revitalization area. A  Local Planning Committee with community representatives is leading the development  of the Plan, supported by a team of experts.  

A fifth LPC meeting is scheduled for September 29th from 4:00 - 6:00 PM at 300 Main  Street. This meeting is expected to focus on the evaluation of potential DRI projects. 

To learn more about public engagement opportunities, the Schoharie DRI program, or  to subscribe to the mailing list, the public can visit  

https://www.villageofschohariedri.com/.

For any questions regarding meeting accessibility, the LPC, or DRI, please contact New  York State Department of State (DOS) Project Manager Stefan Lutter at  Stefan.Lutter@dos.ny.gov. 

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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, NYS Homes and Community  Renewal, NYSERDA, and NYS Department of Transportation, 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 rebuild its economy from the effects of the  COVID-19 pandemic, 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 eight  rounds, the DRI will have awarded a total of $900 million to 89 communities across  every region of the State. 

Participating communities are nominated by the state's 10 Regional Economic  Development Councils based on the downtown's potential for transformation. Each  community is awarded $10 million to develop a downtown strategic investment plan and  implement key catalytic projects that advance the community's vision for revitalization  and leverage additional private and public investments. 

More information on the DRI is available at www.ny.gov/programs/downtown revitalization-initiative.