(Sherburne, NY – Dec. 11, 2013) On Dec. 11, Save the Sherburne Inn Restoration Project (SSIRP) was awarded a $500,000 grant from the State of New York to restore the historic Sherburne Inn.
The grant was part of $81.9 million awarded to the Southern Tier Regional Economic Development Council, and part of $715.9 million awarded to the ten regional economic development councils across the state. Of the 87 projects funded in the Southern Tier, only 22 received more funding than SSIRP. A total of eight funded projects are located in Chenango County.
Kathleen Yasas, president of the SSIRP Board of Directors, was informed of the award by a call from Senator James Seward’s office.
“A little over a year ago we were all wondering how we were going to keep The Inn from being torn down,” Yasas said. “Today, I received a phone call telling me that the State of New York believes in our project to the tune of half a million dollars! Needless to say, we are very excited. We have a long way to go, but this is a momentous first step.”
Conceptualized as an economic driver for the village and town of Sherburne, Chenango County, the Southern Tier, and New York State, SSIRP plans to reopen The Inn with sleeping rooms, event space, conference space, a farm-to-table restaurant and bar, a tavern, and retail space for such things as a bakery and coffee shop, a gift shop, and salon. Temporary and permanent part- and full-time jobs will be created both during the restoration and after The Inn has been re-opened.
The project coincides with several of the focal points of the State’s economic development priorities: downtown revitalization, historic preservation, tourism, and local agriculture.
For more information on The Sherburne Inn and SSIRP, visit www.sherburneinn.org. SSIRP is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.