Downtown-focused NY Forward Program award to bring $4.5 million to village
The first Public Meeting for the Village of Canastota’s NY Forward planning process will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, May 30, 2024, in the Roberts Street Junior-Senior High School cafeteria at 101 Roberts St. This is an opportunity for residents and business owners to learn more about the village’s $4.5 million NY Forward award which will support downtown revitalization. The meeting will include a brief presentation about the NY Forward program and the village’s successful application, followed by an interactive session to hear from attendees about their vision and goals for the downtown area and to identify local opportunities and needs.
In addition to the public meeting, the consultant team will also be hosting drop-in office hours from noon to 2 p.m. May 30 in the former Red Onion storefront at the corner of South Peterboro and Center streets. Anyone who cannot attend the public meeting is invited to stop by, learn more about the NY Forward award and share ideas for downtown. Property and business owners who have a potential project are encouraged to ask questions about the process.
Canastota is one of two communities in the Central New York region to be selected for round two of the NY Forward program. Canastota was selected for a $4.5 million award to complete transformative or catalytic projects in and near downtown. The NY Forward program provides robust capacity-building and technical assistance directly to communities throughout each phase of the process. The NY Forward planning process is guided by a local planning committee comprised of diverse community stakeholders.
NY Forward was launched in 2022 to support a more equitable downtown recovery for New York’s smaller communities with a focus on hamlets, villages and neighborhood-scale commercial centers. NY Forward is led by the Department of State in partnership with Empire State Development, state Homes and Community Renewal and the state Energy Research and Development Authority.
For more information, visit ny.gov/programs/ny-forward or canastota.com.