43 Projects Across Nine Regions Will Support Efforts to Reduce Blight, Spur New Investments and Encourage Community Revitalization

Projects Advance Governor's Priorities by Increasing Available Housing and Spurring New Investments in Economic and Community Growth

Governor Kathy Hochul on July 30th, announced that more than $64.1 million has been awarded to 43 projects through the State's Restore New York Communities Initiative. Restore New York supports municipal revitalization efforts with funds to help remove and reduce blight, reinvigorate communities and generate new residential and economic opportunities statewide. The program, administered by Empire State Development, is designed to help local governments encourage new commercial investments through community revitalization, growing local housing, and putting properties back on the tax rolls to increase the local tax base.

“Revitalizing and rehabilitating vacant and blighted areas of our communities brings new energy and investments that support local and regional growth,” Governor Hochul said. “Restore New York helps our municipalities plan for the future by catalyzing economic growth and supporting housing, businesses and cultural spaces. We are further unlocking the potential of these sites and communities across New York."

As Governor Hochul previously announced, Albany County was awarded a $10 million special project designation to support the safe demolition of the Albany Central Warehouse, a large blighted structure alongside I-787 in Albany. The long-vacant Central Warehouse is one of the first landmarks seen when entering the Capital Region, and its removal will encourage new investments and redevelopment of the site in a high growth area.

Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, "Under Governor Hochul's leadership, New York State is building for the future by supporting projects that advance statewide priorities like increasing housing and revitalizing communities. Through the Restore New York Communities Initiative, we are working together with municipalities to remove blight and generate new investments to promote sustainable economic growth."

Highlighted projects from each region are detailed below. View a full list of projects receiving funding here.
The Capital Region was awarded $16 million to support six projects, including:

• The City of Albany was awarded $1.75 million to retrofit 28,000 square-feet of vacant buildings and land at 120 Madison Avenue and 135 South Pearl Street into a mixed-use development. The plan includes 7,500 square-feet of commercial space and 35 residential units including 18 units allocated as affordable housing for residents within 50-80 percent of the area median income.
• The City of Rensselaer was awarded $1.2 million to rehabilitate an empty textile mill on Green Street in a residential part of Downtown Rensselaer. The project includes converting the former Harder woolen mill, vacant since the 1980s, into 32 market rate apartments with associated tenant common space amenities, parking and landscaping.

Central New York was awarded more than $6 million to support five projects, including:

• The City of Albany was awarded $1.75 million to rehabilitate and restore 120 Madison Avenue and 135 South Pearl Street. The rehabilitated 120 Madison Avenue would include 11 mixed-income residential units and four commercial spaces. The project at 135 South Pearl Street includes restoring the building's exterior and adding six mixed-income residential units.
  
  The City of Syracuse was awarded $1.55 million for the removal and/or rehabilitation of up to two blighted properties on Warren Street, one of which is a condemned parking garage that is structurally compromised. This project will leverage nearly $30 million in new total investment, improve approximately 200,000 square feet of underutilized commercial space, spurring additional economic activity and construction that will support access to new affordable housing within the region’s leading employment center.

The Finger Lakes was awarded $6 million to support four projects, including:

• The City of Rochester was awarded $2 million to renovate 65-67 Chestnut Street, a vacant privately-owned structure located on the east side of Center City. The property is near others that have been renovated in the past 10 to 15 years or are soon to be renovated. The buildings will be restored to create 85 affordable and market rate apartments. Additionally, the first two floors will have 9,900 square-feet of office space. The building renovations and their return to full occupancy will contribute to the continued revitalization of the downtown area.
• The Village of Newark was awarded $1 million to support the adaptive reuse of 158,000 square-feet of vacant, historic property in the heart of downtown Newark. As part of the Village's Downtown Revitalization Initiative, the redevelopment will revitalize a large vacant building and include 101 apartments, creating more housing options for individuals and families who want to live and work in the Village.

Long Island was awarded $6 million to support three projects, including:

• The Town of Brookhaven was awarded $2 million for efforts along Neighborhood Road in the Hamlet of Mastic Beach. The proposed project will include approximately 185 multi-family condominium homeownership residential units (including 10% affordable homes), approximately 242,000 square feet of residential space, approximately 14,200 square feet of retail and restaurant space, and approximately 370 structured parking spaces.
• The Village of Hempstead was awarded $3 million to support the demolition of an existing abandoned and underutilized 378,900-square-foot parking structure. This redevelopment will include the creation of 336 market rate apartments and replacement parking, spurring economic activity in downtown Hempstead south of Jackson Street.

The Mid-Hudson region was awarded $6 million to support six projects, including:

• The City of Beacon was awarded $1 million to support the transformation of a neglected former automotive garage located just off Main Street. GarageWORKS Studios will create a vibrant community resource, housing artist studios and spaces for community programming and events, as well as outdoor public space for community gatherings and public art installations.
• The City of Port Jervis was awarded $1.775 million for the demolition and reconstruction of a gutted and privately-owned 22,563 square-foot three-story brick building at 29 Front Street. The circa 1910 structure is located within the central business district and Downtown Revitalization Initiative focus area, and is beyond rehabilitation. The plan is to demolish and rebuild a new, architecturally consistent, high-efficiency insulated concrete form, seven-story mixed-use building with 26 basement storage units, two-to-four commercial spaces on the first floor and 32 variously sized apartments on floors two-through-seven.

The Mohawk Valley was awarded $6 million to support four projects, including:

• The City of Rome was awarded $1.9 million to support the rehabilitation of a 26,000 square-foot vacant industrial building on Railroad Street and Harbor Way, transforming it into a vibrant waterfront site that leverages the region's growing tourism industry with a brewery and entertainment venue. Upon completion, the building will offer three distinct sections: a nearly 7,000 square-foot brewery, a spacious 16,500 square-foot section for industrial/entertainment, and 3,000 square-foot dedicated to maintaining the building, along with an art studio for film/creative design.
• The City of Utica was awarded $2 million to support the redevelopment of the five-story Cronk Building on Hotel Street, which was built in 1920, and has been vacant since the early 2000s. The development team is planning a mixed-use project including 30 apartments, ground floor retail/commercial space and on-site parking.

The North County was awarded more than $6.1 million to support five projects, including:

• The Village of Massena was awarded $2 million to support the restoration of the vacant and blighted 14,000 square-foot Schine Theater on Main Street into a multi-use downtown theater and event center. The plans including flexible seating for movies, concerts and shows, and conference presentations, table seating for cabaret shows and weddings and parties with eating and dancing and potential exhibit and tradeshow space.
• The Village of Tupper Lake was awarded $800,000 to develop a new nine-unit apartment building, replacing an existing vacant, condemned apartment building at 179 Park Street. A vacant single-family home on the adjoining parcel at 185 Park Street will also be rehabilitated.

The Southern Tier was awarded more than $6 million to support five projects, including:

• The City of Ithaca was awarded $1.89 million to support the demolition and reconstruction of three contiguous properties, and to develop a residential apartment building. The project will demolish two vacant commercial buildings totaling 7,900 square feet and reconstruct a 24-unit residential apartment building. The reconstructed four-story building will be approximately 29,000 square feet and contain three stories of housing over ground level enclosed parking.
• The Village of Wayland was awarded more than $1.2 million for efforts to demolish properties on Main Street that were destroyed by a 2022 fire. Funds will assist the property owner/developer, who plans to build 14,000 square feet of mixed-use space, including a licensed daycare facility, coffee shop, restaurant and eight residential housing units on the upper floors.

Western New York was awarded $6 million to support five projects, including:

• Erie County was awarded $1 million to support the new Evergreen Health facility, which will be built on a partially demolished site on Kensington Avenue and will be three stories and approximately 40,000 square feet. It will expand existing primary, behavioral, and specialty health care services and will add a pharmacy and care coordination services, which are both highly sought after in a designated Medically Underserved Area of Buffalo.
• Niagara County was awarded $1.5 million for improvements to the One Niagara building, which is the first thing visitors see from the Rainbow Bridge customs plaza as they enter Niagara Falls. The county plans to invest in windows for this nine-story building, and the six vacant floors of the building can then be ready for the next phase of development that will include entertainment, lodging, food and hospitality.

The next round of the Restore New York program will launch this summer.

These awards complement Governor Hochul’s economic development vision by making strategic investments in communities across the State which revitalize the economy and create more opportunities for New Yorkers. The FY2025 Budget invests an additional $50 million in Restore New York, as well as $100 million for the Downtown Revitalization Initiative and $100 million for NY Forward. These programs help municipalities promote quality of life, foster socio-economic development and create walkable, livable and safer neighborhoods in every corner of the state.