Warren Co. to help Wbg. in quest to revitalize its downtown

WARRENSBURG | Town of Warrensburg officials have "heavy hitters" on their team as they seek grant money for revitalizing a quarter-mile stretch of downtown storefronts. The Warren County Planning Department will be working with an experienced Rochester municipal planning firm on studying how a core area of Warrensburg's downtown could be transformed to boost economic activity and enhance local quality of life. Aug.17, Warren County Planner Ethan Gaddy explained that he and his Rochester counterparts, who have been quite successful in obtaining downtown revitalization grants, will be documenting the existing conditions and redevelopment opportunities on Main Street in Warrensburg under the state's new initiative, New York Forward. Town Supervisor Kevin Geraghty said the focus will be primarily between the road's intersection with Richards Ave. and Second Street. New York Forward, the sixth round of the state's Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI), provides mini-grants to businesses to make upgrades to their storefronts. The program is intended to transform downtown neighborhoods into vibrant centers of urban life, with the grants prompting business owners to upgrade their buildings and expand, as well as attracting new enterprises to relocate in Warrensburg. While the prior rounds of the DRI have focused on large and medium-sized cities, New York Forward is targeting small cities and rural communities. The state's Regional Economic Development councils will be choosing the 10 communities to be assisted. Gaddy said he and the Rochester consultants believe Warrensuburg will rate high among the applicants for assistance. "We have looked at Warrensburg's Main Street, and we saw that downtown has storefronts with great potential and charming historic buildings as well as an incredible traffic count," Gaddy said. 'Warrensburg is truly the 'Gateway to the Adirondacks— and it has incredible potential." At the August town board meeting, Geraghty said he was pleased that Gaddy and the Rochester planning consultants were enthusiastic about prospects of boosting Warrensburg's ambiance and economy. "It's a good initiative and Warren County is quite successful in obtaining this type of grant," he said. MORE RESIDENTIAL APPLICANTS SOUGHT In another unrelated potential local revitalization effort, Warrensburg town leaders urged that additional local property owners interested in repairing or rehabilitating their houses fill out a pre-application for financial assistance. Geraghty said that to date, about 30 homeowners have done so, but with more people registering, Warrensburg's chances of receiving $400,000 from the state for the mini-grants would be improved. At the meeting, former town Board member and real estate broker Linda Marcella praised the town board for pursuing the initiative. "I'm so excited about this — For many years, we were talking about finding a way to help lower-income homeowners fix up their houses...people who may never otherwise have the money to do it," she said. "It's wonderful they may have this opportunity." People seeking information about this home repair/rehabilitation program can contact Janet Tallman of the Warrensburg Economic Development Committee at: janettallman@yahoo.com or visit the Warrensburg Town Clerk's office to obtain a pre-application.

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Warren Co. to help Wbg. in quest to revitalize its downtown

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