Sharon Springs has the good news we didn’t even know we were waiting for:
It’s the winner of one of the Mohawk Valley’s New York Forward grants, $2.5 million for Main Street economic development.
The official unveiling of the winners will be today, Thursday, at the Hall of Fame, leading to speculation that Cooperstown is also a winner, maybe even of the region’s $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant.
“How cool would that be?” said Sharon Springs Mayor Doug Plummer.
Sharon Springs was a last-minute applicant for the NY Forward grant—the Village of Schoharie applied too—and has been watching as Governor Kathy Hochul has crossed the state, making the awards.
SEEC has been watching too; Tuesday, Executive Director Julie Pacatte was the first to get and share the news.
“I’m in shock,” said Deputy Mayor Denise Kelly. “And a little bit terrified.”
Modeled after the DRI for urban areas, the $100 million NY Forward is awarding up to three $2.25 million to $4.5 million grants to smaller rural communities in each of the state’s 10 Economic Development Regions.
Sharon Springs has applied for the DRI grant twice—unsuccessfully—but Mayor Plummer said he believes that’s one of the reasons they’re a NY Forward winner.
“They don’t give DRI monies to little municipalities, and I understand,” he said. “But it showed the state we’re serious, and when we were told, ‘Mayor, I need you to apply for this,’ we knew what to do.”
Almost immediately—they had two weeks--the village gathered businesses together to come up with a list of possible projects and a narrative.
They’ll bring those businesses and community members together again as the state sends in a planner to help define and develop specific projects.
There will be a required match for the $2.5 million—the program and the news are so new no one knows what it is—but to apply, Sharon Springs needed to come up with a list of $3.5 million in possible projects.
On the list is a low-interest business loan fund for things like façade and HVAC work, paving and lighting at Chalybeate Park, and work at the Sharon Museum, up and down Main Street.
“The community gets to decide,” Mayor Plummer said, “but it’s going to be transformative. It’s going to benefit the community for generations to come.
“I’m just so damn proud of this little village of 500 people and grateful for the Governor for investing in us.”