What would you do with $10 million?
The Village of Schoharie will let you know.
Because Schoharie is the Mohawk Valley Region’s 2024 Downtown Revitalization Initiative winner, news Mayor Colleen Henry said both caught her by surprise and she knew had to be coming.
“I had a good feeling,” Mayor Henry said Monday.
“They see our potential and the potential for what it will mean to all of Schoharie County. Because the impact of that $10 million will be felt everywhere. I’m over the moon. This will be transformative.”
SEEC filed DRI and New York Forward applications on behalf of the village in October after asking for the public’s help in prioritizing projects that included transforming a parking lot behind Main Street businesses into a “dynamic community space” as Fountain Head Plaza; turning the Great American Commons into a mixed-use center, something Hazeem Elbialy has since brought to the Planning Board; a building improvement fund, and village marketing and branding.
“I think what the state saw when they looked at Schoharie was that we already have private investment,” both in Dr. Elbialy’s housing and health office space plans and in work steadily moving ahead at the Parrott House, Mayor Henry said.
It’s also timely, she said, because together, the village and the Town of Schoharie have been working on revisions to their Comprehensive Plan.
Mayor Henry, Deputy Mayor Peter Johnson, and former Mayor Larry Caza were the three who argued Schoharie’s case before Mohawk Valley Economic Development Council.
Mr. Johnson said he knew they made a good impression there, but maybe a $4.5 million impression; the DRI “pot” can be split.
“But this? I guess we made a really good impression. With SEEC’s help, we’ve done a lot of planning for this. Now, it’s time to roll up our sleeves and get to work.”
This was Schoharie’s third try at DRI funding; Mr. Johnson said both they and MVEDC seem to have gotten more comfortable with the process as it’s gone along.
“Third time’s the charm,” he said. “Persistence pays off. This is going to let us tackle some big projects. It’s really quite remarkable.”
Like Mayor Henry, Mr. Johnson said he thought plans for what Dr. Elbialy’s calling the Mainbridge Commons, along with plans for the Parrott House, weighed in their favor.
“And there’s still the possibility of someone doing something with the old jail,” he said.
When words of other DRIs–the Cities of Binghamton and Canandaigua were awarded $10 million each on February 10 with Bath, Dryden, Brockport and Phelps $4.5 million New York Forward winners--started coming out, Mr. Johnson said he thought they’d hear something soon.
“But still, it took us a little bit by surprise. We listened, we heard [after their previous applications] and we took it to heart,” he added.
“I can’t wait to see what happens.”
Secretary of State William Mosley will be in Schoharie Thursday for the formal announcement.