The village of Morris received a $4.5 million New York Forward grant, which aims to revitalize the downtowns of smaller, more rural communities throughout the state.
New York Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley was on hand for the announcement, which took place at Wednesday, April 8 at the Capitol Theatre in Rome as part of an event also recognizing state revitalization grants for the cities of Rome and Utica.
“These efforts aim to highlight the unique character that defines each community,” Mosley said in a Wednesday news release from the governor’s office. “The Department of State is proud to support these communities every step of the way as they create vibrant places to live, work and visit for years to come.”
Cassandra Miller, the executive director of Butternut Valley Alliance, said Tuesday, April 7, that BVA acted as the “catalyst” for the village’s grant application. BVA Board Chairperson Maggie Brenner led outreach efforts to local businesses, organizations and municipal leaders and public information sessions were organized to obtain project ideas.
“It’s really been a grassroots effort,” Brenner said Wednesday.
She added that residents and business owners were forthcoming with presenting their visions for the village to “build on our historic legacy” and “maintain the rural ambiance and nature of the village,” while ensuring its sustainability through creating a cultural and environmental destination that people will seek out.
The application deadline for the New York Forward grant, funded through the Department of State, was in early November. BVA is a nonprofit “that connects multiple communities in the Butternut Valley to advance projects related to economic development, environmental stewardship, and arts and culture for sustainable growth in the Valley,” Miller said in an email.
Small municipalities like Morris face challenges in accessing grants and funding like this, Brenner said, especially because they are managed largely by part-time municipal leaders. She added that organizations like BVA can provide an effort to bring these skills to the village, supporting it in developing grant applications.
Brenner said she wrote the grant with feedback and input from other agencies, including the Mohawk Valley Economic Development District, which she said “played a very strong supporting role in giving us the technical guidance and assistance we needed to meet the requirements of the grant.”
Miller said Heather Devitt, deputy director of the Mohawk Valley Economic Development District, provided technical assistance in putting the application together and leading informational sessions.
The grant application included 11 potential village projects, like rebuilding the grandstands, re-designing the front entrance and upgrading bathroom facilities at the Otsego County fairgrounds. Another proposed project was the foundation repair and stabilization at the Morris Library, with the addition of a pedestrian-friendly patio area with Wi-Fi access.
Not all of the proposals will be funded. Brenner said a local planning council would be developed, and project sponsors would resubmit a more formal proposal.
“What we have learned through our research and engagement in this process is with the announcement of this funding, the village of Morris is going to see new investment interest come in,” Brenner said.
Miller said Tuesday the village additionally had applied for a $10 million state Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant. Brenner said municipalities have to meet a certain dollar amount of proposed projects to be awarded certain funding. She said for a DRI grant, a municipality needs to have at least $13 million to $14 million of proposed projects.
A New York Forward grant requires about $8 million of proposed projects, Brenner said.
“As it turned out, when we were putting our proposal together, the total dollar amount of our proposed projects met the DRI criteria,” Brenner said. “Had we not been up against cities like Utica and Rome, there was no reason why they might not have awarded the DRI to us.”
She added that DRIs tend to be targeted toward larger municipalities.
Brenner said it is wonderful to “live in and be part of a village with such a committed and dedicated group of residents who see its potential.”