Documents › NY Forward Town Hall Meeting, 2026-09-03

presentation 11 pages

Village of Croton-on-Hudson New York Forward What is the New York Forward (NYF)? NYF is a New York State-funded “Plan-Then-Act” initiative launched in 2022 that provides grants to help small communities revitalize and enliven their downtowns; now in its fourth round. Two applications are awarded per NYS Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) region at $4.5 each. Planning professionals help communities develop a Strategic Investment Plan (SIP) that establishes a downtown vision and identifies transformative projects to guide implementation through completion. Previous Mid-Hudson NYF Communities: Round 1 – Village of Sleepy Hollow Round 2 – Village of Highland Falls & Village of Montgomery Round 3 – Village of Dobbs Ferry & Village of Nyack Round 4 – Village of Ellenville & Hamlet of Livingston Manor In General NY Forward Communities: • Provide important services to the local community/neighborhood in a mixed-use, walkable setting; • Feature a distinct sense of place due to the presence of rich cultural, historic, natural, and/or agricultural assets; • Usually have less dense development than a DRI community; however, NY Forward communities are still compact and walkable; and • May include villages, hamlets, and neighborhood centers nested within a larger municipality. NYF Program Goals Create an active downtown with a strong sense of place that reflects the community's heritage and culture. Enhance public spaces for arts and cultural events that serve the existing members of the community but also draw in visitors from around the region. Cultivate a variety of housing opportunities that help build an inclusive and welcoming community. Grow local tax revenue. Provide amenities that support and enhance downtown living and quality of life for people of all ages, abilities, incomes, and backgrounds. Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support investments that are more resilient to future climate change impacts. Attract new businesses that create a robust mix of shopping, entertainment, and service options for residents and visitors, and that provide job opportunities for a variety of skills and salaries. Eligible Activities • New Development / Rehabilitation of Existing Downtown Buildings: Mixed-use, commercial, public uses, redevelopment of real property. • Montgomery “71–73 Clinton Street Mixed-Use Development” • Sleepy Hollow “Strand Theater” • Public Improvement Projects: Broadband, green infrastructure, streetscapes, bike lanes, recreational trails, signage, parks, plazas, public art, and other public-realm improvements • Highland Falls “Ladycliff Park Redesign & Expansion” • Sleepy Hollow “Cortlandt Street Streetscape” • Small Project Fund: Smaller projects such as façade improvements, public art, and improvements to existing/vacant commercial or mixed-use space • Nyack’s “Improve & Restore Downtown Buildings with a Small Project Fund” • Highland Falls “Improve and Restore Downtown Buildings with a Small Project Fund” • Branding & Marketing: One-time costs for materials, signage, and similar downtown marketing and wayfiding • Cornwall “Branding & Marketing Initiative” • Dobbs Ferry “Implement a Unified Downtown Signage System to Improve Multimodal Wayfinding“ Ineligible Activities • Standalone Planning Activities: Following the preparation of the SIP, no funding can be used for additional planning activities such as comprehensive plans, vision plans, workshops, charrettes, etc. • Operations and Maintenance: Ongoing or routine expenses, such as staff salaries and wages, rent, utilities, and property upkeep. • Pre-award Costs: Reimbursement for costs incurred before the completion of the SIP and the announcement of funding awards. • Property Acquisition: The cost of property acquisition can be included in the project budget, but must be paid for with another funding source. • Training and Other Program Expenses: NY Forward is a one-time infusion of funds and cannot be used to cover continuous costs, such as training costs and expenses related to existing programs Sleepy Hollow NYF Strategic Investment Plan Five project funded through NY Forward Sleepy Hollow NYF Project Recipients Round 1 Mid-Hudson NY Forward recipients Received $4.5 million for: • Transform the Strand Theatre into a Community Arts and Culture Center: $1,500,000 Renovate the Strand Theatre into a multi-purpose venue to showcase a diverse range of performers and artists. The theatre will feature studio space for local artists or arts groups, a gallery and the future Sleepy Hollow Visitors Center. • Create “Plaza Nueva” and Redesign the Park at Morse School: $1,000,000 Renovate the park at the Morse School to create a destination and a valuable resource for the community, including new play equipment and new seating area. • Improve Streetscaping Along Cortlandt Street: $1,200,000 Restore streetscape along Cortlandt Street with new sidewalks and crosswalks, drainage improvements, trees, lighting, new street furniture and four EV charging stations. • Construct Affordable Housing at 100 College Avenue: $500,000 Develop underutilized property at 100 College Avenue with a transit-oriented mixed- use affordable housing development. • Institute a Façade Improvement Fund: $300,000 Establish a façade improvement fund that will enable business and property owners to improve their building façades in accordance with the Downtown Sleepy Hollow Façade Renovation Design Standards. Croton-on- Hudson NY Forward Boundary Area Croton-on-Hudson Potential NYF Projects • Croton Station Parking Lot Upgrades • Streetscaping along Riverside Avenue and Benedict Blvd. • Bike lanes from Oneida Avenue to Croton Point Avenue • Historic Hudson Valley Phase 2 Upgrades • 425 South Riverside Ave development • Save-Mor Pharmacy development • Small Project Fund Public Comments