By Kate Bartlett
New York State recently approved five transformational projects totaling $9.7 million for the Village of Cattaraugus under the Downtown Revitalization Initiative. These projects aim to revitalize the village downtown creating a destination and gathering place for locals and visitors alike.
New York State chose the Village of Cattaraugus as the Round 8 Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) winner based on its distinct historic assets, readiness for growth, and alignment with regional development goals. The Western New York Regional Economic Development Council nominated the village for several key reasons: it’s preserved downtown, architectural heritage, clear tourism and cultural potential and compelling growth strategy. “We are incredibly grateful to have been chosen,” remarks Mayor Anthony Nagel. “We (the village) submitted a cohesive, realistic strategy to increase housing supply and support locally owned small businesses and it’s exciting to embark on this journey in watching our vision become reality.”
The five projects that were chosen include:
- Create a Small Project Fund ($600,000) – This matching grant program will provide funding for small projects such as interior and exterior building renovations, capital equipment, public art, and related soft costs for commercial, mixed-use, and multi-family buildings. “These funds are aimed at small business growth in our community and could help fund smaller projects that aren’t covered in the DRI,” remarks Mayor Nagel.
- Redevelop 1 Mill Street into a Mix of Residential & Commercial Uses ($1,500,000) – The former railroad loading dock will be redeveloped into a mix of uses to include new apartments, retail, and outdoor space to expand housing and shopping choices, small business development opportunities and activity on a vacant property. “This exciting project will bring new life to our village by renovating this long vacant property,” re-marks Mayor Nagel.
- Restore and Expand the Crawford Hotel by Creating a New Boutique Hotel and Amenities ($4,200,000) – Fully restore the Crawford Hotel and construct an addition to the building to house hotel rooms and related amenities such as a restaurant, bar, meeting rooms and event spaces, creating new jobs and attracting more visitors to the area. “We are very excited about this project,” explains Joan Cullen, officer and director off the Bank of Cattaraugus. “We’ve had small grants awarded that allowed us to start the planning process, but now it is finally doable. Not only is it going to be beautiful, but it’s exactly what our village needs.”
- Improve Downtown Accessibility through Enhancements to Streets and Alleyways ($1,770,000) – Downtown streetscape improvements on Main and Washington Streets will allow greater accessibility and improve safety in the village. A fire lane will also be created along East Alley to support Main Street businesses. “This will make downtown more walkable,” explains Mayor Nagel. “People will be safer and be able to stroll and enjoy our village by foot.”
- Develop the One Main Street Community Event Space ($1,630,000) – Transform 5-acres of vacant lot into a village park and gathering space that will potentially house a hub for rail bikes, amphitheater, four-seasons pavilion, farmers markets, small shops, and more. “It will be a congregating space for all ages,” explains Joan. “This park will allow Cattaraugus to host a wide variety of community events year-round.”