By Delainey Muscato – St. Bonaventure University
The Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth (CCPEG) has awarded 14 grants totaling $242,000 for different projects across local communities. Together, the value of these 14 projects is estimated to be $1.88 million. The CCPEG is a public-private economic development collaborative that is housed under the Chautauqua Region Economic Development Corporation (CREDC). Nathan Aldrich has been the economic development coordinator for Chautauqua County for five years. He also manages the CCPEG.
Aldrich shared that the point of the CCPEG is to “bring more stakeholders to the table”. The partnership wants to focus on five particular areas: business development, housing, workforce, placemaking, and infrastructure. Aldrich says the partnership has a “comprehensive, county-wide economic development strategy” prepared that is used to help choose what projects receive grant funding. “The resources to provide the grant funds come for the county ARPA as well as a multi-year grant we receive from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation,” said Aldrich.
Projects are presented to an 11-member advisory board. The board reviews the projects and based on some criteria – like alignment to the county-wide economic development strategy, leverage potential, longevity, and geographic distribution – will decide what projects are approved and how much money they will receive towards completion of their project. These projects can come from all over the county. Aldrich said, “We try to make sure no areas of the county are being neglected. We are looking across the board, even small villages and hamlets”.
The application process is fairly simple and made with understanding their partners are busy. This year there were around 20 applicants. The application must include basic information about the project, what its timeframe is, what is the cost, what will the economic impact be, and how does it align with the county’s plan for economic development. In the three years this program has been running, this year has produced the largest amount of grant recipients ever.
Of the 14 grant recipients, there were a few projects that received a bit more funding than others. The project with the most funding is the Hartley Park Waterfront Revitalization & Improvement project in Lakewood, NY. While he expressed excitement for all of the projects, Aldrich shared he was really looking forward to this project because it not only touches on the quality-of-life aspect for local residents but also encompasses a tourist appeal. The park, situated in the village of Lakewood, has some features that need to be updated. The project design hopes to improve the shoreline and waterfront area at the park. Current access to the public area is unconventional. Funds for this project will go to making the shoreline more accessible to everyone as well as repair and install some needed features. This project received $30,000.
Four other projects all received $25,000. The Reg Lenna Center for the Arts in Jamestown is looking to replace all 1,166 of their theater seats and install a new lighting and sound booth. The Dream It Do It Advanced Manufacturing Program will use grant funds to expand their annual STEM wars event to a two-day program to help better support student learning and engagement. The Chautauqua County Agricultural & Fair Association plans to hire a contractor to help create a concept design to create more cohesive fairgrounds. Finally, Chautauqua Opportunities will use funds to hire an architect to assess and apply necessary fixes to the Arrowhead Apartments. This project will assist in the preservation of 10 affordable apartment units.
While Aldrich is excited for the potential of all the individual projects, he is also excited for the continued success of the CCPEG itself. Aldrich said, “This is one small piece of what we do. We’re putting that plan to work and making sure it doesn’t sit on the shelf and collect dust. That takes collaboration and resources and that is what we’ve been successful with in the past few years. That’s what we hope to continue”.