As Weedsport continues to seek a $10 million grant from New York State, residents are invited to an upcoming meeting to learn more about the village’s draft Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) application.
Hosted by the Cayuga County Department of Planning & Economic Development, the public meeting will introduce residents to the DRI Program and review the work that’s already been done to create this year’s application. Planning staff will also review the community’s vision for downtown, the DRI boundary area, and the proposed public and private projects included in the application.
Public input is being sought by the village’s board of trustees to ensure the application “aligns with the community’s vision for the future of Downtown Weedsport.”
“Cayuga County and the Village of Weedsport have identified 22 potential projects that could transform downtown Weedsport, bringing $25,595,800 worth of investment into the community. We are confident in this year’s application, and we appreciate the great feedback we have heard throughout the application process from local residents who are interested in seeing their community grow and thrive,” said Nathaniel Rogers, Planner from the Cayuga County Department of Planning & Economic Development, assisting with the application.
The meeting will take place on Wednesday from 6:00-7:00p in the Weedsport High School Cafeteria. Additionally, a copy of the draft application and a virtual comment submission form can be found here.
The Village Board is expected to review the final draft application before submitting it to REDC before the November 10 deadline.
Launched in 2016, the DRI is a competitive grant program where municipalities within the state’s Regional Economic Development Councils (REDC) participate. Cayuga County is in the Central New York REDC, along with Cortland, Madison, Onondaga, and Oswego Counties.
The initiative is designed to support various public and private partnerships to help municipalities revitalize their downtowns. In Cayuga County, Auburn won its DRI grant in 2018, while the Villages of Cayuga, Union Springs, and Aurora were jointly awarded a grant in 2024.
Similar to the DRI, NY Forward grants are designed to accomplish the same goals as the DRI, but are intended for smaller and rural areas. In 2023, the Village of Moravia received a NY Forward grant.
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