Utica will see 16 transformational projects as part of a $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative award, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Tuesday.

The governor’s office said Tuesday that the projects will aim to redevelop underutilized buildings, improve infrastructure, including parks, foster new business and bolster arts.

Here are the projects being funded:

  • Restore the Kempf Block into Mixed-used Redevelopment - $750,000: Reactivation of blighted and underutilized buildings in the city's Commercial Business District to add market-rate residential apartments and commercial space across seven retail storefronts.
  • Establish a Business Assistance Fund - $750,000: Establishment of a grant fund for eligible small businesses within the focused area for expansion and improvement projects.
  • Construct Mixed-use Artspace Utica: Affordable Live/Work Artist Housing - $650,000: Construction of a new four-story, mixed-use building with community/commercial space and affordable live/work units for local artists and their families.
  • Rehabilitate Veterans' Fitness and Wellness Center - $650,000: Restoration of the locker rooms and parking area of the Veterans' Fitness and Wellness Center, enhancing a valuable recreational amenity for downtown living and community well-being.
  • Create an Employment Center to Prepare and Attract a Diverse Workforce - $624,000: Creation of an employment center offering culturally and linguistically appropriate training and employment services for diverse populations working in the region.
  • Renovate Macartovin Commercial Space to Attract Businesses to the City's Commercial Corridor - $600,000: Historic rehabilitation of the Macartovin Building's vacant first floor to bring commercial space downtown, thereby attracting businesses to the heart of the city's commercial corridor.
  • Redevelop Oneida National Bank Building to Establish Mohawk Valley's Commercial Kitchen/Food Incubator - $400,000: Conversion of vacant space on the fifth floor of the former Oneida National Bank into the Mohawk Valley's first commercial kitchen/food Incubator.
  • Rehabilitate New Century Club into Modern Commercial Space - $375,000: Rehabilitation of one of downtown Utica's most historically significant buildings, the New Century Club, to create new commercial office space.
  • Upgrade the Stanley Theater - $340,250: Creation of a more welcoming and accessible interface for the iconic theatre, with upgrades to the Genesee Street entrance and the box office department.
  • Repair Washington Street Garage to Expand Parking Downtown - $2,000,000: Repairs to a three-deck downtown parking facility that prioritize recommended improvements to the slab, structure and stair tower in order to return critical downtown parking space.
  • Create Munson-Williams Park at Munson-Williams Proctor Arts Institute -$819,500: Creation of a large public-access park on underutilized institute land in the Oneida Square neighborhood with arts and culture programming.
  • Expand Public Art to Create a Vibrant Arts-themed Corridor - $750,000: Installation and restoration of public art throughout downtown in partnership with local artists. Project elements include a facelift for the Utica Place Garage, repairs to the iconic Sun Mural, and the creation of placemaking activity hubs.
  • Adaptive Reuse of DeSales Center for Inclusive Community Services - $500,000: Activation of 50,000 square feet of underutilized space to transform the DeSales Building into a more inclusive, accessible community center by installing an elevator and replacing damaged windows.
  • Activate Liberty Bell Park - $278,350: Conversion of Liberty Bell Park to a year-round, multi-purpose space for outdoor recreation and public events with improved lighting, landscaping, hardscaping, furnishing, and an area for an ice rink during winter.
  • Bestowing Roots and Wings: Improving Outdoor Community Space at the Carol L. Crooms Cultural Activities Center - $111,000: Conversion of two vacant lots into multi-purpose event spaces to complement the community and business programming of the Carol L. Crooms Cultural Activities Center.
  • Rehabilitate the Utica Public Library Genesee Street Corridor - $101,900: Rehabilitation of sidewalks, stone pillars, and catch basins along the Genesee Street entrance of the Utica Library to help preserve and maintain a landmark civic institution downtown.

“These projects in Utica are part of that resurgence and will help vault the city toward a brighter future by attracting new businesses, residents and visitors to the entire region,” Gov. Cuomo said in a statement.

Utica developed a strategic investment plan to revitalize its downtown with $300,000 in planning funds from its $10 million grant.

“The Downtown Revitalization Initiative provides a great opportunity for the city of Utica to continue the positive transformation of our downtown corridor,” Utica Mayor Robert Palmieri said in a statement. “These projects are strong public-private partnerships that will serve as a catalyst for economic development and enhanced quality of life.  A lot of hard work went into Utica's application and those efforts are being recognized.  I thank everyone who was involved in the DRI process and Governor Cuomo for investing in our community."

-

Facebook Twitter