Capital Region
Greenwich
The Village of Greenwich envisions a vibrant, sustainable downtown corridor that serves as the heart of the community and a regional destination. The Greenwich NY Forward project area will evolve into a walkable, connected district offering a range of commercial, residential and recreational opportunities for residents and visitors alike. The revitalization efforts will focus on enhancing connectivity along the Route 29/Main Street corridor and encouraging transformative infill development that strengthens the local economy. Housing diversity will be expanded to accommodate people of all ages and incomes, supporting Greenwich’s status as a Pro-Housing Community. The NY Forward area also falls within the designated Greenwich Brownfield Opportunity Area, ensuring alignment with long-term planning and community input. This vision preserves Greenwich’s historic charm while embracing modern development opportunities, creating a thriving, inclusive environment where businesses flourish, new and current residents enjoy a high quality of life, and visitors are drawn to the area’s unique blend of history, natural beauty and community spirit.
Athens
Athens is a quintessentially charming village with a unique laid-back vibe that sits on the west bank of the Hudson River. It is connected to world-class art, culture, recreation and choice of housing that attracts visitors, boaters and artists. The Village has already worked to make downtown more walkable, welcoming, resilient and climate adaptive – making it primed for the NY Forward program. The community’s vision is to remain a welcoming village that celebrates family and community.
Central New York
Chittenango
The Village of Chittenango has a rich history – it is the birthplace of L. Frank Baum, author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The connection to the Old Erie Canal and Empire State Trail via the Chittenango Creekwalk has increased both walkability in the Village and economic potential as a historic tourist site. Interest and pride in the Village run deep and potential for rebirth is not difficult to imagine. The Village envisions a vibrant and welcoming community that celebrates its unique heritage, embraces sustainability and fosters innovation.
Marathon
The Village of Marathon, home of the CNY Maple Festival, cherishes its rural character and will build upon its idyllic setting on the banks of the Tioughnioga River to spur investment and growth in the community. Marathon is one of the smaller communities in the Central New York Region, but its location on Exit 38 off Interstate 81 has ensured that its downtown is maintained as an active, highly visited and vibrant commercial corridor. The Village seeks to create a welcoming downtown that supports the needs of its citizens, residents of neighboring rural towns and visitors to the area. The Village also plans to continue its efforts to connect the riverfront to its Main Street, restore historic properties, grow the retail sector and leverage its cultural assets.
Central New York Press Release
Finger Lakes
Brockport
The Village of Brockport is an Erie Canal community, college town and central hub of activity for its own residents and those of other nearby small towns and villages. Brockport prioritizes living its history and bridging it to a thriving and culturally rich future in the Finger Lakes region. The Village’s downtown focus area centers on Main Street and adjacent side streets that offer several attractions for residents and visitors. This area highlights Brockport’s historic downtown corridor, canal front parcels and portions of historic districts on the Village’s west and east sides. The Village seeks to transform its historic downtown corridor into an accessible tourist destination and a home where visitors, residents and people of all abilities can recreate, socialize, live and age in comfort.
Phelps
The Village of Phelps, a historically significant community, is strategically positioned near major transportation routes, making it easily accessible for both residents and visitors. The Village’s walkable downtown area encompasses municipal parks, cultural and recreational attractions, museums and the multi-use community center. Projects are focused on streetscaping and aesthetic upgrades, so that no matter what route a resident or visitor might take through downtown, the path from one destination to the next will be interesting and attractive.
Long Island
Farmingdale
The Village of Farmingdale’s downtown is a compact area mixed with small parcels and dense building coverage, mixed land uses and charming architecture. It is situated among some of the most popular tourist destinations in New York State. Due to the Village’s characteristics, Farmingdale is focusing on projects that will yield dramatic and positive effects, thereby advancing an active downtown with a strong sense of place. The Village seeks to attract new businesses, encourage a diverse population, improve downtown living and quality of life and enhance the pedestrian walkability and cyclability of the downtown.
Mid-Hudson
Nyack
The Village of Nyack, nestled along the Hudson River just north of the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, is a vibrant community celebrated for its artistic, inclusive spirit, walkable downtown, and scenic waterfront views. Its historic downtown is home to an economically and culturally diverse population and offers a mix of local shops, restaurants, and cultural venues which draw visitors from across the region and support a thriving community atmosphere, making the downtown well poised for growth. These qualities enhance the Village’s appeal as a vibrant destination, drawing visitors and residents alike to experience the natural beauty and urban convenience it offers. Ample cultural resources and waterfront parks make Nyack a popular tourist destination and a great place to live. Nyack seeks to leverage its unique history and geography through investments in cultural spaces, waterfront development, business support, and public spaces, catalyzing further private investment and leading to increased employment and an improved tax base. Taken together, these investments will make Nyack exemplify the “live, work, play” ideal.
Dobbs Ferry
Downtown Dobbs Ferry is a traditional historic, walkable downtown located along the Hudson River. The Village is a dynamic hub of activity, culture and opportunity that is home to a diverse population and a bustling array of businesses. From key municipal services to thriving local establishments, Dobbs Ferry’s downtown plays a pivotal role in the daily lives of its community members. With its proximity to schools, colleges and other significant institutions, the area has become a central gathering place for both residents and visitors alike. The Village seeks to fully realize its potential by redeveloping and improving key properties and opening space in the downtown area and the pedestrian corridor linking the Metro-North station to the downtown. The Village will also expand economic and cultural opportunities and create a more sustainable, walkable and vibrant downtown.
Mohawk Valley
Canajoharie
Located along the banks of the Mohawk River, the Village of Canajoharie in Montgomery County was once a thriving hub for transportation and industrial development. Most of the Village is located within a historic district due to its abundance of well-preserved architecture from different eras. The Erie Canal trail – a popular destination for bicyclists as part of the Empire State trail – also traverses the downtown business district. With recent investments and its key location along major transportation routes, Canajoharie’s downtown has the potential to become a vibrant riverfront destination and local employment center.
Waterville
The Village of Waterville is located in southeastern Oneida County along the historic NYS Route 20 Scenic Byway. While less than 25 minutes south of Utica, the Village retains its pastoral, small town appeal, and is known as the garden spot of New York State. Home to just under 1,500 residents, Waterville developed as the center of the surrounding agricultural industry, primarily the growing and processing of hops. By 1875 Waterville was the “Hops Capital of the World.” This economic success gave rise to a bustling downtown that is now known as the “Waterville Triangle Historic District”. With high-quality infrastructure, a first-rate school system and a strong sense of place, Waterville is ripe to attract new residents. It is an ideal place for young families to grow and for older generations to age in place. Waterville’s parks, tree-lined sidewalks and friendly neighborhoods make it a desirable small community to call home.
New York City
Bronx
Greater Morris Park is a cornerstone of the East Bronx, defined by its longstanding and diverse residential neighborhoods, active commercial corridors and the borough’s largest concentration of healthcare and research institutions. Building on its stability and vibrancy today, the neighborhood is poised for a new chapter of growth, with historic investments in transit, housing and healthcare expansion set to strengthen its role as both a residential community and an employment hub. The DRI provides a unique opportunity to build on these strengths, advancing projects that improve open spaces, enhance streetscapes and assist local businesses to ensure the community is resilient, welcoming and connected.
The community’s vision is for Greater Morris Park to continue to grow and evolve as a thriving neighborhood with its rich history, multicultural community and eminent healthcare and research employment center to better serve its residents, the New York City region and all New Yorkers. This vision includes new and expanded open spaces and streetscape improvements that will connect the neighborhood’s key destinations, new Metro-North stations, existing public transit and local commercial corridors. Support for local businesses and investment in public amenities will ensure a resilient and beautiful community that celebrates its past while welcoming new neighbors and economic investments. The funded community projects will help achieve their vision.
North Country
Keeseville
Situated along the Ausable River where the Champlain Valley meets the Adirondack mountains, the hamlet of Keeseville offers an array of recreational, commercial and residential opportunities. The downtown includes a vibrant mixed-use development district framed by two historic bridges and three main streets, creating an accessible, walkable perimeter for residents and visitors to enjoy. This area also acts as a bridge between the towns of AuSable and Chesterfield, uniting them into a single community. By investing in its historic character and embracing sustainable development, Keeseville will create a vibrant, inclusive, and accessible community where people choose to live, work and explore for generations to come.
Gouverneur
The Village of Gouverneur, located along the Oswegatchie River, has a strong sense of community centered around its compact downtown. Home to many festivals and events, including the St. Lawrence County Fair, the community offers a variety of entertainment options attracting visitors from across the region. Gouverneur will capitalize on its historic charm to create a vibrant and expanding downtown business community, a safe, friendly, and walkable environment and highlight its proximity to major regional employers to enhance quality of life. These efforts will strengthen resilience and increase economic, recreational and cultural opportunities for residents and visitors.
Southern Tier
Bath
Situated along the scenic Cohocton River, the Village of Bath is a historic planned community that serves as a “Gateway” to Keuka Lake — renowned for its scenery, wineries and vineyards. The Village of Bath has experienced significant changes over the past decade and has recognized the need to strengthen its core and return to its role as the downtown neighborhood that people experience and enjoy. The Village’s Liberty Street Historic District revitalization is the next step in this journey. The Village seeks to bolster growth by creating an active downtown with enhanced public spaces, strategic placement of amenities, and new housing opportunities that will attract visitors and foster an atmosphere that will retain and attract residents and businesses.
Dryden
Dryden is an ideal place for young families to grow and for older generations to age. Home to just over 2,000 residents, Dryden has developed over time as a small bedroom community to the nearby cities and universities and as a highly traveled and visited community. With median home values and rents that are affordable to all, Dryden’s parks, tree-lined sidewalks, and friendly neighborhoods make it a desirable small community to live in. Dryden seeks to reinvest in its historic downtown by continuing to support an attractive and inviting Main Street with a robust mix of shopping, dining, and residential spaces. The Village will foster a welcoming and walkable downtown community where current and future residents can live a sustainable lifestyle in friendly neighborhoods with convenient access to goods and services.
Western New York
Westfield
Westfield is a charming village that graces the southern shore of Lake Erie. This picturesque locale is defined by its stunning waterfront vistas and a wealth of recreational opportunities, inviting residents and visitors to embrace the natural beauty that surrounds them. Visitors and residents enjoy Westfield events like First Fridays, the Arts and Crafts Festival, the weekly Farmer’s Market, the Tour Chautauqua Cycling Event, the Grape and Wine Festival, Christmas in the Village, the Hot Toddy Crawl and the Christmas Cookie weekend. Historically, Westfield’s economy depended on agriculture and industry. Westfield’s vision is to cultivate a vibrant and sustainable community that celebrates its rich history, natural beauty and agricultural heritage while fostering economic growth, creating housing choices and celebrating diverse cultural activities in a safe and welcoming environment.
Angola
Located within the Town of Evans, the waterfront cottage village of Angola is a tourism destination area that draws thousands of regional, national and international visitors each year. While the Town benefits from its lakefront, the Village possesses entertainment options that are attractive to visitors like festivals, art attractions and more. The Village seeks to capitalize on community strengths and its strategic location near key assets — waterfront, rich history and natural resources — to create a unique and vibrant downtown destination in the rural Southtowns of Erie County.
Western New York Press Release