Programs

NY Forward

NY Forward

Governor Hochul announced the creation of the NY Forward program to invigorate and enliven downtowns in New York’s smaller and rural communities—the type of downtowns found in villages, hamlets and other small, neighborhood-scale municipal centers. NY Forward builds on the success of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) by adopting the same “Plan-then-Act” strategy as the DRI. 

Advancing the Renaissance of Our Smaller Downtowns

NY Forward Round 2

Governor Hochul has announced the second round of the NY Forward program, a program targeted at revitalizing smaller and rural communities. This year, NYF will again invest $100 million. Each of the State’s ten Regional Economic Development Councils (REDCs) will have the option of recommending two communities for $4.5 million NY Forward awards, or three communities one of which will receive $4.5 million and two will be awarded $2.25 million; bringing the total amount of funding allocated for all rounds of DRI and NYF to $1 billion.

DEADLINES

Intent to Apply (optional): August 18, 2023
(NYC ONLY) Borough President Office submittal: September 8, 2023 at 4:00 pm
Application submittal: September 29, 2023 at 4:00 pm

Brochure Application Letter of Intent

How it Works

Selection
Communities submit applications to the REDCs. Each REDC nominates two or three communities to participate after a thorough evaluation of the downtown’s potential for transformation.
Planning
Selected communities will develop a Strategic Investment Plan that includes a vision for the downtown and a catalogue of transformative projects, based on community outreach and input. That plan forms the foundation for immediate and ongoing project implementation.
Implementation
NY Forward awards will be used to implement the most transformative projects from the Strategic Investment Plan. Additional projects may be implemented through the CFA or other funding source.

PARTICIPANT RESOURCES

Capacity-Building Webinars

A series of educational webinars providing municipalities with an overview of downtown revitalization and the steps required to renew and restore their downtowns. Click the link below to view recordings and register for upcoming webinars.

View Webinars

Advancing the Renaissance of Our Smaller Downtowns

NY Forward Round 1

Governor Hochul announced the creation of the NY Forward program to invigorate and enliven downtowns in New York’s smaller and rural communities — the type of downtowns found in villages, hamlets and other small, neighborhood-scale municipal centers. The State has allocated $100 million for the first round of NY Forward. Each of the State’s ten Regional Economic Development Councils (REDCs) will have the option of recommending two communities for $4.5 million NY Forward awards or three communities one of which will receive $4.5 million and two will be awarded $2.25 million.

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