MASSENA -- The Business Development Corporation for a Greater Massena has selected 14 properties for $228,500 in preliminary awards for the “Anchors and Gateways” Main Street Grant initiative.

The project aims to revitalize the downtown area. “The end result will be quite amazing. In two years, downtown Massena will be visibly transformed in a significant way because of the determination of downtown property owners, support from NYS, and grassroots leadership,” said Nicole Martin of In Site Architecture, a consultant on the project.

A total of 21 applications were received, with 19 selected for the review and scoring stage, according to BDC Vice President Larry Ralston.

“We were very pleased by such a high level of interest in the program,” said Ralston. “A total of $1.9 million in construction projects was proposed, for which property owners were seeking $550,000 in grant funding.”

“We had very specific goals and targets to meet based on the funding awarded to Massena by New York State. The projects recommended for funding were those that most strongly met those goals and targets,” said Ralston.

“A Grant Review and Scoring Team (GDRT), which included three community members, one BDC representative, and our consulting architect, scored each project. The GDRT then made funding recommendations to those projects which scored the highest, based on the number of goals and targets they met,” said Martin. “The GDRT’s recommendations were approved by the BDC on June 6, with preliminary award letters issued on June 7.”

The awards still await final approval, but “based on the quality of the applications, the BDC fully expects all projects to proceed,” according to Martin.

The addresses of the properties were not made public.

To learn more call the BDC office at 705-0009.