By CRAIG FREILICH

POTSDAM – The village will apply for a New York Main Street Program grant for improvements to downtown buildings if enough property owners show an interest.

“We are eligible for $200,000, and the village is considering applying, if there is sufficient demand among downtown property owners” said Fred Hanss, director of planning and development for the village.

A meeting for people interested in the state program will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 26 in the Civic Center board room.

“It’s not unlike other programs we’ve seen since 2005. The downtown facades program was pretty successful,” Hanss said. Potsdam’s results with the program in the past led the designers of the state’s current New York Main Street Program application guide to put a photograph of the facade of 55-57 Market St. on the cover.

“We’ve typically fared pretty well with this program, helping people apply,” said Hanss. “Little by little people have taken advantage of this.”

The grants would cover improvements to the exterior or interior of buildings in the downtown core where B-1 zoning is in effect, including Market Street out to Sandstone Drive, Maple Street out to Clarkson Avenue, and Elm Street and Main Street to Park Street, and some side streets, including Depot, Willow, Constitution and Raymond streets.

“The state would like to see three contiguous blocks targeted. Here, that’s pretty much the entire downtown,” Hanss said.

“Some of the buildings are showing their age and would benefit from this type of project.”

Hanss said that “a pretty broad range of renovations” can be covered by the grants. Exterior improvements would include masonry repairs, roofing, storefront renovation, windows and doors.

On the inside, the grants could cover electrical wiring, heating and ventilation, plumbing, and life safety systems, for example.

The program can provide for-profit property owners with a grant up to $50,000 or 75 percent of building renovation and facade repairs.

Owners of mixed-use buildings – those with a ground-floor storefront and apartments above – can get as much as $10,000 per unit if the apartments are “affordable,” or available to renters with an income at or below 90 percent of the state median household income.

Communities can also apply for as much as $15,000 for streetscape enhancements such as new tree plantings, benches, and signs with directions.