BY PAUL MITCHELLNorth Country This Week

CANTON - The Village of Canton and its NY Forward Local Planning Committee (LPC) is expected to update the public on the status of 15 projects seeking a portion of the $4.5 million state funding.

The second round of public engagement for NY Forward will be held Thursday, Sept. 26 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the courtroom at the Canton Municipal Building, 60 Main St.

This public open house follows a meeting of the LPC on Sept. 17 where committee members will take a closer review of the project roster. The LPC will be verifying information contained in the project proposals totaling $14 million. The goal will be to prioritize and trim the project list to between $6 and $8 million.

“Things have been applied for and reviewed to allow the committee to introduce more completely to the community,” said Mayor Michael Dalton, who co-chairs the LPC with St. Lawrence University President Kathryn Morris. “There are some really good projects.”

The committee’s recommendations will be included in a Strategic Investment Plan to be forwarded to the Department of State, possibly in December. The final decision on who will be awarded NY Forward funding will be determined by the state.

Community members, business owners, and other stakeholders are invited to participate in the public open house.

“Public engagement is an essential part of the NY Forward process that helps shape the transformation of downtown Canton,” a village press release states.

The open house will provide an opportunity to learn more about the proposed projects currently being evaluated. The Village of Canton has been awarded $4.5 million through the NY Forward program to fund downtown revitalization. 

“The Local Planning Committee (LPC) is evaluating a number of project proposals to move forward for potential funding consideration. Which projects do you think would make the most transformative impact on Canton? We want to hear from you,” the release notes.

For more information about the NY Forward process and regular updates, please visit CantonNYForward.com.

NY Forward is a central component of the State's economic development efforts, working together with the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI), to accelerate and expand the revitalization of New York's downtowns. NY Forward serves smaller communities with historic character that distinguishes them from the larger, more urban central business districts typically funded through DRI. NY Forward communities are walkable, less dense areas that serve the immediate local community, and are more local in nature - focusing on the immediately surrounding residential or rural agricultural centric development. Governor Kathy Hochul has committed $100 million for the second round of the NY Forward program. Each of the State’s ten Regional Economic Development Councils (REDCs) recommended two communities for NY Forward awards. In the North Country Region, Canton and Alexandria Bay were each the recipients of $4.5 million.

NY Forward is led by the Department of State, in close partnership with Empire State Development, NYS Homes and Community Renewal and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.

The Local Planning Committee (LPC) includes local and regional leaders, stakeholders, and community representatives. LPC members will attend a variety of meetings at which they will be asked to brainstorm ideas, provide direction to consultants, review planning products, and prioritize actions. 

The objective of public engagement is to ensure that all stakeholders have ample opportunity to be informed about the NY Forward process and its intended outcomes; to comment on the process as it progresses; to express their concerns and contribute ideas; and to participate in building a consensus about the vision for the Downtown and other outcomes, culminating in a locally supported NY Forward Strategic Investment Plan. Public workshops and engagement activities will be scheduled throughout the effort to allow opportunity for public input.

More information about NY Forward can be found at https://www.ny.gov/programs/ny-forward.