BY JEFF CHUDZINSKINorth Country This Week

MASSENA — The clock is ticking for businesses in the village to submit applications for the Core of the Community Fund, which can be used for a number of improvements. 

Village Administrator Monique Chatland told trustees that the final day to apply is July 15 and a large chunk of grant funding is still available. 

“We’ve really seen a lot more interest in the program this last round. So, I encourage people who intend on applying to do so sooner rather than later,” Chatland told trustees during the June 18 board meeting. 

Chatland told NCTW it was normal for businesses to apply near the end of the application period but wanted to encourage businesses to apply as soon as possible so they did not miss the deadline. 

“The money they can receive through this program can change the face of their business. We hope all eligible businesses who want to apply do so by the July 15 deadline,” she said. 

Those who apply now are also eligible for up to $100,000, double what applicants in the first two rounds were able to receive. 

Chatland said the criteria change was to ensure the funds were fully expended on eligible businesses to help them grow. 

Funding will be approved only after all applications received on or prior to July 15 are reviewed, she said. 

Business owners who wish to apply will only have to contribute a 25% match as well, she said. 

That’s down from the previous required 50% contribution business owners had to put up towards their projects. 

In order to apply, a business must reside within the Downtown Revitalization Boundaries, which encompasses a large portion of the downtown within the village. 

The village received a $10 million DRI award in Dec. 2021, which officials say they hope will help revitalize the downtown. 

As part of the funding, eight projects were approved to receive a portion of the grant, including the $500,000 Core of the Community Fund that the village oversees. 

Chatland said the first two rounds of the fund have been a success, with $187,000 having been awarded thus far. 

She said those funds have been used to assist with the Schine Theater marquee restoration, a kitchen expansion and new sign at the Gristmill Brewery, along with funding for equipment that will assist a new coffee shop to open soon. 

To apply, business owners can visit massena.us for more information. 

For further information, contact LaBella Associates’ Senior Planner Jamie Konkoski at jkonkoski@labellapc.com or 518-491-9884.