BY JIMMY LAWTONNorth Country This Week

OGDENSBURG -- Residents will have two opportunities to learn about and provide input on Ogdensburg's Downtown Revitalization Initiative when the planning process officially begins Wednesday, July 29.

The city's Local Planning Committee will hold its kickoff meeting from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Dobisky Center, 100 Riverside Ave. The meeting is open to the public and will include a public comment period at its conclusion.

Later that day, the city will host a public workshop from 5 to 7 p.m., also at the Dobisky Center. The open house-style event will give residents, business owners and property owners an opportunity to share ideas for the future of downtown. A brief overview of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative will be presented at 5:15 p.m.

The Downtown Revitalization Initiative, or DRI, is a New York state program that helps communities develop investment plans for projects intended to strengthen downtown business districts, improve quality of life and support economic development.

During the planning process, Ogdensburg will prepare a Strategic Investment Plan identifying priority projects and redevelopment strategies for downtown. Public input will be used throughout the process as projects are evaluated and recommendations are developed for New York State.

The effort will be guided by a Local Planning Committee co-chaired by Michael Tooley of the City of Ogdensburg and Anthony Adamczyk of the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority.

Committee members include Misty Fishel, Ogdensburg Central School; JoAnne Gareau, Dean Marina and Excavating; Wendy Hamilton, Strategic Planning Committee; William Hosmer, Hosmer's Marina; Barb O'Keefe, Fort de La Présentation; Laura Pearson, St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce; Ian Sutherland, Eide Bailly; Dallas Sutton, NBT Bank; and Larry Mitchell, Kiwanis.

The committee is expected to meet six times during the planning process. Each meeting will be open to the public, with a public comment period held at the end of the meeting. The city said meeting schedules and participation opportunities will be announced in advance.

Residents can follow the planning process, view meeting information and learn how to participate at OgdensburgDRI.com.

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