BY JIMMY LAWTONNorth Country This Week

OGDENSBURG – Ogdensburg wants the community to help plan the city’s future.

Director of Economic Development Tyler Park said a town hall-style meeting will be held at City Hall at 6 p.m. Oct. 20 to solicit ideas to incorporate in the Downtown Revitalization Initiative application.

"We have received many fantastic ideas, and we need the community to come together one last time on Oct. 20 to help us narrow down and prioritize the best projects that will create a more vibrant, resilient, and prosperous downtown for everyone," Park said in a prepared statement.

The DRI is a highly competitive grant program run by the state that can allow municipalities to secure $10 million to breathe new life into downtown neighborhoods.

The award program has been referred to in the past as the “Hunger Games” due to the highly competitive nature that has single communities taking a large prize, leaving little for other communities grasping for economic help. However, the program has been broadened since it was originally launched during Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration to provide additional smaller awards through the North Country Regional Economic Development Council.

The city has been attempting, unsuccessfully, to secure funding, which could be a huge boon to the city’s waterfront development. Despite what have appeared to be some solid plans on paper, the state has not been receptive to the proposals.

Meanwhile, neighboring communities Massena and Potsdam received the awards in 2021 and 2019, respectively.

Neither municipality has successfully completed the projects outlined in their respective plans, though Massena has made some headway with the J.J. Newberry Building, the Massena School of Business, and the planned streetscape and riverwalk projects.

Potsdam’s plan has been altered several times over the past few years with no significant progress in regard to implementation of major projects. Although work recently began on the riverwalk and streetscape projects along the Raymond Street corridor this past month.

In a prepared statement, Park said the purpose of the meeting is to solicit feedback from residents before the city submits its strategic investment plan to Empire State Development.

“This is a critical opportunity for the community to influence how Ogdensburg's downtown will develop in the future,” he said.

The meeting is a final call for ideas with two main goals.

The city’s economic developer will present a synthesis of ideas gathered to date and is urging residents to provide their final input on what they would like to see in the revitalized downtown. Whether it’s suggestions for public spaces, new business types, streetscape improvements, or cultural amenities, this will be the last chance for the community to directly influence the final set of projects, according to the news release issued by Park.

According to a press release from the city, the meeting is also the final call for project proposals from individuals, businesses, and nonprofit organizations seeking DRI funding for projects within the downtown area. Project forms are available and will be accepted at the event.

"The Downtown Revitalization Initiative is a generational opportunity for Ogdensburg, and the input we receive from our residents is the most important component of this process," Ogdensburg City Manager Fonda Chronis said in a prepared statement.

The meeting will include a brief presentation on the DRI planning process and designated time for an open forum where residents can ask questions and provide direct comments to development staff.

All interested residents and stakeholders are invited to attend, according to the release, but those who can’t may submit ideas by contacting Park at 315-393-7150, ext. 2112, or tpark@ogdensburg.org .

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