BY JEFF CHUDZINSKINorth Country This Week

MASSENA — The village of Massena and the Massena Arts and Theater Association could be just days away from learning the fate of their Restore NY Grant application that would be the final piece of the puzzle to complete the Schine Theater restoration project. 

Village Administrator Monique Chatland told village trustees at the June 18 board meeting that the news could come “at any time.” 

Chatland told NCTW that the funding could be the final piece to get the project over the finish line, if all goes according to plan. 

“There has been a lot of fundraising over the last few years but especially in the last year. A few big donations came through recently too. We’re hoping the Restore grant is the last, albeit a large, piece of funding needed to finish the project,” she said. 

Chatland said that like many projects in the village, environmental factors like asbestos abatement play a big role in the restoration. 

“They’ve done a lot of work on the theater already. The marquee is done and ready to be hung up again. It looks great and now we’re trying to get the funding together for interior work. Things like asbestos abatement, electrical and other aspects of the project will be next on the list,” she said. 

Chatland said MATA is also seeking $640,000 from the New York Power Authority Northern New York Power Proceeds grant program. There has been no update on the status of that grant but officials hope to learn the fate of the application soon. 

“It’s an exciting project, we’re very hopeful that the funding will all come together and work can continue on the theater,” she said. 

Restore New York is a municipal grant program that pays for demolition, deconstruction, rehabilitation and reconstruction of vacant, abandoned, surplus or condemned residential, commercial or mixed-use buildings, state officials said.