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Projects Focus On Arts, Culture, and Improvement Of Downtown Including Waterfront Restaurant Site And Rezoning Of Route 59 Corridor
The Village of Nyack, after a series of meetings intended to whittle down the number of potential recipients of state funding, settled on a slate of 14 projects, all hoping to get their share of a $4.5 million New York Forward grant.
The grant is a New York State initiative that provides funding to revitalize downtowns in smaller, rural and suburban communities. Recipients first develop a revitalization plan through a collaborative process with local stakeholders and then use the funding to implement projects identified in the plan. The program is intended to create vibrant, walkable downtowns that attract investment and support local economies in accordance with priorities set by the recipient.
To reach the final slate of hopeful recipients, the Village set up a Local Planning Committee (LPC) and worked with professional consultants to hone its offerings. Nyack, hoping to utilize all of the $4.5 million award, presented projects with a total cost of $10.5 million, and asked the state to fund $6.76 million.
The state will look at the slate of projects and $6.76 million requested and provide funding for projects of its choosing, totaling no more than $4.5 million. In other words, not all of the projects will receive funding, and of those that are chosen, they may not receive the full amount of funding requested.
Nyack’s final slate of projects are:
- Rezoning the Nyack Gateway into a mixed-use district to encourage new development. The total project cost was presented as $200,000, of which state funding would provide $180,000 (or 90% of the cost).
- Construction of a housing and training facility for the Nyack General Fire Protection Company #2. The total project cost was presented as $1,175,000, of which state funding would provide $950,000 (or 81% of the cost).
- Renovation of the Edward Hopper House Museum and Study Center to expand programming. The total project cost was presented as $321,000, of which state funding would provide $305,000 (or 95% of the cost).
- Modernization of the Elmwood Community Playhouse. The total project cost was presented as $321,000, of which state funding would provide $305,000 (or 95% of the cost).
- Renovation of the Angel Nyack Sanctuary Space to expand its use for arts and events programming. The total project cost was presented as $1,200,000, of which state funding would provide $951,000 (or 79% of the cost).
- Improvement of the pedestrian experience in downtown Nyack with lighting and sidewalk upgrades. The total project cost was presented as $533,000, of which state funding would provide $480,000 (or 90% of the cost).
- Restoration of the exterior of the historic John Green House to support future activities. The total project cost was presented as $341,000, of which state funding would provide $324,000 (or 95% of the cost).
- Activation of the waterfront by constructing a restaurant and open space. The total project cost was presented as $3,962,000, of which state funding would provide $1,250,000 (or 31.5% of the cost).
- Renovation of the Nyack Center to enhance use of the auditorium. The total project cost was presented as $153,000, of which state funding would provide $138,000 (or 90% of the cost).
- Creation of a mural on the Rockland County Pride Center building to celebrate the history of Nyack. The total project cost was presented as $90,000, of which state funding would provide $81,000 (or 90% of the cost).
- Construction of a second floor expansion of Maura’s Kitchen with outdoor dining. The total project cost was presented as $1,035,000, of which state funding would provide $673,000 (or 65% of the cost). This was the only privately owned project submitted. All of the others are either village-owned or owned by local not-for-profit entities.
- Creation of a comprehensive branding, marketing and wayfinding initiative to connect downtown Nyack and boost tourism. The total project cost was presented as $500,000, of which state funding would provide $450,000 (or 90% of the cost).
- The painting of murals in the downtown to reflect Nyack’s unique character. The total project cost was presented as $94,000, of which state funding would provide $89,000 (or 95% of the cost).
- Creation of a small project fund to improve and restore downtown buildings. The total project cost was presented as $612,000, of which state funding would provide $500,000 (or 82% of the cost).
Each project sponsor would have to fund the balance of their project and as part of the submission process would have already identified likely sources of available funding for their share of the cost.
By submitting more than the $4.5 million maximum award, the village recognizes that the state will pick and choose among submitted projects, and may also opt to fund less toward a project than sought by the sponsor. At that point, the village will be able to go back to the state and request an adjustment or reallocation of funds for any project the sponsors decide not to pursue.
The award represents the “third round” of NY Forward awards. Dobbs Ferry in Westchester County also received a $4.5 million award in the third round.
Launched in 2022, New York State’s NY Forward program builds on the success of the larger Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) program. NY Forward focuses on invigorating and revitalizing downtowns in smaller and rural communities, including villages, hamlets, and other small, neighborhood-scale municipal centers.
The state will choose its final awardees and funding amounts for each project in the early spring of 2026.
