Local municipalities receive Restore-NY grants; O’Mara says funding key to revitalizing, strengthening quality communities (UPDATED)

Elmira, N.Y., January 26—State Senator Tom O’Mara (R,C,I-Big Flats) said today that several area municipalities have been awarded state grant funding through the Restore-NY Communities Initiatives (Restore-NY) program.

Restore-NY was created by the state Legislature in 2006 to aid municipalities in rehabilitating or removing obsolete or rundown commercial and residential properties in order to make the sites attractive to residents and businesses searching for new investment opportunities.

“We envisioned Restore-NY as yet another building block in the restoration and revitalization of quality communities throughout the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions and statewide,” said O’Mara.  “It’s proven a useful tool in sparking local economic development, creating local jobs and energizing community pride.”

O’Mara was informed earlier today that the following local projects in the 58th Senate District he represents have been awarded Restore-NY grants:

> City of Corning, $480,150 for Blodgett Site redevelopment;

> City of Elmira, $500,000 for Lake Street building rehabilitation;

> City of Ithaca, $500,000 for Seneca Corn Street buildings rehabilitation; and

> Town of Southport, $500,000 for Point Redevelopment. 

[UPDATE: Star-Gazette, "$40M in Restore NY grants awarded"]