Bonacic: Port Jervis To Receive Nearly $800,000 To Develop Cedar Wood Center For Arts And Technology

State Senator John J. Bonacic (R/I/C - Mt. Hope), today announced that the City of Port Jervis has been awarded $779,768 for the rehabilitation of the Cedar Wood Center for Arts & Technology. The property is located at 18 Jersey Avenue in Port Jervis.

The grant comes from the Restore New York’s Communities Initiative (Restore-NY), a program designed to aid municipalities in rehabilitating or removing obsolete or rundown commercial and residential properties, making these sites attractive to residents and businesses searching for new investment opportunities.

"Creating jobs and investing in our communities is important. The restoration of properties like this one is a first step toward improving not only the visual landscape, but in helping to spur positive development in entire neighborhoods," Senator Bonacic said.

The Cedarwood Center for Arts & Technology will transform 18 Jersey Avenue into a cultural anchor in the City. Redevelopment will include an art gallery, a cyber-cafe', additional retail space, 13 business and residential units for micro-enterprise, and will maintain the current Cedarwood Antiques.

Port Jervis Mayor Gary LoPriore said, "I am ecstatic about being granted this award and thank Senator Bonacic for assisting us in obtaining these dollars. Revitalizing our communities through restoring properties such as this is extremely important to the economic health and well-being of us all and is really a ray of sunshine."

The Restore-NY Communities Initiative is administered by the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC). Grants are being awarded on a competitive basis to municipalities over the next three years to demolish or rehabilitate qualified commercial or residential structures, making these cleared or restored sites attractive to residents and businesses. The grants will be made available through ESDC in three rounds: $50 million in 2006-07; $100 million in 2007-08; and $150 million in 2008-09.

More information regarding the Restore-NY initiative is available online at www.nylovesbiz.com.