Amityville Record

State announces 11 approved DRI projects for AmityvilleFree Access


Today, the state announced 11 approved projects that will receive funding through Amityville’s $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative Award. The announcement was made at the Amityville Fire Department and all of the projects are designed to enhance connectivity, walkability, and transit access within the Village’s business district, and to beautify and expand small businesses and housing opportunities to promote growth and create a vibrant transit-oriented center.

The projects include:

  • Implementing Complete Streets on Broadway—DRI Award: $5,029,000: A series of roadway and pedestrian realm improvements on Broadway from Sterling Place to Ireland Place will enhance the connectivity, walkability and safety of downtown. The traffic calming measures will include pedestrian improvements from Avon Place to West Smith Street.
  • Revitalizing LIRR Station and Connections to Downtown— DRI Award: $1,314,000: The LIRR station entrances and connections will be upgraded to create a more welcoming arrival for passengers, as well as clear, safe pedestrian connections between the station, downtown shops and new residential development.
  • Coordinating Village Wayfinding— DRI Award: $81,000: The Village will develop and install distinctive Village wayfinding signage to enhance the appearance of the downtown and improve the pedestrian experience.
  • Developing a Mixed-Use Building at 21 Greene Avenue—DRI Award: $1,307,000. The former Village Hall will be redeveloped and re-purposed as a mixed-use building, increasing the total building size and adding approximately eight residential units to the existing office and commercial space. The building will also be beautified with a new mural honoring Amityville’s history.
  • Implementing a Commercial Storefront Revitalization Fund—DRI Award: $600,000.A storefront revitalization fund will provide grants to renovate building exteriors within the DRI area. Upgrades will be in line with Village character and may include facades, entrances, awnings, lighting and signage.
  • Rehabilitating a Professional Office Building at 137-157 Broadway—DRI Award: $425,000. The 22,000 square foot commercial medical building with extensive downtown frontage will be renovated to better attract tenants and contribute to overall Village character. Renovations will honor historic design character and positively contribute to the overall aesthetics of the Village.
  • Restoring Losi’s Corner with Hook & Ladder No.1 Building—DRI Award: $277,000.Three of Amityville’s oldest structures will be renovated to create an interconnected, mixed-use retail and dining complex at the corner of Park Avenue and Ireland Place. Renovations will include interior and exterior of the main building, firehouse and the cottage as well as adjacent open space to accommodate retail, dining and/or museum space.
  • Renovating 140a Broadway into a Mixed-Use Dining & Office Building—DRI Award: $235,000.The building at 140a Broadway will be renovated and expanded using sustainable building practices to allow for a ground floor specialty dining experience with a patio for outdoor seating and a law office on the second floor.
  • Creating a New Eatery at 217 Broadway DRI Award—$150,000: A vacant former pizzeria at 217 Broadway will be extensively renovated to establish a new restaurant that will add diversity to the food and beverage options downtown and generate new employment opportunities in the service and entertainment industries within the community.

Establishing an Artists’ Studio at 187 Broadway—DRI Award: $142,000. Vacant commercial space on Broadway will be renovated and re-purposed into a shared studio for local performing, theater and visual artists. The new space, which will include a combined dance studio/theater and a visual arts workshop, will be made available to community members to rent on an hourly basis.

  • Installing an Outdoor Beer Garden at 136 Broadway—DRI Award: $140,000. An outdoor seating area will be developed to create a beer garden on the west side lot of an existing Irish Pub & Restaurant. The renovation will add additional seating featuring dining/drinking space and live music performed by local artists.

State officials noted that the Village of Amityville sits at the nexus of several major Long Island transportation corridors. The Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) Area’s proximity to New York City, coupled with its convenient access to major transportation corridors and regional airports, provides a key asset when attracting new businesses and residents to the downtown. The Village is poised to make its compact, walkable downtown, centered on the Long Island Railroad train station, one of the premier destinations on Long Island, defined by its unique waterfront culture and historic charm. Amityville has built momentum for its revitalization through several projects, including pedestrian and bike lanes and mixed-use and residential transit-oriented developments.

The specific projects support several goals and strategies contained in the community’s Strategic Investment Plan, such as—Enhancing Connectivity, Walkability, Transit Access and Beautification; and Expanding Small Business and Housing Opportunities to promote the growth of the downtown as a transit-oriented center of vibrancy and activity.

The Amityville Downtown Revitalization Committee submitted a list of 18 projects that members believed had the potential to provide economic vitality and growth in the Village’s downtown. The submissions, made in Augus represented six months of work by the committee and oth­ers since the Village was notified it had become eligible for $10 million in funding as part of the state’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative program. The local Planning Committee included Chair Mia Jealous- Dank co-chairs Mayor Dennis Siry and Theresa Sand­ers, Jim Morgo, Joan Donnison, Marcus Duffin, Jennifer Ronzo, Warren Cohn and Andy Powell.

Amityville Mayor Dennis Siry congratulated the winners and said he and the board look forward to seeing these exciting opportunities take shape. “We are grateful to New York State and all those who contributed to this grant process, from our Downtown Revitalization Committee who got the ball rolling in the very beginning to the local committee and DRI teams who guided us throughout the process. All of Amityville will benefit from this transformative funding for our downtown.”

“The proposed advancements will bring in some much-needed jobs and housing diversity, which will ultimately help to revitalize the economic opportunities available for all Long Islanders,” said NYS Sen. John E. Brooks.

“I can think of no better community to serve as a model for downtown revitalization than the Village of Amityville,” said NYS Assemblywoman Kimberly Jean-Pierre. “With today’s announcement, New York is reaffirming its commitment to spurring economic growth by investing in housing opportunities and walkable downtown corridors that will support our small businesses and move communities like Amityville into a new era of prosperity.”

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone pointed out that connectivity and walkability is crucial to the success and revitalization of the county’s vibrant downtowns. “Thanks to Governor Kathy Hochul, Amityville is able to push forward with truly transformative projects that will promote growth for years to come,” he said.

For more information on the DRI go to: www.shorturl.at/avxMW

 

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