The City of Mechanicville announces it has been awarded two grants totaling $800,000 from the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR). A Small Cities Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) in the amount of $600,000 will be used towards much-needed repairs to the city's sanitary sewer system, and a $200,000 New York Main Street Program grant will help the city upgrade commercial building facades and improve a number of apartments in the downtown business district.

These grant awards are the result of several applications for funding currently under review by various funding agencies as part of the City of Mechanicville's Downtown Revitalization Grant Program, an aggressive program developed to meet the goals of the city’s 2006 Downtown Revitalization Plan.

“Working over the last few years, the city, along with the Mechanicville Area Chamber of Commerce, Saratoga County, Saratoga Economic Development Corp, and area businesses and residents, worked with our consulting engineer, Barton & Loguidice, P.C., to develop a comprehensive planning approach to redevelopment in downtown Mechanicville," said Mayor Anthony Sylvester. "Collectively, we have created a dynamic revitalization strategy to make downtown Mechanicville a destination, drawing shoppers and business leaders from the surrounding areas while improving the lives of the city's residents. These two grants will help to further our revitalization efforts tremendously."

The CDBG grant will be used to assist in resolving the problem the City of Mechanicville has been experiencing within its sanitary sewer system. As a result of overflows during heavy rainfall, the city has entered into an Order on Consent with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), agreeing to make the necessary repairs to their sanitary sewer system to fix this problem.

Surveys of business owners conducted during the preparation of the City of Mechanicville's Downtown Revitalization Plan revealed that building and façade improvements, streetscape improvements, a great diversity of shops and stores downtown, and enhanced marketing and promotion were needed to make the city a more attractive and inviting place to shop. Funding obtained through the New York Main Street Program will enable the City of Mechanicville's business community to renew its downtown through façade improvements, streetscapes, and the creation of upper floor apartments, an important first step toward revitalization.

The Downtown Revitalization Grant Program was initialized by the Downtown Revitalization Project Committee, consisting of Mayor Anthony Sylvester, Board of Supervisors member Tom Richardson, Department of Public Works Director Jack Messore, and several local area residents and business owners. Working with the committee, staff from Barton & Loguidice's Albany office focused the project efforts on grant applications that were identified as a result of an aggressive public participation effort that included workshops and committee meetings. Coordination with funding agencies and project development will continue through 2008.

The City of Mechanicville is providing funding for administrative costs in the amount of $25,000, and $10,000 in construction costs for the streetscape component of the program.

The CDBG grant program is federally funded but administered by the DHCR through its Office of Community Renewal. The program works to ensure decent affordable housing, to provide services to the most vulnerable in our communities, and to create jobs through the expansion and retention of businesses and is an important tool for helping local governments tackle serious challenges facing their communities.

The NY Main Street grant program provides funds from the New York State Housing Trust Fund Corporation (HTFC) to business improvement districts and other not-for-profit organizations that are committed to revitalizing historic downtowns, mixed-use neighborhood commercial districts, and village centers. New York Main Street provides financial resources and technical assistance to communities to strengthen the economic vitality of the State's traditional Main Streets and neighborhoods.