'Main Street' grant could help improve parts of downtown

AMENIA — As an unannounced ending to the Nov. 5 public hearing for the town budget, a resolution was passed by the Town Board authorizing the application of a New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal Main Street Grant.

Mike Hagerty, the town’s grant writer, explained the proposal in further detail.

“We’re asking for $115,000,� he said, mentioning that applicants could apply for up to $500,000. The funds, if granted, would go toward “stimulating reinvestment in properties located within mixed-use commercial districts,� according to the resolution passed.

Hagerty said that the area in question is the historic gateway on upper East Main Street, where Fountain Square is.

“I’ve been meeting with all the businesses and talking with them,� he said. “A lot of the buildings are in a poor state of repair, and the area is a low- to moderate-income community.�

All those things, Hagerty said, make it more likely Amenia could obtain the grant.

This is the first opportunity towns have had to apply for the grant (in the past only nonprofit organizations were eligible). In total, $6.4 million is available throughout the state of New York to revitalize areas with a mix of residential and commercial zones. There are 21 buildings in the town’s target zone, which are split almost evenly between homes and businesses.

Possible repairs would involve streetscape projects such as repairing Fountain Square, which Hagerty said was an important area to the town.

“It’s where veterans gather, and also where they hold the annual Holiday of Lights,� he said, adding that town resident and architect Darlene Riemer did a substantial amount of volunteer work in the early 1990s on repairs to the square and that both Riemer and Councilwoman Victoria Perotti helped with the current grant. The area is at the intersection of three major state highways.

The revitalization outlined in the grant ties in with the comprehensive plan and the 2008 Amenia hamlet plan, which was just recently approved by the Town Board.

“Pretty much everyone agrees that there needs to be a more walkable community in Amenia,� Hagerty said. “There need to be more sidewalks.�

Hagerty estimated the various streetscape projects would total about $25,000 and he said the rest of the grant, if the town’s application is approved, would be up in the air. At least two buildings would have to be renovated, and the revitalization process could start with the gateway and work its way down.

“Everyone I’ve spoken to was interested,� Hagerty added, listing the library, antique shop and the bank as examples. The grant will pay for up to 75 percent of renovation costs. The remaining 25 percent could be matched with private funding or through other grants, such as the Community Development Block Grant.

The resolution was passed on Nov. 5, with all the Town Board present, because it was due on Nov. 13, and the town would not have had another chance to get it submitted on time. The Town Board would not have had a chance to meet again until its regular scheduled meeting on Nov. 13.

Hagerty said he had just recently found out about the grant and had been working hard to finish it in time for submission. All of this comes right after ground was finally broken on the Mechanic Street project, something Hagerty has been involved with for some time.

“It’s usually about three to six months before we’ll hear anything back,� Hagerty said about the NYS Main Street Grant. “I’ll stay in touch with them. They’re usually pretty good about letting you know why they chose who they did.�