As the village of Fairport prepares an application for a $10 million New York State Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) grant, leaders are asking for project proposals that will spur development, create housing, improve public spaces or enhance the Erie Canal waterfront.
The call for projects ask residents, developers, property owners, nonprofit organizations and community partners to submit ideas that will strengthen the core of the village.
Submissions are due by Oct. 5 and do not need to be fully designed or finalized. Early stage concepts are encouraged, the village said.
“We’re looking for ideas that could make a lasting difference in how people experience downtown Fairport,” Bryan White, village manager, said in a news release. “That could mean bringing new life to a property, creating housing, improving public space or making it easier to move between the places that make Fairport unique.”
Fairport’s DRI vision will strengthen connections through the village center, linking Main Street, the Erie Canal waterfront, businesses, public spaces, neighborhoods and other downtown destinations.
Designated a Pro-Housing Community, the village is encouraging proposals that create or expand residential opportunities downtown.
“A strong DRI application is more than a list of individual projects,” said Johnna McCooey, executive director of the Fairport Office of Community and Economic Development. “We are looking for investments that reinforce one another, projects that can leverage state funding, encourage additional private investment and contribute to a more connected and vibrant downtown.”
Details on submitting proposals is available on the village DRI website, at the Fairport Public Library or at the clerk’s office in the Fairport Village Hall.
An informational session will take place at 3 p.m. on Sept. 8 in the Village Hall board room (31 S. Main St.).
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