January 23, 2023
From Governor Kathy Hochul: the Village of Wellsville will each receive $4.5 million in funding as the Western New York region winners of the first round of NY Forward. Building on the momentum of the state’s successful Downtown Revitalization Initiative, the $100 million NY Forward program adopts the same “Plan-then-Act” strategy as the Downtown Revitalization Initiative to support a more equitable downtown recovery for New York’s smaller and rural communities. As part of NY Forward Round One, two to three awards will be granted to smaller communities in each of the state’s 10 economic development regions to support the development and implementation of a downtown revitalization plan.
“New York’s downtowns are the lifeblood of our state, and my administration is committed to ensuring communities in every region have the resources they need to thrive,” Governor Hochul said. “Through NY Forward, we’re building on the continued success of our Downtown Revitalization Initiative to provide crucial support to New York’s smaller and rural communities. I’m proud to announce this funding today for Lancaster and Wellsville to help bring our downtowns back and strengthen our communities for the next generation of New Yorkers.”
The Village of Wellsville’s historic downtown has a significant collection of architecturally and historically significant buildings and benefits from its close proximity to Alfred State College and Alfred University. The Village of Wellsville’s vision is to capitalize on its unique small-town historic character while pursuing economic activity to create a community that is a thriving, walkable, equitable place. Building off recent commercial and industrial growth, Wellsville seeks to foster new projects that cultivate investment and attract new residents, including preserving and adaptively reusing historic buildings, creating new and diverse housing choices, improving its business park and investing in parks, trails and placemaking.
Assemblymember Joseph Giglio “This investment of $4.5 million in Wellsville’s downtown should provide a boost to the economy of the region and improve the quality of life for the residents of my district. I am pleased to see that the State is committed to the revitalization of Wellsville and other small communities in Western New York.”
Wellsville Mayor Randy Shayler said, “Village of Wellsville thanks Governor Hochul and the State of New York for this award. We appreciate the confidence placed in our Village in this next step of our current economic development. The impact of this grant is tremendous and will be felt in Wellsville for generations.”
