$10 Million Possibilities in Proposals for Port Jervis
Port Jervis Downtown Revitalization Initiative Committee is evaluating the city transformation potential of 33 grant proposals seeking pieces of the $10 Million DRI Grant.
Port Jervis city officials, business owners and investors have submitted 33 proposals, each seeking a piece of the $10 million New York State Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant that was awarded to Port Jervis this year. At a recent meeting, DRI committee members were asked to evaluate each of the 33 proposed projects for their transformative potential for downtown Port Jervis.
Smaller project proposals will be considered for the Small Project Fund of about $600,000, to be “carved out” of the $9.7 million DRI funding, said Valerie Monastra, principal planner at Nelson Pope Voorhis. The number of proposals is double the usual number for DRI grants, according to Susan Landfried, revitalization specialist from New York Department of State.
One proposal is for $3 million, offering a match of $2 million, for 29 Front St., to replace the long dilapidated building with a mixed use building with ground floor commercial space and 28 luxury apartments. Cory Puopolo, the partner for the project who attended the meeting, told the committee that affordable housing in the new building would be possible only with significant funding, or the investment could not be recouped. He said the building would have “green,” environment-conscious features, such as LED lighting and insulating concrete forms in walls.
Down the street, at 103 Jersey Ave., Brett and Tatyana Gartner, owners of Family Dollar proposed to build a 26-unit, four-story apartment building next to Family Dollar that co-owner Brett Gartner said would provide affordable housing with green technology, including use of sun, moon and wind, for light, heating and cooling. They would match $2 million in funding with $3,750,000. The couple had seen residential potential in the property for years, but, like Puopolo, found that affordable housing would not be affordable to build without supplemental funding, Brett Gartner said.
At 22 Jersey Ave., owners of The Beast Project, LLC requested $416,135 that they would match with $1.3 million. The project has been in process for several years, aiming for a “makers space” with open artist studios, a teaching studio, a gallery, retail space, a cafe, a co-working area and event space, plus more artist space on the third and fourth floors.
Nearby, at 46 Front St., above the Fox and Hare Brewery, owners seek $850,000 to renovate the third and fourth floors for commercial and residential spaces
The Beast and Brewery projects are described as redevelopment and rehabilitation projects as are nine other project proposals, several of which involve making upper floors of downtown buildings into apartments, including affordable housing, or work or business space.
However, Shield Tire Co. asked for $368,000, with $92,000 matching funds, to build a new “quick lube” bay, repave their lot and replace sidewalks. The Gun Lady asked for $85,424, with $9,491 matching funds, for a new HVAC system, window and door upgrades and facade improvements.
Eight “small project” proposals appeared on the committee list, including several businesses requesting funds for window replacement. AW Smith Plumbing asked for $32,551, with a $3617 match, for “glass replacement, two glass front doors and frames.” For UpFront Exhibition Space, Gordon Graff requested $46,980, with $5220 in matching funds, for roof repairs, ADA upgrades and a sprinkler system. Foundry 42 asked for $45-90,000 for an elevator, with $5-10,000 in matching funds. Burn the Ships wants $46,611 for roof repair and weatherization, offering $5179 in matching funds.
Asked whether grants would be given to businesses whose requests addressed only their own needs, for instance for a roof, Valerie Monastra said, “Roofs have been part of projects that included more public improvements, such as signs and awnings.”
Mayor Kelly Decker said that such proposals were “not really encouraged, but discussed as options.”
“The criteria for smaller projects is not that they’re individually transformative, but transformative as a whole,” said Bill Brady, Nelson Pope Voorhis planner.
Ten other proposals were described as “public improvement” projects. They included, submitted by the city, “enhancements” to Riverside Park, asking $4,750,000, with $250,000 in matching funds to pay for basketball and pickleball courts, a skatepark, a fitness area, paved walking trails, a pavilion and a 100-car parking lot. To ease access from the park to downtown, $2,450,000 is requested, with $50,000 in matching funds, for a bridge or “at-grade crossing” over the railroad at Fowler and Fourth St.
Also proposed by the City as public improvement is the “Erie Yard Heritage Center,” asking $1,030,000, with a $51,500 match, for “walkways, fencing, a comfort station, ADA decking and ramps, a solar array, railroad track realignment for boxcar siting and another boxcar.”
In another public improvement proposal, Joe Marino Design requested $4000, with a $12,000 match, for a hand-painted mural for the MacArthur Circle underpass. Cory Puopolo asked for $252,000 for a Christmas light show and $60,000 for a pre-lit Christmas tree over the fountain in winter.
Requested by the City of Port Jervis, for $315,000, with $35,000 matching funds, are public restrooms in the municipal Ball St. parking lot.
“As more people visit the area, many businesses do not open their bathrooms to the public, so public restrooms facilities should be available. All the facilities would have cameras with facial recognition upon entering any facility,” Mayor Kelly Decker said, when asked about making the restrooms safe.
The City also requested replacement of Jersey Ave. sidewalks, from Fowler St. to East Main St., with a Complete Streets configuration of trees, lighting and ADA accessibility. The city asked for $637,500 in funding, offering matching funds of $112,500.
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Thanks for the outline!