Ithaca wins $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative award focused on West State Street

Ithaca, N.Y. — City planning staff told the Planning and Development Board on April 28 that Ithaca was awarded a $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant that will fund strategic planning and leverage private investment focused on West State Street.

"It's a $10,000,000 award, and the money is used to leverage private investment," Lisa Nicholas, director of planning and development, said. She said the Department of State has already selected a consultant team to run a roughly six-to-eight-month planning process that will include public participation and a call for projects.

Nicholas said projects chosen through the forthcoming competitive process will be evaluated over time and those selected will be included in the strategic economic development plan; she emphasized that application for inclusion does not guarantee funding but demonstrates project readiness to leverage the grant dollars.

The planning process will include a local advisory committee and public outreach; staff said a call for projects will be issued shortly and selected projects will be phased into awards as the strategic plan is finalized.

Board members asked whether the planning board would have a role in project selection; Nicholas said planning-board members can make recommendations to the committee and will participate in site-plan review for any awarded projects that come through the city's development-review process.

The board noted the grant creates an opportunity to align public investments with the zoning rewrite and other city planning priorities.