A total of $450,000 from the state's NY Main Street Grant Program is starting to show results in Downtown Batavia.
The bulk of the funding -- $400,000 -- is being used to assist downtown property owners with interior and exterior renovations, including facades.
“You can see some of the facade renovations already being made to Alberty Drugs, YNGodess and Del Plato Law Firm and Williams Law Firm," Economic Development Coordinator Julie Pacatte said. "They are all part of the Main Street Grant Program, in which the owners of the three properties are spending about $160,000 and they’re receiving about $57,000 in grants for the renovations."
Some of the projects that have been done involve new apartments and building improvements.
Two apartments were recently completed on Jackson Street, as well as one above Valle Jewelers.
Four new apartments will be built at the former Carr’s Warehouse on Jackson Square. Owner Ken Mistler has also committed to developing two apartments at 97 Main St. The Batavia Development Corporation recently approved sprinklers and HVAC units for them.
Of the remaining $50,000, the dumpster project on Center Street was given half for streetscape improvements, which would include rebuilding the trash bin enclosures and repaving the parking lot.
But the City Council has not voted on whether to proceed with the dumpster project, and since $25,000 of the grant money is already earmarked for it, Public Works will have to find another way to move it forward.
The remaining $25,000 is committed to splitting the administration office space of Stuart Brown Associates and Batavia Development Corp.
Why does City Public Works
Why does City Public Works HAVE to find another way to move the dumpster project (that City Council clearly voted against) forward? Does Batavia Development Corporation suggest that Public Works somehow circumvent the vote of City Council and find a way to go forward with the dumpster enclosures? I get concerned when I read these economic development public relations press releases. They call it grant money which makes it sound like it was somehow free. But make no mistake, we sent that money and more to Albany in the form of our tax dollars. We got a small portion back. Then to add insult to injury, the local development corporation created by Albany takes another 5.5% of the pie as a fee for delivering us our "grant". I don't blame the local businesses for taking part in this pay to play scheme. They are in the game but they have no control over the rules. In order to get some financial relief they need to be willing to play the game. We can start to change things by making it very clear to BDC that you can't go directly to Public Works when you don't like the vote of City Council.
the city got 40 windows
the city got 40 windows they can install for me ? geeze you guys. wait till a bridge falls off its headwalls.... its only helping the chosen wealthy few from this side of the street..... the bridge will chose the few chosen.
Jim, I agree that Albany
Jim, I agree that Albany overtaxed us and is only returning the excessive taxes taken from us to make us think we got something for free
But to be clear about part of the dumpster project vote. Council voted not to approve the use of the $10,000 VLT money for the enclosure without the businesses having to pay that back to the City. That ended the project for now.
Council also said that if the proposed enclosure can be reconfigured using only the $25,000 grant money, then they would be willing to reconsider that. They also said if not, the dumpsters will still have to be enclosed per code and if the cost goes over the $25,000, the businesses will have to pay the difference
.I don't think we need to
.I don't think we need to give money for private owners of buildings to create more apartment space in Batavia when we have so much rental property in the city now..The money should of all been spent to do something about the city of Batavia's part of the Mall...It is that part of Main St . that needs the most attention..Not a landlord to create and apartment to put money in his pocket..
Mark, Problem with the City
Mark,
Problem with the City part of the Mall is that there really is no City part. There is a contract, now part of the court case, that stated the City would pay a certain amount of the maintenance of the concourse. The City does not "own" the concourse. True, you can say that City Hall is part of the Mall, but that part does not need anything done with it and other than an entrance way to the Mall, is separate.
All the stores, shops and offices are private property. Any money spent by the City on anything other than the contracted concourse maintenance fee would be giving taxpayer money to help private property owners
So then it comes down to which private property owners you want to help.
Apartments 1st repaving the
Apartments 1st repaving the city owned parking lot that hundreds use everyday to shop @ our only downtown grocery store ... bottom of the list. Must be that none of city council shps there let alone their elderly relatives. Maybe when a pothole claims the life of a long time tax paying Batavian ?