Governor Hochul Announces $10M Downtown Revitalization Initiative Award for Johnson City

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that the Village of Johnson City will receive $10 million in funding as the Southern Tier winner of the sixth round of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative. For DRI Round 6, each of the state's 10 economic development regions are being awarded $10 million, to make for a total state commitment of $100 million in funding and investments to help communities boost their economies by transforming downtowns into vibrant neighborhoods.

“New York’s downtowns are the lifeblood of our communities,” Governor Hochul said. "This $10 million in funding awarded to the Village of Johnson City will help grow the local economy by attracting businesses and jobs, and will create a vibrant, diverse community that will uplift the downtown for generations to come."

The DRI serves as a component of the State's economic development policy by transforming downtown neighborhoods into vibrant centers of activity that offer a high quality of life and attract businesses, jobs and economic and housing diversity. Like past DRI rounds, each selected community will develop a strategic plan through a bottom-up, community-based planning process that articulates a vision for the revitalization of its downtown and identifies a list of signature projects that have transformative potential and leverage further private and public investments. The Department of State will then award DRI funds to selected projects with the greatest potential to jumpstart revitalization and realize the community's vision.

Johnson City

Nestled in the Susquehanna River Valley, Johnson City is a multi-cultural, working-class community that was built on the shoulders of the famed Endicott-Johnson Shoe company for which it is named. The village has a variety of housing, educational resources, events and opportunities that make Johnson City an ideal place to live, work and play. Johnson City's Main Street, and many of the surrounding streets, have dozens of storefront restaurants, professional offices, and many other businesses that offer convenience and accessibility to village residents. The new Binghamton University Health Sciences Campus, located in the heart of Johnson City, is a catalyzing presence in the downtown with 200 employees and over 1,000 students. The village also has many entertainment amenities, such as the Goodwill Theatre, a historic theater on its way to restoration, and the Schorr Family Firehouse Stage, a once defunct firehouse, which are both quickly transforming the downtown into an entertainment and cultural hub.

Johnson City's DRI area consists of nearly 200 acres encompassing the downtown and surrounding lands and buildings that once housed the Endicott-Johnson Shoe Company and is included within a designated Brownfield Opportunity Area and URI-supported Health and Cultural iDistrict. Johnson City is in the midst of a transformation from a working-class manufacturing community into a new economy leveraging higher education, healthcare and culture. To support these exciting developments, the Village seeks to create a downtown with a youthful, artistic vibe that meets the needs and expectations of this changing demographic and economic marketplace, while preserving and restoring its many historic assets and celebrating its ethnic and cultural diversity. The village is actively leveraging the growth of the UHS Wilson Medical Center, the recent establishment of Binghamton University's Health Sciences Campus and the redevelopment of the former EJ Victory Building in the heart of downtown to catalyze positive change and spur unprecedented private investment. Additional investment within the downtown will integrate the new Binghamton University and UHS anchors into the downtown core, help develop new housing for students and residents, revitalize vacant storefronts, build upon its cultural infrastructure and continue to develop the unique sense of place that is downtown Johnson City.

The Southern Tier Regional Economic Development Council conducted a thorough and competitive review process of proposals submitted from communities throughout the region and considered all the criteria below before recommending Johnson City as the nominee:

• Downtown is compact, with well-defined boundaries;
• Downtown can capitalize on prior, or catalyze future private and public investment;
• Recent or impending job growth within, or close to, the downtown that can attract workers, support redevelopment and make growth sustainable;
• Downtown is an attractive and livable community for diverse populations;
• Municipality already embraces, or has the ability to create and implement policies that increase livability and quality of life;
• Municipality conducted open and robust community engagement resulting in a vision for downtown revitalization and a preliminary list of projects and initiatives;
• Municipality has the local capacity to manage the DRI process; and
• Municipality has identified transformative projects that will be ready for near-term implementation with an infusion of DRI funds.

Johnson City has been awarded $10 million in state funding and investments to revitalize its downtown neighborhood and generate new opportunities for long-term growth following the local planning process. Johnson City joins the communities of Elmira, Watkins Glen, Owego, Hornell, Endicott and Norwich, which were the Southern Tier's winners in the first five DRI rounds.

Johnson City will begin the process of developing a Strategic Investment Plan to revitalize its downtown with up to $300,000 in planning funds from the $10 million DRI grant. A Local Planning Committee made up of municipal representatives, community leaders and other stakeholders will lead the effort, supported by a team of private sector experts and state planners. The Strategic Investment Plan will examine local assets and opportunities to identify economic development, transportation, housing, and community projects that align with each community's vision for downtown revitalization and that are poised for implementation. The Strategic Investment Plan will guide the investment of DRI grant funds in revitalization projects that will advance the community's vision for its downtown and that can leverage and expand upon the state's $10 million investment. Plans for the DRI's sixth round will be complete in 2023.

Secretary of State Robert J. Rodriguez said, "The key to effective downtown revitalization is community engagement, and the Downtown Revitalization Initiative puts a community's future in the hands of its residents. As the Southern Tier winner for Round 6, Johnson City will now begin to form a transformational plan to create a 21st-century downtown that meets the needs and expectations of its changing population. The future for Johnson City and the entire Southern Tier looks bright."

Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, "The Downtown Revitalization Initiative is helping to reimagine New York State's cities for the future. This DRI award will help Johnson City design a downtown district that further enhances the experience of its Binghamton University student residents, supports entrepreneurial potential and creates greater long-term synergy throughout the community."

Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, "The Governor's DRI program is extraordinary in that it gives growing, newly vibrant communities such as Johnson City the opportunity to invest in its future according to carefully laid city planning principles. HCR has already invested significant resources in the adaptive reuse of the Endicott-Johnson shoe factory into Century Sunrise with more than 100 units of quality, historically-significant affordable housing. This award will build on that progress and other investments from the State and help this Southern Tier city continue on the path to full resurgence."

Southern Tier Regional Economic Development Council Co-Chair Judy McKinney Cherry, Executive Director, Schuyler County Partnership for Economic Development and Broome Community College President Kevin Drumm said, "The STREDC is incredibly proud to support Johnson City with its exciting future. This community-driven strategic plan will benefit Binghamton University students, residents and visitors alike. The $10 million in DRI funding will help to fuel an array of targeted, transformative projects, promoting economic growth and creating a more vibrant downtown where people will want to live, work, and play."

Assemblymember Donna Lupardo said, "I am thrilled that the Village of Johnson City has been selected as this year's DRI awardee from the Southern Tier Region, following Endicott last year. The timing for Johnson City is perfect as the downtown has reached a major turning point. New energy and investments have come to the Village with the Health and Cultural iDistrict, the rebirth of the Victory Building, and new small businesses finding their way to Main Street. Congratulations to everyone who worked so hard on this winning proposal and to the Governor for supporting the effort to bring our downtowns back to life."

Village of Johnson City Mayor Marty Meaney said, "I would like to thank Governor Hochul for continuing to fund the DRI program. I would also like to thank the Southern Tier REDC for selecting Johnson City. There has been a lot of development in and around our downtown over the last few years. This development has started the revitalization of our downtown. However, revitalization is not a speedy process. With this award, we will see the transformation into a vibrant downtown so much sooner. This is exactly what our community needed to make tomorrow's dreams a reality, and for this we are grateful."

Broome County Executive Jason Garnar said, "Exciting things are happening in Johnson City and this Downtown Revitalization Initiative award will take redevelopment of the Village to the next level. From the rehabilitation of historic buildings and the expansion of private businesses to public infrastructure and streetscape improvements, Johnson City's DRI plan will build on the transformation already taking place here. Thank you to Governor Hochul as well as all our local leaders for continuing to believe in Broome County!"

About the Downtown Revitalization Initiative

The Downtown Revitalization Initiative was created in 2016 to accelerate and expand the revitalization of downtowns and neighborhoods in all ten regions of the state to serve as centers of activity and catalysts for investment. Led by the Department of State with assistance from Empire State Development, Homes and Community Renewal and NYSERDA, the DRI represents an unprecedented and innovative "plan-then-act" strategy that couples strategic planning with immediate implementation and results in compact, walkable downtowns that are a key ingredient to helping New York State rebuild its economy from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to achieving the State's bold climate goals by promoting the use of public transit and reducing dependence on private vehicles.

In the first five years of the program, the state committed $600 million to investing in 59 downtowns ripe for revitalization and that have the potential to become magnets for redevelopment, business, job creation, greater economic and housing diversity and opportunity. Participating communities are nominated by the state's 10 Regional Economic Development Councils based on the downtown's potential for transformation. Each community is awarded $10 million to develop a downtown strategic investment plan and implement key catalytic projects that advance the community's vision for revitalization and leverage additional private and public investments.

More information on the DRI is available here.