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Governor Hochul Announces Sleepy Hollow and Cornwall as Mid-Hudson Region Winners of First Round of NY Forward Program

Village of Sleepy Hollow and Town of Cornwall to Receive $4.5 Million Each

New $100 Million NY Forward Program Builds on Momentum of the Successful Downtown Revitalization Initiative to Support a More Equitable Downtown Recovery for New York’s Smaller Communities

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that the Village of Sleepy Hollow, and the Town of Cornwall and the Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson, will each receive $4.5 million in funding as the two Mid-Hudson 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 DRI to support a more equitable downtown recovery for New York’s smaller and rural communities. During NY Forward Round One, two to three awards will be made to smaller communities in each of the state’s ten economic development regions to support development and implementation of a revitalization plan for their downtowns. As part of the FY24 Executive Budget, Governor Hochul has proposed $100 million to fund an additional round of NY Forward.

“We are helping small towns and cities across our state build a better future for New Yorkers through our NY Forward program,” Governor Hochul said. “These awards will help the Village of Sleepy Hollow and the Town of Cornwall and the Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson develop their downtowns, improve the quality of life for residents and visitors, and create new jobs and attract businesses to expand economic opportunity across the region.”

NY Forward is a component of the State’s economic development efforts, working together with DRI to accelerate and expand the revitalization of New York’s downtowns. The program serves smaller communities with historic character that distinguishes them from the larger, more urban central business districts typically funded through DRI. NY Forward communities are walkable, less dense areas that serve the immediate local community, and are more local in nature - focusing on the immediately surrounding residential or rural agricultural centric development.

Like DRI, each NY Forward community will develop a Strategic Investment Plan to revitalize its downtown through a slate of readily implementable projects. The Department of State will provide enhanced technical assistance to better support smaller communities that may have less capacity as part of the NY Forward program and fund projects appropriately scaled to the size of each community. Projects may include building renovation and redevelopment, new construction or creation of new or improved public spaces and other projects that elevate specific cultural, historical qualities that enhance the feeling of small-town charm.

Read the full press release here.