A list of downtown Auburn projects receiving state assistance through the Downtown Revitalization Initiative will be announced Tuesday, city officials have said.
Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Auburn Public Theater, Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul is expected to announce a number of downtown projects to receive a portion of the $10 million grant. The announcement comes a year after Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared Auburn the grant's 2018 central New York winner.Â
After receiving a number of proposals, the Auburn Local Planning Committee gathered a list of 29 projects that could boost downtown development. While incorporating public feedback, the planning committee considered projects that fell into three categories: public improvement, development and rehabilitation and revolving loan funds.Â
Through months of meetings and public workshops, that list of 29 projects was narrowed down to 18. In March, that list was sent to the state to further trim the number of grant contenders.Â
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Together, those 18 projects were requesting $13.5 million in DRI funds. Tuesday's announcement will reveal which projects will get a piece of the $10 million pie.Â
Many of the projects brought before the state involved some sort of building repair. Other projects included enhancing public services like constructing a new emergency operations center.Â
Auburn had applied for the DRI grant in 2016 and 2017 — both attempts fell short of securing the state aid. When the city had applied for a third time, city employees emphasized Auburn's history by using the "this place matters" theme — a campaign that highlighted sites that hold importance to Auburnians.Â
