Gov. Kathy Hochul awarded Port Jervis a $10 million grant on Feb. 22 to redevelop its historic downtown into a regional destination for residents and visitors.
The city is one of 10 municipalities statewide—the only one within the Mid-Hudson region—to receive the competitive grant this year.
Mayor Kelly Decker said in a press statement: “Many have worked extremely hard over the past several years to improve Port Jervis, and this is the ‘icing on the cake.’ Now it is time to once again roll up our sleeves and work to make this gem shine.”
The small city on the bank of the Delaware River was chosen because it has demonstrated a record of private and public investments that the state grant can capitalize on, according to a press release from the governor’s office.
Despite being financially stressed, the city has managed to move economic development projects forward creatively in the past years, including turning two vacant downtown buildings into new storefronts with the help of private developers, according to its grant application.
Ongoing projects include a 24-room downtown hotel with river-view rooftop bars, which costs about $2 million and is set to be completed by summer.
In terms of infrastructure, the city is undertaking a $35 million upgrade to its wastewater system.
Another reason why Port Jervis is favored is that recent and future developments promise strong job growth, according to the press release.
The expansions of Bon Secours Community Hospital, Cornerstone Health, and Planet Health Food Packaging are expected to add 50 new jobs in three years, according to the grant application.
Plus, the city’s recent annexations of two Town of Deerpark parcels promise future commercial growth with a potential of hundreds of new jobs.
Potential Grant Projects
Port Jervis has a long list of potential projects that can take advantage of the $10 million grant, according to its application to the state.
One of the most expensive projects is redeveloping the historic railroad yard into an outdoor transportation history center, with a price tag of $7 million.
Another big-ticket proposal is to renovate the vacant second and third floors of a dozen downtown buildings by combining grant money with private investments.
Plus, the city plans a potential $4 million pedestrian bridge connecting downtown and Riverside Park, which will also provide access to much-needed parking spaces for downtown visitors.
After being awarded the grant, Port Jervis can spend up to $300,000 to come up with a more fine-tuned development plan by the end of the year; public input is required.
Then the state government will allot grant money to projects with the most potential.
Downtown Revitalization Initiative
Launched in 2016 under former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the initiative annually provides a $10 million grant to one municipal recipient in each of the 10 state regions to revitalize its downtown.
It can also be awarded to a joint application of two to three small communities that share a single vision.
In the Mid-Hudson region, Middletown was the inaugural recipient, followed by Kingston, New Rochelle, Peekskill, Haverstraw, Ossining, and now Port Jervis.
This year, Hochul also launched a new $100 million NY Forward Program grant to redevelop downtowns in smaller and rural communities.
Village of Sleepy Hollow, Town of Cornwall, and Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson are the inaugural recipients in the Mid-Hudson region.
Cornwall Town Supervisor Josh Wojehowski said in a press release, “The NY Forward grant will allow our community to take [our] efforts to the next level by linking two downtown areas via pedestrian-friendly projects, the use of public art, creating additional open space and other amenities.”
