Dear Members,
Please find update as you requested for the Downtown Revitalization Initiative Downtown Improvement Fund: March 2019 Update
Greetings to all of the applicants and stakeholders in the City of Oneonta. I’m very happy to follow up our announcements of those projects selected for award through this grant program with information on where we go from here.
Applicants who were chosen to receive awards will receive a mailing by early next week that includes three things:
• A “pre-award” letter that indicates the proposed amount of award and the project location
• An application form for City of Oneonta loans for those applicants who are seeking loans as part of their project funding
• A list of Next Steps and what to expect
The City is awarding funding to more than 60 separate projects and while we have reached this exciting stage of announcing awardees, there are still boxes to be checked before the green light can be given to awardees to begin to spend money on their projects.
At this point, this State grant program requires that:
• Scopes of work must be developed;
• Environmental reviews must be conducted for all projects;
• Site contamination reviews must be conducted for applicable projects;
• The State must give final approval for each project once all steps are completed;
• Then each project must be put out to bid.
While it’s very exciting that the Downtown Improvement Fund money is beginning to flow, the process will take time, probably several weeks even for relatively simple projects. In the interim, to awardees, it’s very important to bear in mind: Don’t start your project until you have a signed Grant Agreement with the City! Any money you spend on your project before that will not be eligible for reimbursement with grant funds.
Challenging as it may be when we are so close to launching these projects, I urge all awardees and stakeholders to join in practicing patience as we go through these final steps. By summer we will celebrate the changes taking place as these projects come to fruition throughout our Downtown.
With best regards,
Kim Muller Chair, Project Selection Committee
