Catskill was the eighth-round winner for the Capital Region in this year’s DRI awards, meaning the town will see $10 million in state funding for projects aimed at improving the downtown creek district. When leaders first applied for the award, Catskill’s Local Planning Committee proposed a number of projects, but community members can still propose ideas before any plans are finalized.
In front of a packed crowd at the Catskill Senior Center, HR&A Consultant Bret Collazzi laid out some ground rules.
“Within the realm of construction projects, most things are eligible for DRI: public improvement projects, streets, sidewalks, trees, park improvements, green infrastructure," he lists. "New development or rehab of existing buildings — that could mean the construction of housing."
Allocating the funds and implementing the projects is expected to take years.
Ideas that are not eligible for DRI funding include: planning studies, operational costs, property acquisition, and reimbursements for projects that have already been done. Importantly, any project must be within the downtown creek district — though minimal exceptions may be allowed. Any projects that come with long-term operational costs or staff must have a sponsor who will take that on. The village can also have a $600,000 “small project fund” for ideas that cost less than $75,000.
After a short Q&A, residents split up to participate in workshops around the room. In one corner, Ben McCarthy, chair of the Catskill Democratic Committee, weighs a mission statement for the DRI written on a sheet of poster board. It reads: “Catskill will continue to grow into a more dynamic place to live, work and visit while retaining its small town character and remaining open and affordable to people of all income levels and backgrounds.”
McCarthy places a Post-It underneath to recommend a slight change.
“‘Catskill will continue to sustainably grow,' I think would be an important addition," he says. "And that’s ‘sustainably’ both culturally, but also environmentally.”
Resident Nicole Madden lingers around another poster where people are listing the village’s strengths, challenges and opportunities. She says the cost of living in Catskill is on the rise, and she’d like to see the DRI prioritize mixed-used development to increase housing.
She also understands residents who miss having a community center to go to. The Catskill Community Center building on Main Street closed years ago, and the organization has continued mainly as a food pantry and grant supplier for local programs.
“The community center, when it went away, it left a void for youth — but also young adults in the area who aren’t necessarily seniors," says Madden.
Multiple residents who attended Thursday expressed an interest in a new community center. Consultants with HR&A say some municipalities have used DRI funding for community centers in the past, but it could be an ambitious endeavor.
Author Hudson Talbott, with the Catskill Tree Council, says he’d like to see the DRI used to bring more greenery to downtown. He says there are parking lots that could be developed and bridges over the Catskill Creek that could use some sprucing up.
“If we could get $25,000, we’d do something with it. If we could get $100,000, we’d do something with it. If you gave me $500,000, we would be set!" laughs Talbott. "I’ll know what to do with it, we have plenty of ideas already.”
Talbott notes any projects would require cooperation with the landowners as well, whether they’re private owners, the village, Greene County, or New York state.
Everything being talked about Thursday night was still in its early stages. Even the projects laid out in the initial DRI application — which included multiple housing projects, an ADA-accessible small-craft boat launch, business improvements, and renovations to the Catskill Public Library — could be altered or swapped out in the final list the planning committee presents to the state.
Village Board President Natasha Law, who leads the committee, says she’s excited by the evening’s turnout.
"The community is essentially the one that decides where this money really goes, and it's what their input is and what they think Catskill should be," she says. "So having everyone show up is essential.”
The committee has a webinar scheduled for July 10, and Law says its next in-person meeting is August 4. The open call for projects runs through August 18, but the committee stresses applications submitted early will have an advantage.
