DRI Round 6: Perry
Perry's DRI application committee is pleased to share the news that Perry has received a NYS Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) award! Thank you to all who have contributed to this outcome by attending meetings and information sessions, completing surveys, or writing letters of support.
How can you help now? Please don’t rely on secondary sources of information or assumptions. You can make a positive contribution to the process just by checking to make sure you have the facts, and then sharing them accurately with those you know. As always, your help is greatly appreciated!
To view the Strategic Investment Plan and Project Profiles that were developed by the Village of Perry Local Planning Committee and consultant team, please click here.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
WOW! What an exciting announcement! What happens next?
The announcement of a DRI award might be best thought of as the end of a first step. Some of the next steps include:
• Working with NYS Planners, a local committee, & consultants to establish DRI team
• Confirming a DRI area vision, and identifying goals & strategies
• Engaging stakeholders throughout the process of administering the DRI
• Identifying and reviewing projects with local committee & public
• Developing a Strategic Investment Plan with consultants, DRI team & public input and submitting to NYS
• Projects submitted by each awarded community are evaluated by NYS & funding selections are made
• Projects that are selected for funding are announced by the Governor
• Officials work with sponsors of the projects on grant agreementsWill the Village of Perry receive a check for $10 million dollars?
No. When making a Downtown Revitalization Initiative award, New York State makes a commitment to invest at least $10 million in the downtown area identified in the application. There's a process that includes NYS and regional oversight from start to finish.
Are there limits to what can be done with DRI award funding?
Yes. DRI grants are designed for transformational projects within a specific, defined downtown area. Projects will be evaluated in detail by NYS, after the community weighs in on them and puts forward its recommendations. DRI grant funds may not be used for needs like street paving or water & sewer infrastructure.
Who will be able to participate in community meetings or workshops?
Collaboration and community participation are crucial to this effort—residents, business owners, municipal leaders, government officials and non-profits groups will all be welcome to contribute to this work. All will be invited to provide project ideas, public or private!
When will the next part of the community process start?
The award was announced on February 13, 2023. There is no information about timelines available at this time. Please keep an eye out for news.
Does the Village of Perry decide where funding is distributed?
No. A committee will work with the community, through a planning process to present a list of projects to NYS for funding consideration.
Will the projects that are listed in the application be the ones that receive funding?
Not necessarily. The proposed projects that are listed in the application are possible projects that were developed with the support of the community and sponsors, in alignment with the Village's Comprehensive Plan and community priorities. They illustrate some of the types of transformational projects that a DRI award could support. There will be more work ahead to gather community input, further develop projects and identify funding requests. Eventually, a set of recommendations is submitted to NYS agencies for their evaluation and decisions.
If I don't like one of the suggested projects, what should I do?
It is important to recognize that the goal of the DRI is to provide a benefit for the community as a whole. It is likely that not every project will be perfect in the eyes of all persons -- that would be an unrealistic goal. A project that is favored by some may not be the favorite of all, and that is to be expected. We'll be collaborating to develop a well-defined list of projects that benefit the community.
I have questions that are not included in this list....what should I do?
There are several NYS resources that may be helpful to you, that have been published on the NYS DRI program information website for previous rounds.
To access these resources, please visit NYS DRI Program Information on the web at: https://www.ny.gov/programs/downtown-revitalization-initiative.
In a few weeks, we expect that we will be able to share a dedicated contact email address or other contact information to share here to facilitate reaching the DRI team for the Perry DRI award. In the meantime, if your question is urgent, please use email to contact Village Administrator Samantha Marcy.
What is the DRI?
The NYS Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) seeks to boost local economies through transformational projects.
Each of New York State's Regional Economic Development Councils (REDCs) nominate applicant communities based on their potential for transformation.
DRI recipient communities are awarded $10 million to develop downtown strategic investment plans and implement projects that further their revitalization.
Finger Lakes Region recipients of the DRI Award are:
- Round 1: Geneva
- Round 2: Batavia
- Round 3: Penn Yan
- Round 4: Seneca Falls
- Round 5: Rochester's City Center
- Round 6: Perry
Round 6: Perry Application
Perry's DRI application committee prepared submissions in Rounds 4, 5 and 6.
With each round, the committee worked to share the story of the revitalization work Perry has pursued over the last 15+ years, and build the proposed project list drawing on the VoP Comprehensive Plan and Resiliency Study.
When reviewing, please remember that the projects are proposed projects—not final, selected projects. Through the work ahead, new projects and ideas will be developed.
The final list of funded projects may look very different than that presented in the application.
After a community process, a list of recommended projects will be presented to NYS fo review and funding selection.
More Resources
• NYS DRI Program Information
• NYS DRI / NYF Round 6 Brochure
• NYS DRI Round 5 FAQs
