Over the next year a lot of work will be done to figure out how to spend the Town of Richfield’s $4.5 million NY Forward grant.
Former Richfield Supervisor Dan Sullivan spoke to the Richfield Springs Chamber of Commerce last week. Sullivan, who wrote the winning grant, explained what was done and what will come this year.
Sullivan said Richfield applied for a NY Forward grant in 2022, but didn’t get it. He tried again in 2023 and the town was successful.
NY Forward grants, he said, are for smaller communities in New York state.
The grant program is part of the state’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative effort, which awards $10 million to winning communities.
“We hit the jackpot in 2023,’’ Sullivan said, with help from Mohawk Valley Economic Development.
Richfield, which competed against 21 other communities, is in the preliminary stage this year.
The Town was just assigned a consulting firm and project manager.
Next up, the project’s Local Planning Committee will be approved and announced, Sullivan said.
That group will lead the effort to determine what projects will be submitted for state approval.
Sullivan showed the PowerPoint presentation he used during the application process. It included the town’s historical heritage and a plan for improving the downtown core in the Village of Richfield Springs, along with projects nearby.
Not all the projects are in the village, Sullivan said, showing the walkable zone that was created. It includes the area for the new Richfield Youth Sports Complex.
“A major focus was youth sports,’’ he said.The application included
what goals the Town wants to reach.
These include reusing vacant buildings, promoting health and well being and supporting small business growth.
The application had to have a mix of private and public projects. However, none of them are guaranteed funding, Sullivan said.
“These are examples of what we can do,’’ he said. ...
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