Downtown Revitalization Initiative

• The DRI award recipients were announced and the award booklet is in the News and Announcements
• The full DRI plan was submitted and is in the News and Announcement section
• Check the News and Announcements section for the public survey results ! 
• Look for information under News / Announcements in the right menu. 
• We had our first Local Planning Committee meeting 10/10/2018 

Village of Owego Open Call for Projects for Downtown Revitalization Initiative

Owego, NY – The Village of Owego was selected by the Southern Tier Regional Economic Development Council to receive a $10 million award from New York State through the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI). The DRI investment will allow Owego to develop a strategic investment plan and implement key catalytic projects that advance its vision for downtown revitalization. Projects selected for DRI funding will transform the downtown and support a vibrant local economy.

Owego DRI Local Planning Committee Seeks Project Ideas from the Community

The Owego Local Planning Committee (LPC) has issued an Open Call for Potential DRI Projects to seek proposals for privately sponsored projects to be considered for DRI funding. The purpose of the Open Call is to hear from members of the community who have potential transformative projects on private sites that provide economic and community benefits. This process will enable the LPC to fully vet private projects that could transform the downtown, in a uniform, open and transparent process. Submissions should include capital/construction projects, business expansion or creation, and renovation of existing buildings on private sites. Submissions should demonstrate commitment of private funding sources and discuss the project’s transformative nature and potential community benefits. New ideas are encouraged, as well as established project concepts. All submissions should include as much information as possible on potential projects in order to demonstrate that the idea is feasible and will have a meaningful impact on downtown Owego. After submission, the Owego LPC and its consultant team, led by BFJ Planning, will work with project sponsors to gather additional information as needed.

All requirements for submissions can be found in the Open Call for Potential DRI projects. A PDF of the Open Call for Potential DRI projects can be downloaded at the following link:

DRI open-call-projects-form-download

Hard copies of the Open Call for Projects are also available at the Village office (178 Main Street) and the County Economic Development & Planning office (56 Main Street).

Project submissions should be emailed to OwegoDRI3@gmail.com by December 7, 2018. The consultant team will hold “office hours” to discuss questions about potential submissions on Wednesday, November 14 from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm at the Tioga County Office Building, 56 Main Street, in the second floor conference room. In addition, questions on the Open Call can be sent via email by November 16, 2018.

DRI Process and Opportunities to Get Involved

The approximately six-month DRI planning process will be guided by a Local Planning Committee of representatives from Village and county government, community organizations, local businesses, and local residents. The first LPC meeting was on October 10, 2018, and the LPC will continue to meet regularly until the plan is completed in March 2019. The meetings are working sessions for the LPC, but they are open to the public. LPC meetings are planned on the second Wednesdays of every month (through March) from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Owego Apalachin Central School, in the LGI room (1 Sheldon Guile Blvd).

The DRI planning process also incorporates robust public engagement to ensure that the strategic investment plan reflects the priorities of the Owego community. The first of three public engagement

events is scheduled for Wednesday, October 24 at 6:30 pm at Tioga Opportunities (9 Sheldon Guile Blvd). A second public event will be held in December 2018 or January 2019 and a final public event will be held in February 2019.

Please visit www.ny.gov/DRI for more information on opportunities for public input and the DRI planning process. Follow the Owego DRI on Twitter and Instagram @OwegoDRI and on Facebook @TeamTioga.