Albion intends to pursue parks, Restore NY grants

Photo by Tom Rivers: Downtown Albion is pictured on Jan. 29. Main Street traffic has been disrupted since the Main Street lift bridge was closed on Nov. 14, 2022.

ALBION – The Albion Village Board intends to pursue state funding for local park improvements and try again for the Restore NY program.

The board on Wednesday said it would apply for a parks grant for a lodge at Bullard Park and some projects in the smaller “pocket parks.”

The Greater Albion Community Recreation and Events Inc., a not-for-profit organization, will do the legwork on the application – teaming with the village to identify projects and the scope of the work.

The not-for-profit can’t be the applicant for the grant through the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. A municipality needs to seek the money, G-ACRE members Kim Remley, Ron Albertson and John Grillo told the Village Board on Wednesday.

G-ACRE will work with the village’s grant writer, G&G Municipal Consulting and Grant Writing, to complete the application, which is expected to be due in July. The application will then be submitted by the village.

The village in December 2016 was awarded a $499,605 state grant for Bullard projects, including a splash pad, amphitheater, new bathrooms and other improvements.

G-ACRE would like to make a new lodge the focus of the new application. A lodge in the park would be available year-round and could be rented out by community members. The lodge could have space for up to 90 people.

The group will also look at projects in the smaller neighborhood parks. That could include a fenced-in area for a dog park. Village Trustee Tim McMurray said St. Joseph’s Park on Clinton Street is being considered for the dog park.

Albion last year applied for $2 million through the Restore NY grant program. The village sought to assist 22 properties in the downtown area. Albion didn’t get the grant that would have covered 90 percent of building improvement projects in vacant or underutilized buildings.

Jay Grasso of G&G said the state has made $60 million available for the program this year. The board said it wants to try again. Grasso said the village will submit a notice of intent to apply for Restore NY by March 25 and there will likely be two public meetings about the grant, which is due to be filed in May.

Albion’s grant will be modified from last year’s. Grasso said other compelling projects emerged after the grant was submitted last year. He said he would work with the board and community to determine the most viable projects for the program.

Restore NY last year was available for projects ranging from $50,000 to up to $400,000. Most of the projects include drywall, utility work, plumbing and other improvements to make space more usable for residential and commercial uses.

Albion qualifies as a severely distressed community, making it eligible for Restore NY funding, Grasso said. That state program seeks to revitalize the heart of community centers, bringing funding for residential and commercial projects. Communities can apply for up to $10 million through the program.

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced last week the new round of $60 million for Restore NY.

“With Restore New York, we’re putting up $60 million in funding to breathe life back into communities all across our state,” Hochul said in a statement on Feb. 21. “This program gives municipalities the support they need to turn blighted, rundown buildings into housing, commercial hubs, and more, and any local leader ready to unlock their community’s potential should apply.”