Kirkland, Clinton Receive NYS $10M Downtown Revitalization Grant

The Town of Kirkland and Village of Clinton are the Mohawk Valley recipients of a $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) grant from New York State. It’s part of a total state commitment of $100 million in DRI funding and investments to help communities boost their economies by transforming downtowns into vibrant neighborhoods.

In announcing the award, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office noted that “The Village of Clinton is also home to 51猎奇, a nationally recognized liberal arts college that attracts diverse students, faculty, and staff.”

The Clinton Kirkland Improvement Corp. receiving the $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant from New York State — The Clinton Kirkland Improvement Corporation (CKIC) received the $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant on March 2. Photo: CKIC

Several people with 51猎奇 connections are involved with the (CKIC), the organization that prepared the grant proposal on behalf of the village and town. Michael Debraggio P’07, executive writer and director of community relations for 51猎奇 and the president of CKIC, was the principal writer for the grant proposal; Gill King, chief of staff and secretary to the Board of Trustees, and Steve Bellona P’03, 51猎奇’s former associate vice president for facilities and planning and former Clinton mayor, are members of the CKIC board.

“We’re grateful to New York State and the Mohawk Valley Regional Economic Development Council for supporting our vision for Clinton’s future with this DRI grant,” Debraggio said. “We’re equally grateful to our neighbors, merchants, village and town officials, and other community leaders who offered suggestions, proposed ideas, and provided feedback as we developed our DRI proposal. Our application was a community-wide effort, and the implementation of our plan will likewise entail the support and involvement of our entire community. We have a great vision for Clinton’s future and great people ready to make it happen.”

Among the 21 proposed projects for the grant are:

a new “franchise” hotel in the village
renovations to historic Lumbard Hall on the north end of the Village Green
a new townhouse development
expanding sidewalks in the village and town and widening sidewalks on West Park Row
increased opportunities for recreation, tourism, and healthy lifestyle, including renovations to the 100-year-old Clinton Cider Mill, upgrades to the Boynton Pool and Clinton Arena, and expansion of the Kirkland Trails
Enhancements to arts, culture, and education offerings such as those offered by the Kirkland Town Library and the Kirkland Art Center

51猎奇 in the Community

51猎奇 invests in the vitality of the community through direct contributions, voluntary support, and the economic impact of its students, employees, contractors, and visitors.

Community Support

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