Moving Montgomery Forward
The Village of Montgomery was awarded $4.5 million through the NY Forward program to create more walkable, sustainable, resilient, and economically robust downtown areas. After two Public Workshops, a handful of engagement events, and six Local Planning Committee (LPC) meetings, Montgomery has finalized a slate of proposed projects (see the table at the bottom of this page) that it will submit to New York State in December 2024 as part of the Strategic Investment Plan. A multiagency State team will review each project and award funding to a subset of the projects submitted.
Next Steps
Spring 2025: State selects NY Forward Projects
Winter 2025: Contracting for NY Forward Projects
About the NY Forward Program
The Village of Montgomery was awarded $4.5 million in funding as one of the Mid-Hudson region’s winners of the second round of NY Forward. Launched in 2022, New York State's NY Forward program builds on the success of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) program. NY Forward focuses on invigorating and revitalizing downtowns in smaller and rural communities—villages, hamlets, and other small, neighborhood-scale municipal centers. The State has allocated $100 million for the second round of NY Forward. Each of the State's ten Regional Economic Development Councils (REDCs) selected two communities per region to receive $4.5 million, bringing the total amount of funding allocated for all rounds of DRI and NY Forward to $1 billion.
Final Slate of NY Forward Projects
The LPC has arrived at a final slate of projects with the potential to be funded through the NY Forward. Learn more about each project below.
NY Forward Process
The NY Forward program couples strategic planning with prompt project implementation. NY Forward communities are paired with a consultant team and a project lead from the Department of State (DOS), who guide them through a targeted community-based planning process geared towards developing a Strategic Investment Plan (SIP). The SIP includes a list of transformative and catalytic projects, which are recommended to the State for funding using the NY Forward funds.
Through the NY Forward program, downtowns in small villages and hamlets as well as neighborhood scale commercial centers will receive planning and implementation support needed to attract more businesses, residents, and visitors, while also providing a higher quality of life for all residents.
The NY Forward process and development of the SIP broadly includes the following steps:
Step 1: Local Planning Committee
A Local Planning Committee (LPC) comprised of local and regional leaders, stakeholders, and community representatives intended to represent diverse interests is convened to oversee the planning process and development of the SIP. As the steering body of the process, the LPC meets regularly to brainstorm ideas, provide direction to the consultant team, review planning products, discuss potential projects, and prioritize actions. These meetings are open to the public.
The Montgomery NY Forward LPC members are as follows:
- Village of Montgomery Mayor Mike Hembury
- Kris Young: SUNY Orange President
- Marc Devitt: President of Devitt Hospitality
- Dr Susan Dean: Director of Operations for McKesson’s Distribution Center, Board Member, Business Council of Greater Montgomery
- Amy Frisbie: Village of Montgomery Planning Board Chair, Co-Chair Montgomery Community Fund
- Jose Hernandez, Village of Montgomery, Board of Ethics, Town of Montgomery IDA
- Bob Reynolds, Village Community Leader, Past President of the Montgomery Fire Department
- Sylvie Rainaldi, Member Residents Protecting Montgomery, Trustee Town of Montgomery EMS
- Brian Fitzpatrick, Village Historian
Step 2: Public Engagement
Throughout the planning process, the public is invited to proactively contribute ideas that guide the LPC, DOS, and consultant team for the development of the SIP. Notices of public workshops, local outreach activities, and other opportunities to provide input will be posted on this website and publicized through print, media, and online channels. Please check back regularly for updates.
Step 3: Visions, Goals, and Revitalization Strategies
Based on community input, the LPC develops a guiding framework including a community vision, action-oriented goals to support the vision, and measurable strategies to guide project development and implementation. These coordinated actions, objectives, and planning approach are the guiding framework for the SIP.
Step 4: Priority Projects
The LPC identifies key transformative projects to advance the community vision and goals. Priority projects are intended to transform the physical environment of the NY Forward area in ways that will benefit current residents and future generations. In some cases, they may also include non-capital projects that can lead to capital investment which in turn will revitalize the NY Forward area. All priority projects will be reviewed by the State prior to any selection or award.
Step 5: Strategic Investment Plan
The SIP includes the objectives and goals defined under the NY Forward Program. The plan is a compilation of the community's vision and goals for downtown, specific implementation strategies to achieve those goals, an assessment of downtown conditions, and profiles of transformative projects that could be implemented using NY Forward funding.
Step 6: Implementation
Projects from each community are evaluated by the State, which after its due diligence, identifies those projects best suited for NY Forward funding. Announcements of the funded projects are made by the Governor. Once projects are announced, the State will contract with the entity responsible for implementing the project. All State procurement procedures must be followed and NY Forward funding is provided on a reimbursable basis.
Open Call for Projects
In February 2024, Montgomery was awarded $4.5 million by Governor Kathy Hochul through the NY Forward program. The NY Forward program is a comprehensive approach to boosting local economies by transforming communities into vibrant neighborhoods. NY Forward provides an opportunity for stakeholders and community members to submit projects that may be considered by their Local Planning Committee (LPC) for inclusion in the NY Forward Strategic Investment Plan. Projects should advance Montgomery's vision and leverage additional investment. Projects may range in cost and scale, from small improvements to large-scale construction projects. All projects, including those submitted in the community's NY Forward application, must be submitted through the Open Call for Projects. The Open Call for Projects began on Tuesday, June 11, 2024 and was closed on Monday, July 15, 2024.
NY Forward Boundary
Projects should be located within the NY Forward Boundary, which can be found below. Eligible projects located adjacent to or near the NY Forward Boundary may also be submitted and considered by the LPC in accordance with the project evaluation criteria.
Project Requirements & Eligibility
General Project Requirements
- Location: Must be within the Montgomery NY Forward Boundary
- Timing: Projects should be able to break ground within two years or sooner of receiving NY Forward funding
- Financing: Projects should have financing commitments largely secured or be able to demonstrate a clear path to securing sufficient financing; this financing, combined with NY Forward funding, should enable the sponsor to undertake the project without delay
- Project Sponsors: Every project must have an identified project sponsor; may be public, not-for-profit, or private entities with the capacity and legal authority to undertake the proposed project
- Size and Scale: Projects must be large enough to be truly transformative for the downtown area
- Matching: For projects with a private sponsor, there is a minimum match requirement of 25% of the total project cost; however, the LPC may impose additional match requirements as part of the planning process for all project types
- Site Control: The project sponsor must have site control or be in the process of acquiring site control
- Building Decarbonization: Projects that meet the criteria for new construction, substantial renovation, or a building addition shall include decarbonization techniques
Eligible Project Types
- New development and/or rehabilitation of existing downtown buildings
- Public improvement projects
- Small project funds
- Branding and marketing
Ineligible Project Types
- Standalone Planning Activities: All NY Forward funds must be used for projects that directly implement the Strategic Investment Plan (SIP)
- Operations and Maintenance: NY Forward funds cannot be used for ongoing or routine expenses, such as staff salaries and wages, rent, utilities, and property upkeep
- Pre-Award Costs: Reimbursement for costs incurred before the announcement of funding awards is not permitted
- Property Acquisition: The cost of property acquisition must be funded by another funding source
- Training and Other Program Expenses: NY Forward funds cannot be used to cover continuous costs, such as training costs and expenses related to existing programs