The Village of Potsdam, along with its state partners, is pleased to announce the fifth meeting of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative Local Planning Committee (LPC). In light of the COVID- 19 pandemic, the meeting will be held through an online platform. The online meeting will take place on Wednesday, August 19th from 6:00 – 8:00pm. Audio and video will be available to the public in real time through YouTube Live Stream which will be broadcast directly on the Potsdam DRI website at www.PotsdamDRI.com. Public comments may be submitted to the project email address in advance of, and following the meeting at PotsdamDRI@mjels.com.
The Local Planning Committee (LPC) and DRI team will be finalizing the DRI effort in the next several weeks which will include LPC meetings, preparation of a final slate of projects recommended for DRI and additional public engagement. Stay up to date on upcoming virtual meetings and web-based public engagement activities by visiting the project website at www.PotsdamDRI.com
Governor Cuomo’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) is transforming downtown neighborhoods into vibrant communities. In its fourth year, the program will invest $100 million into 10 additional downtown neighborhoods across the state. Participating communities are nominated by the state’s ten Regional Economic Development Councils (REDCs) based on the downtown’s potential for transformation, and each community is awarded $10 million to develop a downtown strategic investment plan and implement key catalytic projects that advance the community’s vision for revitalization. The Village of Potsdam was selected in October 2019 as the North Country DRI community.
The DRI is a comprehensive approach to boosting local economies by transforming communities into vibrant neighborhoods that offer a high quality of life for all residents. Each community selected to participate in the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) will accomplish its goals through a unique state- local partnership that includes a Local Planning Committee (LPC), a consultant team, and state agency
staff. With support from municipal staff and input from the public, this partnership will result in a strategic investment plan that will achieve the vision and goals for revitalization of the downtown.
The Local Planning Committee (LPC) is made up of local and regional leaders, stakeholders, and community representatives. LPC members will attend a variety of meetings at which they will be asked to brainstorm ideas, provide direction to consultants, review planning products, and prioritize actions. Mayor Reinhold Tischler and Kristin Esterberg, President of the State University of New York at Potsdam, are the Potsdam LPC co-chairs.
The Consultant Team selected to assist in developing the DRI strategic investment plan is being led by M.J. Engineering and Land Surveying, P.C. (MJ) of Clifton Park and includes Environmental Design & Research, Landscape Architecture, Engineering & Environmental Services, D.P.C., CLA SITE Landscape Architecture, Engineering & Planning, PC, Lacey Thaler Reilly Wilson, E.M. Pemrick and Company, and Captain Consultants, LLC.
Public engagement is a key component of the DRI planning process and fundamental to the success of the DRI. The objective of public engagement is to ensure that all stakeholders have ample opportunity to know and understand the DRI process and its intended outcomes; to comment on the study as it progresses; to express their concerns and contribute ideas; and to participate in building a consensus about the vision for the Downtown and other outcomes, culminating in a locally supported DRI Strategic Investment Plan. Public workshops and engagement activities will be scheduled throughout the effort to allow opportunity for public input. More information about the DRI can be found at www.ny.gov/dri and www.PotsdamDRI.com.