Press Release
January 15, 2021
Dan Keefe | Brian Nearing
(518) 486-1868 | news@parks.ny.gov
NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation Announces Grant Program to Rehabilitate Historic Properties and Advance Historic Preservation Initiatives in the Genesee Valley
$750,000 awarded to NYS Parks from the National Park Service's Paul Bruhn Rural Revitalization Grant Program
Matching funds have been provided by the
Rochester Area Community Foundation, Letchworth Gateway Villages and The
Landmark Society of Western New York
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP), in partnership with The Landmark Society of Western New York (LSWNY), announces the availability of the Genesee Valley Rural Revitalization Grant Program (GVRR) to support rural communities in the Finger Lakes and Western New York. This funding is made possible by a grant received from the Paul Bruhn Rural Revitalization Grant Program as administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, and will allow OPRHP and LSWNY to offer reimbursable sub-grants for historic building repair and rehabilitation in small rural communities located in eligible counties. Matching funds have been provided by the Rochester Area Community Foundation, Letchworth Gateway Villages, and LSWNY. This program will support local governments, non-profit and commercial property owners, and small businesses in their efforts to preserve the historic places that have shaped their communities' social fabric and economy.
A
community's historic resources are tremendous assets to tap into heritage
tourism opportunities, which is why we feel incredibly grateful to the
National Park Service to help us offer these funds to property stewards
located in the Genesee Valley," said Erik Kulleseid, Commissioner of the
Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. "Small businesses,
non-profits, and municipalities have suffered during the pandemic. Our
goal is to see these funds used as a tool to assist with local
recovery."
"We are
thrilled to partner with NYS Parks to assist with offering this important
funding for rural rehabilitation projects in our most treasured Genesee
Valley Communities," said Wayne Goodman, Executive Director of the Landmark
Society of Western New York, "and we are grateful to the National Park
Service for recognizing the value of preserving some of our most historic
communities."
This GVRR
grant program will be administered by OPRHP and LSWNY. Applications will be
available through the Landmark Society of Western New York in early-January
2021. The program will include two grant rounds with application deadlines of
March 31, 2021 and September 30, 2021 respectively. For more information on
the grant program, contact Megan Klem, Preservation Planner, at mklem@landmarksociety.org or visit www.landmarksociety.org/GVRR
Genesee Valley Rural Revitalization
Grant Program (GVRR)
Eligible
Buildings:
Historic commercial, industrial, civic, educational, and community-oriented
buildings in Allegany, Cattaraugus, Genesee, Livingston, Ontario, Orleans,
Seneca, Schuyler, Steuben, Wayne, Wyoming, and Yates Counties. Eligible
buildings must also be located within incorporated villages with a population
of 4,000 or less, or within towns with a population of 10,000 or less.
Properties must be listed or determined eligible for listing in the NYS and
National Registers of Historic Places.
Eligible
Applicants can be community-based non-profit organizations, units of local government
(village, town, county), business owners who operate within a historic
building (with express permission to apply from the building owner), and
non-residential property owners who own an eligible building type.
Types
of Projects Eligible include, but are not limited to Capital
rehabilitation/restoration projects, such as a roof replacement, masonry
repair, window repair or replacements, storefront restoration,
weatherization, system upgrades, the creation of an ADA-compliant access,
etc. The completion of nominations to the State and National Registers of
Historic Places or Cultural Resource Surveys are also eligible projects.
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The
New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees
more than 250 individual parks, historic sites, recreational trails and boat
launches, which were visited by a record 77 million people in 2019. A recent
university study found that spending by State Parks and its visitors supports
$5 billion in output and sales, 54,000 private-sector jobs and more than $2.8
billion in additional state GDP. For more information on any of these
recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit parks.ny.gov connect
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The Landmark
Society of Western New York, Inc. is one of the oldest and most active
preservation organizations in America, serving nine Western New York
counties. Formed in 1937, The Landmark Society continues to protect the
unique architectural heritage of our region and promote preservation and
planning principles that foster healthy and sustainable communities. For
additional information about The Landmark Society,
visit www.landmarksociety.org The
Landmark Society is supported in part by New York State Council on the Arts
with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.