Elmira to reapply for $10 million state grant to revitalize Southside
ELMIRA, N.Y. (WETM) – Mayor Dan Mandell says the City of Elmira plans to reapply for another 10-million-dollar state grant to revitalize the Southside. Earlier this month, Governor Hochul announced she awarded the money from the “Downtown Revitalization Initiative” to other communities in the Southern Tier.
“I was obviously disappointed. I thought we had a very strong application. We did an excellent presentation. We felt good that we may be considered for a second round of DRI funding, unfortunately it did not happen. She actually ended up sending it more towards downstate.”
On March 1st, Governor Hochul announced the $10,000,000 will go to the hamlets of Grand Gorge & Roxbury. Both communities are about 150 miles east of Elmira.
The city of Elmira first won $10,000,000 in “DRI” funds in 2016, the year the grant first became available. Mayor Mandell says the money was invested into the city’s downtown area on the Northside.
“Right after I was first elected, we hit the ground running and we applied. It was the initial kickoff of these downtown revitalization initiatives,” said Mayor Mandell. “We were fortunate to be awarded one of the first recipients of the $10 million. As you can see, we did very well with that with the development in the downtown. With that, there was some private investment that came along with that ten million that we were able to get from the State, so it was very successful for the city of Elmira.”
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A video produced by the city that was submitted to New York State last summer, along with a 31-page application, says: “Elmira has been successful in the past with our Round One DRI, which leveraged an additional $8.7 million in private investment.”
“This next time we definitely need to concentrate on the Southside again,” said Mayor Mandell. “We want to qualify for the federally qualified health center on the Southside. We want to do some building renovations on the Southside. We really do need it. It’s been a year since we’ve had money to put into that side of the downtown area. That’s what we’d like to do with that money, and also do some work on Brand Park as well.”
The application says the goal of Elmira’s “Southside Rising” initiative is to “move the corridor of Southside Elmira away from its industrial past, into a modern, safe commercial destination. The application video submitted to New York State says in part:
“The city one served as a transportation link throughout Upstate New York because of its close proximity the Chemung Canal, which was linked to the Erie Canal system, and the Erie and New York railroads. At that time, the Southside of Elmira became the industrial center of Elmira, when it was a thriving manufacturing hub for the region. Now, the Southside has been left behind, and even ignored, causing it to have a higher rate of poverty than surrounding communities in Chemung County. This is why we believe the time is now to focus on the growth and development of the Southside. Especially because the necessary groundwork has already been set. Over $2,000,000 in local, state and federal funds have already been invested in the area for cleanup and predevelopment on the Southside.”
The city says the money would have been used for several big projects. They would include a Federally Qualified Health Center at the former Tops Plaza on South Main Street. Dr. Richard Terry, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at LECOM in Elmira, also appeared in the video. Dr. Terry said in part:
“We have a lot of poverty in this city and a lot of patients don’t have access to care. Let’s face it, health inequity leads to poorer outcomes and higher morbidity, higher mortality. So, we need to have this to make a difference for poor people in this community. They need access to care, and that’s what’s lacking. I think the Southside in particular, there really is no healthcare facility at all on the Southside.”
The money would also be used to revitalize Brand Park. The city plans to demolish the aging Brand Park Pool next month. The grant would help pay for several changes and upgrades, including a new splash pad, new skate park and new basketball courts.
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“I think there are many gaps,” Andy Patros said in the application video. Patros is a former Chemung County Legislator and a former Southside resident. “There is a lot of big lift that has to occur. We, whether we live in Southport or Elmira, we need that big financial infusion from the State to make some of these heavy-lifts,” Patros added.
Mayor Mandell says Governor Hochul has included more funding for the Downtown Revitalization Initiative in her 2025 proposed budget. If approved, Mayor Mandell says the city will be ready to take another shot.
“We’ll definitely be reapplying,” said Mayor Mandell. “More than likely this fall with a similar application, because again, we thought our plan was very very solid.”
You can view the full video and application submitted by the City of Elmira in 2023 below:
City-of-Elmira-DRI_Round-7-Southside-Rising-1Download
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