IDA helps fund ‘Restore NY’ project
As the Village of Highland Falls prepares to begin revitalization work on several private buildings along the Main St. corridor this spring — using a half-million dollar Restore NY grant — they’ll get some additional assistance from the Orange County Industrial Development Agency (IDA).
On December 13, the IDA granted Highland Falls $45,000 to offset engineering expenses for the building resurfacing project. The engineering costs could not be paid from the $500,000 grant.
Those engineering fees are expected to be in the $50-60,000 range. Had the grant not been approved, the village would have had to front the total engineering costs.
“This is very good news. Finding the money to pay these engineering costs was putting everything on hold,” Mayor Joe D’Onofrio said at Monday’s Village Board meeting. “I’m not sure what would have happened if we didn’t receive this money.”
Jim DiSalvo, who sits on the IDA, recommended that the village make the grant application back in the fall. It was prepared by the village staff, and D’Onofrio presented the application to the IDA and then returned to a later IDA meetings to follow up.
IDA funds used for grants come from fees collected by the agency, DiSalvo said.
“I’m glad we were able to obtain this grant,” DiSalvo, who also works as an unpaid administrative assistant to the mayor, said. “We need to thank IDA Chief Operating Office and Executive Vice President Laurie Villasuso, Managing Director Vincent Cozzolino and the IDA members for their recognition of the importance of this project in Highland Falls.”
About a half-dozen buildings are expected to be improved — exterior work such as removing old paint, repointing brick, etc. — using the state funds; the first work is expected to be on the large ‘pink’ building that is the second building on the right as you travel up Mountain Ave. The work will be done one building at a time, D’Onofrio said, until the money runs out.
The state grant was announced in early 2017.
