News

Potsdam, N.Y. – The Village of Potsdam Local Planning Committee (LPC), along with its state partners, is pleased to announce the project website is live and a call for DRI projects is now open.  A project website has been created to keep the community informed of the DRI process, public engagement opportunities and to provide ongoing information about the effort. The website is www.potsdamdri.com. 

The LPC is seeking project proposals to be evaluated for inclusion in the Strategic Investment Plan. The submission of project proposals is open to the public and proposals may include public or private projects that are located within the DRI boundary. Projects will be evaluated by the LPC and consultant team for completion, feasibility and alignment with the Potsdam Vision, Goals and Strategies. All potential project sponsors are encouraged to complete and submit this form, even for projects listed in the Potsdam DRI Application. The submission deadline for call for projects form is January 31, 2020.  The call for projects can be found on the Potsdam DRI website at www.potsdamdri.com .

The 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 recently selected 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 DRI is guided by the LPC, which 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 President Kristin Esterberg 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.potsdamdri.com   or www.ny.gov/dri