Village of Homer. (Photo via the Village of Homer Recreation Department).
The village of Homer recently announced its first public meeting in regards to plans for the area’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) project, according to a release.
Homer’s first DRI Local Planning Committee (LPC) meeting is scheduled from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. June 1 at the Center for the Arts at 72 S. Main St.
The LPC, the steering committee for Homer’s DRI project, consists of representatives from local businesses, neighborhood associations, non-profit organizations, social and public service organizations, educational institutions, property owners, local developers, and more who represent the variety of interests in Homer.
The committee for Homer’s DRI project will be co-chaired by village mayor Hal McCabe, and Cortland County Business Development Corporation executive director/CEO Garry VanGorder.
The rest of the committee is as follows:
- Liz Arnold, Deputy Director of Professional Development & Impact
- Fran Casullo, Attorney, Partner in Pomeroy, Armstrong, & Casullo
- Russ L. Darr, President of the Landmark Society
- Paula Harrington, Chair of Holiday in Homer/ Village Resident
- Charles W. Jermy, Jr., Retired Dean of Cornell University’s School of Continuing Education
- Mike Kilmer, Executive Director of the Elizabeth Brewster House
- Stephanie Koslowski, Owner/Acupuncturist, Main Street Acupuncture
- Ty Marshall, Executive Director of the Center for the Arts
- Renee Neiderman, Owner of Bev and Company
- Lonni Rawson, Senior Landscape Architect, Project Manager, and ADA Technical Specialist for NYSDOT
- Sue Sandy, Branch Manager for Homer-based KeyBank
- Thomas Turck, Superintendent of Homer Central Schools
- Kevin M. Williams, Owner of Village Food Market, Board Member Town of Homer
- Jamie Yaman, Principal Broker, Yaman Real Estate
Back in February, the village recently spent $300,000 of its DRI funds to hire C&S Engineering, a planning consultant for the project.
“That consultant is going to be responsible for basically what projects go forward,” McCabe said in the past.
According to the release, the village and the planning consultant will work over the next seven months to accomplish the following:
- Provide input and feedback on the community vision for downtown, goals, and revitalization strategies
- Review planning products
- Prioritize actions and projects.
“LPC members will also assist with community engagement by guiding the public engagement approach and helping to reach out to various constituencies, so all voices are heard during the planning process,” noted in the release.
The release stated that a website revolving around Homer’s DRI project will be coming soon. A full breakdown of Homer’s DRI application can be seen here.
About the New York State Downtown Revitalization Initiative
The State’s DRI is a cornerstone of the State's economic development program. The DRI transforms downtown neighborhoods into vibrant centers that offer a high quality of life and are magnets for redevelopment, business, job creation, and economic and housing diversity. The DRI is led by the Department of State, in close partnership with Empire State Development, NYS Homes and Community Renewal and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.
