More money flows to Brockport for revitalization

Congressman Tom Reynolds and First Lady Laura Bush flank Village of Brockport resident and Historian Emeritus Bill Andrews. Submitted photo.

More money flows to Brockport for revitalization

Historian Emeritus William Andrews has again been successful in bringing money to the Village of Brockport, this time in the form of a $30,208 Preserve America grant.

The money will be used to hire consultants to advise and guide the village in its efforts to revitalize the Clinton Street District. "That area is underutilized as a tourism destination," Andrews said. The ultimate goal under the grant funding for the area will be to bring local property and business owners, the general public and relevant stakeholders together to consider opportunities for "smart" development and to determine uses for underutilized spaces and properties.

The funding, which requires matching funds in the form of cash or services from the village, will be used to hire an economic consultant to provide a market analysis to determine business, tourism and recreational initiatives and strategies. "We will also look for architectural, business and historical preservation consultants to help plan and guide the project," Andrews said.

In 2005, Brockport was one of the first municipalities to receive designation as a Preserve America community.

It is anticipated that the hiring of the consultants will not begin until 2008 or after village officials have applied for grant funding from the Community Development Block Grant program to raise the matching funds.

"We don't have any bricks and mortar money yet," Andrews said, "this is just the preliminary work to see where we want to go and then work toward getting there."

Andrews went to Washington, D.C. and met with Congressman Thomas Reynolds and First Lady Laura Bush to receive the funding for the village.

"The canal front in the Village of Brockport is a historical treasure that holds tremendous potential for tourism, small businesses and economic growth," Reynolds wrote in a press release. "The funding will help the Clinton Street District become a heritage tourism destination and help Brockport maximize its unique and historic position along the Erie Canal."