Rochester City Hall was awash in excitement on the afternoon of Thursday, December 2nd with the announce- ment of major State funding flowing into the area, including investments in both Monroe and Wayne Counties.

The Village of Newark was the recipient of a $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) grant, awarded from a competitive application pool of 91 entities vying for a portion of the $90 million awarded statewide. These DRI funds are aimed to address, among other areas of need in the village, the creation of appropriate housing, the development of indoor recreation and wellness facilities, and the establishment of the Erie Canal corridor as a center of commerce for the Village.

New York State Senator Pam Helming took to the lectern with a friendly endorsement of Newark Village Mayor Jonathan Taylor, describing him as a “most dedicated public servant (who) never stops working.” She went on to share with the crowd her fond feelings about the Village of Newark, a community, she says, that “plans for the future while also honoring the past.” She went on to list the major businesses and academic entities, both new and historic, that balance out the richness of the Village of Newark. “(It) is small in size, big in opportunity,” said Senator Helming.

Mayor Taylor also had the opportunity to speak to the crowd, where he recounted nearly a decade’s worth of work that has gone into the development of a vision for improving downtown Newark and the components of the DRI. At the heart of the design, Major Taylor stated, is that “jobs follow people and people follow quality of life.” He reviewed and thanked all of the community partners who supported the design of the DRI,

as well as the improvements and now businesses that have already come to the Newark downtown area.

Mayor Taylor closed with, “this afternoon we will celebrate the tremendous achievement, and tomorrow we will get back to work enhancing the quality of life for Newark for generations to come.”

By Casey C. Carpenter