Rossana Rosado, Secretary of State
NYS Department of State
Ruth H. Mahoney and Havidán Rodríguez, Co-Chairs
Capital District Regional Economic Development Council
Dear Secretary Rosado and Chair Mahoney and Rodríguez:
The Greater Greenwich Chamber of Commerce (the "Chamber") wishes to express its strong support for the Village of Greenwich and Town of Greenwich's Brownfield Opportunity Area application requesting funding to prepare a BOA Nomination Study. The proposed BOA study area includes approximately 45 potential vacant, abandoned, underutilized, or brownfield sites, including key gateway locations, large Main Street lots, and the Village's Battenkill waterfront, dominated by former industrial sites.
Greenwich is located approximately 20 miles east of the tourist destination of Saratoga Springs and is ripe to be renewed as a scenic tourism destination. Existing and perceived brownfields and vacant sites in the BOA study area have caused economic hardship, perpetuating increased vacancies in the commercial core & depressing property values, in addition to prohibiting access to the Battenkill River. Developing a BOA Nomination, and the subsequent designation and access to implementation and site development funding, is key to revitalizing the underperforming downtown & inaccessible waterfront & will work to strengthen the local economy.
The project will engage the community in a vision for the future, including the following revitalization objectives that have been identified in the past Village planning efforts: downtown economic development, Main Street corridor and gateway improvements, addressing environmental conditions, and waterfront access. This project would greatly benefit the Chamber's 175 member businesses as well as all of the people living in the area.
I am certain that your approval of this 2019 DOS BOA Application will serve to address these issues. The Village has a long history of successfully implementing State and Federal funds (including successful Main Street Grants sponsored and administered by the Chamber), and I hope this application will be given favorable consideration for funding.
Sincerely,
Matthew Ryan
Vice President
Greater Greenwich Chamber of Commerce
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