The Clinton community may be seeing some new changes in the near future, as a result of a $10 million grant through the Downtown Revitilizations Initiative (DRI) received in 2023. The DRI, a project of the New York State Government, aims to invest in the state’s downtown areas and contribute to increasing the quality of life of their residents and creating a vibrant environment for their future.
The grant was awarded to Clinton and Kirkland in March 2023, thanks to an original grant proposal from the Clinton Kirkland Improvement Corporation (CKIC) and a Local Planning Committee (LPC) who worked to collect perspectives on the fund’s investment implementation. These two groups included various members of the Hamilton College community, including alums, campus staff,and even former Clinton Mayor Steve Bellona P’03.
New York State Governor Kathy Hochul released a statement regarding the Clinton fund, highlighting the project’s intention of “encourag[ing] an inclusive and accessible community by rebuilding key public spaces, develop[ing] affordable housing units in close proximity to downtown amenities and invest[ing] in key downtown institutions.”
Regarding the planned projects for the Clinton and Kirkland area, Professor of Government Peter Cannavó notes its emphases on both creating affordable housing and “complete streets.” “One thing that we’re talking about to increase housing stock is higher density…plans to build apartment buildings [are] good in terms of increasing the housing stock and affordability. Higher density is better for walkability, less automobile dependence,” Cannavó said. “‘Complete streets’ is an idea that a street needs to be complete for everybody, so bicycles, pedestrians, and cars… what’s happening in planning now is an interest in really making the road, making streets something that benefits everybody, and not just drivers.”
Cannavó notes that these topics are not new to conversations regarding urban planning, its origins stretch back to the 1940s and 50s with planners such as Jane Jacobs. However, Cannavó highlights that despite the conversation’s long and important history, “it’s taken a long time to catch on.” Initiatives like these that work on increasing walkability have a range of positive effects on local communities, as he points out, including limiting car emissions and supporting residents’ health.
Specific sites to be supported by the DRI include the Clinton Cider Mill, which, through this grant, may be able to run all year through expansion and renovation, and the Kirkland Art Center. Not only will the grant be used to renovate and expand staples of the Clinton community, it will also contribute to building out mixed-income housing options and the reusing of historic buildings for new purposes. In total, the DRI grant will ultimately shape 11 projects totaling $9.7 million, including ones to revitalize the Village Green, create a new craft hard cider operation in a currently empty commercial space on College Street, update the Kirkland Library offerings to address the needs of residents, and more.
Robert Neithart ’26 tells The Spectator, “I’m interested to see how the towns will use the funds to promote civilian-forward infrastructure and I’m excited to see how the grant will improve the civic landscape of Clinton and Kirkland.”
Clinton and Kirkland are two of several towns in New York state to have received state support; Mohawk Valley alone will be the recipient of 28 projects through economic development programs that sit under the DRI and NY Forward, a NY state monetary assistance program to revitalize downtowns. The DRI as a whole was motivated by various factors, including the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and intentions to work towards a cleaner climate following the state’s objectives. To achieve their goals, the DRI is working closely with Empire State Development, NYS Homes and Community Renewal and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.
