Selections Announced for Richfield Springs $4.5M NY Forward Revitalization Project
By ERIC SANTOMAURO-STENZEL
RICHFIELD
On May 16, Governor Kathy Hochul announced economic NY Forward development awards for 19 projects across the Mohawk Valley. In the Town of Richfield and Village of Richfield Springs, $4.5 million will be split between five projects. They include reviving the Elk Opera House for mixed-use development, revitalizing historic Spring Park, revamping the Cornerstone commercial/residential mixed-use structure, creating a small project fund to support local businesses, and growing the Richfield Springs Community Food Cooperative.
At nearly five times the Town of Richfield’s annual budget, the project funding represents an unprecedented development opportunity for the community of a few thousand residents. The projects aim to develop and revitalize Richfield/Richfield Springs’ historic downtown.
Larry Frigault, the Town of Richfield supervisor, thanked the governor’s administration for “recognizing Richfield’s potential.” Project sponsors, who “will greet this news with great enthusiasm,” are “ready to continue the revitalization of Richfield which would not have been possible without this financial support,” Frigault said.
“The Mohawk Valley is home to an extraordinary array of small businesses and hubs of arts and culture,” Gov. Hochul said in a statement. Supporting these projects across the Mohawk Valley, Hochul said, helps “our communities write the next great chapter of their history.”
The NY Forward program requires breaking ground within two years of the awards being granted. Non-municipal project sponsors are also expected to contribute some of their own funds for cost-sharing.
“Once I sign that contract,” said Nadia Mascola, the Cornerstone project sponsor, “I can hit the ground running and start making my renovations.”
She estimated that would be within three to six months.
The announcement comes after years of planning and advocacy. The NY Forward program, started in 2022, aims to expand and revitalize smaller communities throughout the state. But according to Dan Sullivan, the chair of Richfield’s Planning Board and former town supervisor, the Richfield community began laying the groundwork for this project a decade ago with a comprehensive plan. More recently, a Local Planning Committee of community members and economic development experts reviewed and fine-tuned proposals for the state.
“The Town of Richfield strives to create a thriving, livable and sustainable community around our rural heritage,” read a 2023 funding application submitted by the town. The state announced the funding in early 2024 and, after reviewing proposals, landed on the five selections.
The largest investment—$1,552,000—will go to reviving the Elk Opera House for mixed-use development. Built in 1871 and now in disrepair, a January strategic investment plan called the building’s current condition “unusable” and “a hindrance to attracting potential investment to the area.”
Now, project funding will renovate it inside and out, planners say. The building will receive a new facade, complete with the original name and year of construction. On the second floor, five apartments will be restructured. Another floor up, five additional apartments will be built. The building will also receive energy efficiency upgrades, including a new boiler.
Two other Main Street buildings will receive significant renovations. At 140 Main Street, the home of the Richfield Springs Community Food Cooperative, $546,000.00 will be put toward a commercial kitchen, three new apartments, and a new facade.
Sullivan, who also works with the food cooperative, said the commercial kitchen will include improved stoves, refrigerators, freezers and food preparation. About to enter its eighth year of operation, the food cooperative would “go from a coffee shop to an eatery, like a restaurant or bistro,” Sullivan said. He expects the renovations to begin this fall, which will require the establishment to shut down for some time.
Next door at 138 Main Street, the Cornerstone building, renovations will be made to the building’s exterior, five apartments on its front side, and the four street-level commercial spaces. Renovated spaces will also receive new heating and LED lighting. The grant is for $826,000.00.
Mascola, who recently purchased the building and applied for the grant, said she was excited to contribute to the area’s success.
“My building seems to be an eyesore in this town,” Mascola said, adding that it hasn’t been maintained for 20 years. “We inherited a challenge, and my goal with this grant is to make the town proud,” she told “The Freeman’s Journal.”
In part, Mascola hopes to do that by putting a mural on the building with the help of local students.
She said, “It’s time, Richfield Springs” will be on the welcome sign to her building, a reference to the historic clock across the street.
Historic Spring Park, the clock’s home, will receive its own facelift to the tune of $976,000.00. New walkways with trees and meandering pathways will be added, while structures will be restored. Additional interpretive signage will tell the story of the park, rooted in its history with sulfur springs and local Native Americans.
Another $600,000.00 is allocated for a Small Project Fund to be further distributed for other projects. According to Sullivan, small business and property owners will be able to apply for up to $75,000.00 for projects within the NY Forward downtown revitalization boundaries.
Daniel Lapin, a revitalization specialist with the New York Department of State and former member of Otsego County’s county legislature, helped facilitate coordination between the town, village, and different development and state agencies. He told “The Freeman’s Journal” he had a feeling of “deep pride and admiration for Richfield.”
“It goes to show that our small towns and villages can really compete in these big economic development programs,” he added.
Dan Sullivan also solicits advertisements for “The Freeman’s Journal.” He did not have editorial involvement with this article.
