Village of Morris Receives $4.5 Million NY Forward Grant

By ERIC SANTOMAURO-STENZEL
MORRIS

The Village of Morris has received a $4.5 million NY Forward grant to strengthen its downtown and promote its natural and cultural assets. Funding was announced Wednesday, April 8 in Rome.

“[The Downtown Revitalization Initiative] and NY Forward unlock opportunities for our municipalities to engage their communities—this funding is what drives creativity and brings New Yorkers together,” Governor Kathy Hochul said in a statement. “Not only will Main Streets and businesses thrive in the Mohawk Valley, the pro-housing incentive will also pave the way for housing growth in the region. I am a firm believer that New York needs more housing, and I will stop at nothing to provide people with the chance to raise their families in the best state.”

“I want to thank Governor Kathy Hochul and the State of New York for seeing the potential and its willingness to invest in our community,” Village of Morris Mayor Michael Newell said in a statement. “This investment will help us revitalize our downtown, elevate the visitor experience and grow tourism in a way that highlights all that Morris has to offer.”

The $4.5 million offers substantial opportunities for the village of just over 600 people and the region. The NY Forward state grant program is designed “to invigorate and enliven downtowns in New York’s smaller and rural communities,” according to its website.

The nonprofit Butternut Valley Alliance played a key role in organizing the application, facilitating idea generation and engaging stakeholders since 2024, with earlier efforts to bring banking services back to the area.

“Economic development is one of our foundation mission components, along with supporting the arts and culture and protecting the environment,” Board Chair Maggie Brenner told AllOtsego. “This is just an outgrowth of our commitment to that leg of our mission to support all of the residents and municipalities in the valley.”

Proposed NY Forward projects included renovations and upgrades to a wide range of existing properties, like the Gatehouse Coffee Shop and Mercantile and the Morris Library. A new walking and driving tour route and streetscape upgrades like flower boxes and historic street lighting were in the application. It also included a request for a Small Projects Fund for miscellaneous items in the village. The full application can be found at: https://www.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2026-04/Morris_NYF4_Application.pdf.

The village’s 2025 application for state funding described its vision as creating “a walkable, thriving, and sustainable community focusing on our historic heritage.” It included proposals for almost a dozen projects around the village, with a total request of $11.3 million in funding.

A local planning council will determine allocations for the $4.5 million received, with member appointments made by Mayor Michael Newell, Brenner said.

“One of the first steps is to, again, do more community outreach,” Brenner explained. “Really hear and listen to what the residents of the village feel they need and want.”

Letters of support for the application came from Representative Josh Riley, state Senator Peter Oberacker, Assemblymember Joseph Angelino, Otsego County representative for the area James Powers, Morris Town Supervisor Fred Schwarzhans, and a wide range of local business and nonprofit leaders. The Mohawk Valley Economic Development District and its Deputy Director Heather Devitt were also closely involved in facilitating the application.

Brenner said the Mohawk Valley Regional Economic Development Council, which was responsible for reviewing grant applications, was impressed by the quantity and quality of letters of support. Reflecting on the bipartisan group of elected officials who wrote individualized letters, Brenner said they recognized “that we can’t let these rural communities wither and die. And I think that’s what the NY Forward program is all about.”

It’s not just cities that need investment, but “places like Richfield Springs and Cooperstown and Sharon Springs” which have also received funding, Brenner said.

State Senator Peter Oberacker celebrated the grant in a statement.

“This $4.5 million investment in the Village of Morris is a significant win for our community and the entire Butternut Valley,” Oberacker said. “It will help strengthen Main Street, support local businesses, and enhance infrastructure while preserving the character that makes Morris so special. I look forward to working with local leaders to ensure these investments reflect the community’s vision and priorities.”

The cities of Utica and Rome also received funding.

Mohawk Valley Regional Economic Development Council Co-Chairs Larry Gilroy and Dr. Marion Terenzio said in a statement, “Through the Downtown Revitalization Initiative and NY Forward program, targeted investments to support community development efforts are generating dividends throughout the Mohawk Valley. On behalf of the entire Regional Council, we offer our congratulations to Rome, Utica and Morris, and look forward to celebrating their collective success.”

The Butternut Valley Alliance has set its sights on a future NY Forward grant for the Village of Gilbertsville, and the application process has already begun. BVA’s leaders see part of their role as assisting small municipalities that lack the resources of larger communities to do grant writing and planning.

Cassandra Miller, BVA’s executive director, told AllOtsego the group is thinking about the area as a region.

“A couple of the other projects we’re working on is establishing a scenic byway that goes through State Route 51” connecting Gilbertsville and Morris, “and we also have a watershed management plan to make sure that the water that’s going through Butternut Creek and Calhoun Creek and tributaries of the Susquehanna River is clean.”