COXSACKIE — Downtown Coxsackie’s fabled Dolan Block received a $1.5 million Restore New York Communities Initiative grant, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced this week. It is the village’s second endowment in three months from the state.
Local developer Aaron Flach of Empire River Front Ventures in Coxsackie is the lead contractor on the project.
Flach will renovate the Dolan Block, situated at 20-36 South River St. near the Hudson River in the Reed Street Historic District. The plan is to rehabilitate the 16,000-square-foot vacant structure into a mixed-use building that will have both commercial space and 10 market-rate apartments. The apartments will have views of the Hudson River from their upper floor exterior decking.
Flach credits Greene County Director of Economic Development James Hannahs as being instrumental to the project.
“James Hannahs made me aware of the Restore NY program, and he facilitated the application process and got the village to sponsor the application,” Flach said. “The Dolan Block really checked a lot of boxes on the Restore NY program, which is aimed toward keystone properties in need of restoration, historic properties that are underutilized and located in the center of the community. The Reed Street District is state and federally certified as a historic district.”
Coxsackie Mayor Mark Evans said he is happy to see Coxsackie has been named a beneficiary once again.
“We are very pleased to receive a $1.5 million Restore NY grant for the Dolan Block,” Evans said. “We want to thank Greene County Economic Development for spearheading the application. This building is an anchor building in the downtown that has been vacant and deteriorating for years, and we look forward to seeing it renovated and revitalized with housing and retail. With this grant and a $4.5 million NY Forward grant that we received in March shows that the state can see and shares our vision for downtown waterfront development. Over the years we’ve tried to create an atmosphere that is welcoming to investment, businesses and enhancing the access and usefulness of our waterfront and downtown area.”
The Coxsackie waterfront’s recent facelift was also made possible by a 2021 grant from the state, which awarded $3.2 million for the revitalization of Riverside Park and the Coxsackie State Boat Launch. Project improvements included planting of new trees, a new open-air pavilion, landscaping and improved bicycle and pedestrian paths between the waterfront and downtown.
Other historic buildings renovated by Flach include the James Newbury Hotel, Wire Event Center and the James Newbury Spa.
This May’s Restore NY Communities Initiative grants is the seventh round of its kind. Their purpose is to fund the revitalization of blighted commercial and residential properties.
“These Restore New York grants will help to reimagine downtowns across our state and transform vacant, blighted and underutilized buildings into vibrant community anchors,” Hochul said in a statement. “Thanks to a more than $146 million state investment, we are breathing new life into communities from Hudson to North Hempstead, jump-starting new economic activity and helping ensure that New York State continues to be a place where people come to live, work and raise their families.”
Coxsackie’s project was one of 70 receiving the endowment. New York State awarded a total of $112.9 million in grants this year.