The Walden Board, as a step toward revitalizing the village, announced during its November 12 meeting that it will apply for the Restore NY grant with the intent of turning an aging property on Grant Street into a commercial and residential space.

The Restore New York Communities Initiative is an Empire State Development grant program that provides funding to municipalities for revitalizing dilapidated and abandoned properties. The program’s ninth round officially launched on September 23 with up to $50 million for eligible municipalities. While this round will prioritize distressed communities affected by July’s storms, Walden may be eligible if the board proves its dedication to promoting commercial investment and improving local housing stock.

“We are revitalizing communities across New York State through the Restore New York Communities Initiative, giving towns and cities the chance to build a future that is safer, more affordable, and more livable,” said Governor Kathy Hochul on September 20. “With upstate municipalities still working to recover from major damage caused by July’s extreme weather, we’re prioritizing those projects and looking to other transformational opportunities that will better the lives of residents and businesses everywhere.”

Walden’s board applied for the grant a few years ago but failed to secure it; as Trustee Chris Batson mentioned, the board did not give residents ample time to review the original project plans ahead of its public hearing. For this year’s application, the board found a redeveloper who seeks to transform an old property on 29 Grant Street into a brewery and restaurant with residential apartments.

“Nobody else has come forward saying they’re interested in the grant, so this is the only project that I know of so far that’s shown interest,” said Village Manager John Revella. “It’s a redeveloper, they want to do a brewery restaurant on the first floor and other retail in the back, then residential on the second and third floors.”

As a requirement of Restore NY’s application process, the board will schedule a public hearing in the near future, allowing residents to review and comment on the project plans. Following this hearing, the village must submit a consolidated funding application, pass a municipal resolution, and publish a property assessment list by Friday, December 20 at 5 p.m. to be fully eligible for the program.

As of Tuesday, December 3, the date for the public hearing has not been confirmed.