Gowanda was awarded $4.5 million by the State in the second round of the NYF program.
The NY Forward (NYF) program is a comprehensive approach to invigorate and enliven downtowns in New York’s smaller and rural communities—the type of downtowns found in villages, hamlets and other small, neighborhood-scale municipal centers. NY Forward builds on the success of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) by adopting the same “Plan-then-Act” strategy as the DRI. In its first year, the State allocated $100 million, with two to three communities in each of the State’s ten Regional Economic Development Councils awarded $2.25 or $4.5 million for planning and implementation support needed to attract more businesses, residents, and visitors, while also providing a higher quality of life for all residents.
Gowanda NYF Boundary Map
Proposed NY Forward projects must be located within or near the NYF boundary.
Public Events
We encourage participation from residents, business owners, employers, and potential investors. The NY Forward planning process includes a series of Local Planning Committee meetings that are open to the public, with an opportunity for the public to provide comments at the end of each meeting. In addition, public workshops, pop-events, and other community engagement activities will be scheduled throughout the process that will provide greater opportunities for the public to participate. Be part of the transformation of Gowanda!