March 2002

BDC to Host Downtown Development Conference

March 25th event to feature speakers from across New York State

Cortland, NY -- The Cortland County Business Development will host a free "Downtown Development" conference on Monday, March 25 from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm at the new Pomeroy Place banquet and catering facility on Pomeroy Street in the Cortland.

The conference will bring together speakers from across New York State to focus on strategies to develop downtowns as centers of activity and commerce. "Through the 20th century, downtowns developed as the centerpiece of communities. Today, their image and vitality play a key role in whether people and businesses choose to live, work and invest in an area," according to BDC/IDA Director Linda Hartsock. "This renewed recognition of the importance of downtown as a marketing tool is sparking smart growth initiatives across New York State designed to stimulate reinvestment in central business districts. This conference looks at those models and explores how we can apply them here."

The program opens at 8:30 am with a welcome by Cortland Mayor Mary Leonard. A morning keynote address by Executive Director of the New York Planning Federation, David Church, will focus on how communities can undertake quality local development efforts and planning for long term growth. The New York Planning Federation, founded in 1937, is the State's lead organization for municipal planning, zoning and community development. Prior to becoming director of the Planning Federation, Church was program director for the Conservation Foundation, an international nonprofit organization. He serves on the steering committee of the New York State Rural Development Council and on advisory boards to the New York State Legislative Commission on Rural Resources, the New York State DOT and the Cornell Local Government Program. He is the author of numerous books and articles on land use and comprehensive planning.

Following the opening keynote address will be a panel presentation featuring case examples from communities across New York State.

Irwin Davis, executive vice president of the Metropolitan Development Authority, will discuss Syracuse's downtown strategy. Davis serves as executive director of the Downtown Committee of Syracuse, a professional management organization representing all property owners and tenants within the City's central business district that oversees economic development, marketing, maintenance, parking and security efforts. He is also president of the New York State Urban Council, a statewide nonprofit organization that encourages the revitalization of central business districts in cities, towns and villages across New York State. The New York State Urban Council offers technical assistance programs in business development and community investment.

Sullivan County Commissioner of Planning and Community Development, Alan J. Sorensen, will discuss a first of its kind "Main Street Redevelopment Center" project which he initiated with the assistance of Empire State Development. The Center is the focal point for a countywide Main Street revitalization program and includes a technical assistance program, resource library and matching grant program for storefront facade renovations. During its first year of operation the Center leveraged $575,000 in private investment and made 60 storefront facade renovations. He also developed a Main Street commercial revitalization matching grant program to assist with improvements to older buildings in order to create usable space to meet modern tenant needs.

David Allee, director of Cornell University's Local Government Program will discuss the use of economic information in decision-making, local government's role in economic development, and local government leadership. Allee, a professor of managerial economics, teaches in Cornell's graduate program in community and rural development. Cornell's Local Government Program, which Allee directs, is a University Center of the US Economic Development Administration, providing support to local officials and economic and community development professionals. The program works with communities on visioning and economic renewal projects, "Main Street" organizing and project development, retail trade analysis, and development of job retention and expansion projects. The program recently completed ten "Community Renewal Projects" in New York State, working with facilitators to create local strategic plans. Allee will be sharing some of those techniques and offering insight into opportunities for Cortland County's downtowns.

Bernie Thoma, president of Thoma Development, will discuss findings from a "Cortland County Downtown Development" study he recently completed for the Cortland County Planning Department with assistance of a grant from the Governor's Office for Small Cities. The study assesses the central business districts of Homer, Cortland and Marathon and makes recommendations for strategic investments that would result in improvements to those downtowns.

Cortland County BDC/IDA Director Linda Hartsock will also present an overview of the building blocks for success, drawing from her work with six cities in the Hudson Valley. Hartsock worked with the cities of Kingston, Poughkeepsie, Beacon, Newburgh, Middletown and Port Jervis on a "Hudson Valley Renaissance" program that resulted in $200 million in new capital investment for those communities. The project launched locally-based community development efforts that were featured in the New York Times and on National Public Radio.

The featured luncheon speaker will be Barbara Murphy who will discuss New York's Quality Communities Program. Murphy is New York State Assistant Secretary of State for Community Development and was one of key coordinators for the Quality Communities Program. She spearheaded the State's Task Force on "Revitalizing Central Cities, Main Streets and Small Towns which produced a blueprint for revitalizing downtowns as part of the State's final report. The report looks at communities who are undergoing downtown renewal such as Corning's Market Street which was completely rebuilt after the flood of 1972 and the Village of Sleepy Hollow in Westchester County. Cortland is mentioned in that report, cited for its visioning work. The report also issues a set of recommendations about state and local government strategies for revitalization.

Murphy is also one of the coordinators for the new reform to New York State's Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code, which is designed to promote preservation and reuse of older buildings, particularly second and third floors on Main Streets. As part of that process she coordinated roundtables around the State to look at how to better accomplish mixed uses of downtowns, including first floor retail and upper floor residence, through creative code reform. She also has been working on a plan to stimulate revitalization of downtown business districts through tax incentives for private preservation of historic downtown architecture.

The event is open to the public free of charge, but reservations are required. They may be made by calling the Cortland County Business Development Corporation at (607) 756-5005.