There's a saying that central New York has two seasons: snow and construction.
With snow most likely gone until the end of the year, construction has indeed become more visible around the area. In downtown Auburn, though, some of that construction is announced by a sign:
"Downtown Revitalization Initiative."
Almost three years after the city was named a winner in New York state's $10 million grant contest, most of the 13 projects that will receive a piece of that money have begun.
This week, The Citizen reached out to their stakeholders for an update.
One thing all 13 projects have in common â besides the $10 million grant being a source of their funding â is COVID-19. Their progress has been slowed by the economic ripple effects of the pandemic, though some have been slowed more than others. COVID-19 also delayed the finalization of the city's grant agreement with the state, said Tracy Verrier, executive director of Cayuga Strategic Solutions and co-chair of the committee that narrowed down the 13 projects that will receive funding from the grant. However, that was partly because the city and state began working together to see if some pandemic-related business expenses could be made eligible for the grant â which they were, Verrier said. The pandemic's overall disruption of the workforce also contributed to the delay.