UHS a partner in securing Downtown Revitalization grant for Johnson City

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul visited the Southern Tier Wednesday to announce that the Village of Johnson City will receive $10 million in funding as the Southern Tier winner of the sixth round of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative.

The DRI was created in 2016 to accelerate and expand the revitalization of towns and neighborhoods throughout the state.  The goal is to create centers of activity and catalysts for investments and development.

Our President & CEO, John Carrigg, and Tina Dolan, Director of Public Policy and Program Development, collaborated with the village, Town of Union, Broome County Planning, Binghamton University, and the Leadership Alliance in developing this plan to help the village secure the grant. The funding and investments will be dedicated to revitalizing Johnson City and to generating new opportunities for long-term growth making it a perfect complement to our facility master planning project at UHS Wilson Medical Center.  

"UHS is investing over $150 million in the Wilson project. Binghamton University has invested hundreds of millions of dollars with state support into the school of pharmacy, school of nursing and pharmaceutical research. We are thrilled to see that New York State is adding to the momentum with this $10 million investment," said John Carrigg." Everything happening in our Johnson City neighborhood with the Wilson Main Tower construction, new Binghamton University schools of pharmacy and nursing, housing like the Victory Building, and with shops and restaurants – all of this is accelerating the downtown revitalization.  We are very strong believers in the future of Johnson City."

Projects funded through the DRI will integrate with Binghamton University and UHS as anchors into the village’s core, develop new housing for students and residents, revitalize vacant storefronts, build on cultural infrastructure, and develop the unique sense of place that is downtown Johnson City.  Projects will strive to create a youthful, artistic vibe that meets the expectations of the changing demographic and economic marketplace, preserve and restore the village’s many historic assets, and celebrate its ethnic and cultural diversity.

Nearly 700 UHS patients and visitors and 3,000 UHS employees come to Johnson City’s DRI project area daily.  When the projects are complete, our patients, visitors and employees will find more opportunities to connect through professional and cultural experiences, enhancing their quality of life and professional engagement.

Securing the $10 million is a very tangible signal for UHS and Johnson City that there are others around us, our neighbors and in our community, who also believe in the village’s potential, and want to be part of the brighter future we’re building together.