Pride and a Revitalizing Investment in Downtown Nyack

Nyack Nets $4.5 Million for ‘Downtown Revitalization’

It is not every week your little village gets a grant for $4.5 million to spruce up its downtown.

“This is an extraordinary day in the 143-year old history of our beautiful village,” Mayor Joe Rand said in a statement.

Rand did his best to trumpet the windfall and thank the governor, Kathy Hochul, whose New York Forward initiative is providing the funds.

He added, “This revitalization grant of $4.5 million is historically transformative, and will make Nyack a better place to live, to work, and to visit. We are all so thrilled by this wonderful opportunity to give the people of Nyack and Rockland County their best possible lives.”

When your entire budget is around $6 million, it is absolutely true $4.5 million could be transformative. We’ll see what actually ends up coming to fruition, but the plan is bold and interesting.

Here’s the pitch straight from the grant proposal: “Our proposed investments in business growth, affordable housing, gateway improvement and equitable access to the waterfront, among others, will capitalize on Nyack’s unique history and geography and catalyze further private investment leading to increased employment and an improved tax base.”

The need is warranted, the proposal successfully argued, as Nyack faces a slew of challenges: “Poverty, vacant and struggling businesses, a very ugly gateway, a paucity of public art, unaffordable housing, and inequitable and physically difficult access to our waterfront pose obstacles to the full realization of Nyack’s potential.”

The proposal lists 8 potential projects that amount to a proposed $14 million, with about $6 million being budgeted from the grant. The village will get $4.5 million, so it’s unclear which projects will move forward and when.

There’s a lot to dig into with the proposal, but here are a few juicy tidbits from the proposal:

• A $550,000 plan to improve Nyack’s gateways, including murals for the underpass on 59 and landscaping. Design will take place through a community outreach process to create artwork representative of Nyack’s social diversity and unique history. Installation will be via an
• application of digitally printed vinyl “wraps” on piers and along walls, plus colored LED lights.
• A nearly $2 million streetscape project that would create a “Restaurant Row” with custom asphalt paving in the middle of Main Street, create an enhanced walkway to the foot of Lower Main Street, which would connect to the John Green House (which is also slated for its own revitalization project that would turn it into a museum and gallery space) and the waterfront.
• A $3.5 million project to develop a new “Marina Commerce Center” that would include a waterfront restaurant and a little “pocket park” that would serve as a centerpiece and connection to Memorial Park to the south and a proposed park just north of Main Street, which would be contingent on the proposed Tidewater development, which is currently in limbo.

To see all of the projects, read the entire proposal here. Interesting. Stay tuned.

In other news:

Go Pride!

Somebody was shot in Nyack on Friday, March 1. Not surprisingly, there are not a lot of details. Here’s what we know from the press release provided by Orangetown Police:

Food for thought …

[Editor’s note: This is a new feature I’ve always wanted to include in the Villages. It concerns food experiences in Nyack. Make no mistake, these are not meant to be reviews or endorsements, but rather conversation pieces — a few thoughts on eating, dining and shopping in and around Nyack from a person who thinks and cares a lot about the topic. We’ll see how it goes. Holler with your own thoughts: info@nyacknewsandviews.com.]

Let’s talk briefly about the low-key and highly lauded undercover cheeseburger at the Hudson House bar, which proved polarizing for me and my wife. Long believed to be a myth or legend, it’s true, Hudson House serves a burger — only at the bar. It’s amazing. Or not. The burger was cooked beautifully, with an Italian cheese that reminded me of a brie, plus some hearty greens and pickled onions. I loved every morsel. My wife couldn’t get past the cheese, “too funky” … I’m getting excited about La Promenade, the bakery coming to the old Hartell’s location soon. Lots of work going on there, looks like it’s about ready to pop. Feel free to do some Insta-stalking … I’m hearing that Corner of Ukraine is struggling to stay afloat after such an auspicious opening. I’m committing to go this weekend. Hold on, Corner of Ukraine, Nyack News & Views is coming to the rescue! [Quick update: I went on Friday night — absolutely fantastic, well-constructed, wonderfully flavorful food, delicious Ukrainian beer, Ukrainian pop music. Good times. Check it out for yourself.]

Meeting you should think about attending in the next two weeks: Nyack’s Village Board on Thursday, March 27, at 7:30 pm inside Village Hall. Click here to find more information about local meetings and civic happenings.

ICYM NNV’s weekly features: See Andrea Swenson’s newest Photo Shoots; Bill Batson’s latest “Nyack Sketch Log”; Mike Hays’ most recent “Nyack People & Places”; and past editions of “The Villages.”

Musical Outro (send us recs!)

Nyack local legends! Welcome home, boys! (Spotted recently at Olive’s)

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