The local steering committee for Dunkirk’s $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative award meets Tuesday. P-J photo by M.J. Stafford

Renovation of the old Ehler’s building, work on Dunkirk’s marina under a new project sponsor, and improvements to Memorial Park are among the projects approved by Dunkirk’s local steering committee for its $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative.

The committee met for the sixth and final time Tuesday and agreed to a list of proposed projects. The group will submit the list and a strategic investment plan for downtown Dunkirk to state officials in Albany. The state officials have the final decision on what the $10 million is used for.

A public information session about the committee’s project suggestion list is set for Nov. 2 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Dunkirk High School cafeteria. All the projects will be up on poster boards and questions will be taken from members of the public. Only comments, not questions, were accepted from the public at Tuesday’s committee meeting.

“Unfortunately, we knew from the beginning we would not be able to support all of (the projects),” said Dunkirk Mayor Wilfred Rosas, a member of the steering committee. “I think the process was very transparent.”

Other projects on the list include a redevelopment of Central Avenue’s Graf Building into a workforce development center for Jamestown Community College; refurbishment of the Macaroni Building at the corner of Lake Shore Drive and Washington Avenue into medical offices and apartments; a combination of two proposals, renovation of the Adams art gallery and the Regent movie theater, into a project by Kids@Promise; and plans to construct more apartments at several sites.

The committee also designated $600,000 for a “Small Projects Fund.” The Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency is now in charge of the marina plans. Peter Smith had taken over the marina in the spring and initially presented them but is on the outs with the city of Dunkirk over irregularities in the lease transfer. Smith also got arrested twice in July for allegedly threatening someone.

The IDA has scaled back Smith’s plans. He intended to put in a restaurant, apartments and short-term rentals, but the IDA is focusing on what it calls “boater amenities.”

Rosas said the IDA is in negotiations to bring in a new owner-operator for the marina. “Once it becomes public, everyone will become excited,” he said.

Rosas and others at the meeting repeatedly stated projects not approved for the DRI could be eligible for other state funding. In fact, a big message of Tuesday’s meeting seemed to be that Albany has a lot of grant money available beyond the DRI. The opening part of the meeting featured a lengthy presentation on the cornucopia of non-DRI grants available from New York state.