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The first meeting of the Jamestown Downtown Revitalization Initiative's Local Planning Committee will be held at 9 a.m. Wednesday in the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts Media Arts Studio.
The meeting will include an overview of the DRI program, a review and discussion of the city's DRI application, and a summary of the eight-month planning process culminating in a Strategic Investment Plan that will guide revitalization efforts, including the award of nearly $10 million by New York state to community and economic development projects. It will also include an overview of the Open Call for Projects that will be held to solicit potential projects for funding consideration, project eligibility and funding criteria, and immediate next steps including upcoming public workshops and events.
The Local Planning Committee is composed of representatives from local government, community organizations, businesses, and residents, and is co-chaired by Mayor Kim Ecklund and a representative from the Western New York Regional Economic Development Council. The committee will continue to meet regularly until the plan is completed in early 2027. Wednesday's meeting is a working session for the committee, but the public is welcome to attend. Time for public comments will be provided at the end of the meeting. Residents are encouraged to attend to learn more about the Downtown Revitalization Initiative and to submit their ideas for Jamestown.
In total, the city’s DRI application includes 24 projects totaling $30,182,500 in proposed Downtown Revitalization Initiative spending - more than three times the $10 million the city received.
The top-ranked project in the application in Jamestown’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative application to the state is a $2.3 million project at the arena that will use $900,000 in DRI funding with another $1.4 million raised from public and private funding.
Arena and National Comedy Center officials say the project will transform Jamestown's largest venue into a year-round performance and conference facility. Currently, additional programs are held back by what arena and comedy center officials say is an inefficient, show-provisional production cost that requires expensive rental and temporary installation. That means shows can only be booked as a grouping over multiple nights, which limits the opportunity to bring more shows to the arena. It costs about $75,000 to bring shows to the arena, according to the city's application.
"This project transforms an existing venue into a flexible, fully equipped facility capable of hosting year-round live performances, cultural programming, educational experiences, and large-scale conferences," the application states. "It represents a strategic investment in downtown Jamestown’s revitalization — enhancing cultural access, strengthening tourism, and supporting the city’s long-term economic growth."
The second project would spend $2 million in DRI funding as part of a more than $40 million redevelopment of the Furniture Mart building in a partnership between the Gebbie Foundation and Meritocracy Venture LLC. Project costs include $1.9 million for acquisition and an optional $500,000 for an adjacent parking area, $3.3 million in masonry stabilization and $35 million in redevelopment costs. The project is scheduled to take 18 months to complete.
"The Furniture Mart's redevelopment promises a transformative impact on downtown Jamestown," the application states. "Restoring its architectural grandeur will visually enhance the streetscape.
Functionally, it will create a vibrant space for people to gather and catalyze further development by attracting investment. Its substantial size, flexible layout, and riverfront location position it to become a bustling center of activity, significantly contributing to Jamestown's revitalization and symbolizing the city's resilience."
The third project focuses on the expansion of Shawbuck's, with $900,000 in DRI funding to be coupled with $1.235 million of public and private funding to renovate vacant upper floors in the restaurant building in a project taking between two and five years to complete. The project is one Johnson has talked about publicly over the past few years with indoor spaces for conferences, lectures, workshops, wellness programs and incubation for food-based businesses and health education; a rooftop garden and teaching space for urban farming, community gardens and seasonal produce growing; and accessibility and safety upgrades, mechanical and structural improvements that support increased occupancy and use.
Another $1.207 million of DRI funding is slated for the restoration of the Viking Temple at 318 Washington St. The project also includes $2,242,500 in public and private funding for a three- to five-year project that would upgrade HVAC, replace the roof, update the sprinkler system, fix an elevator in the building and $2.5 million in additional renovations. The first floor of the building is in use, with the rest of the building vacant. The project aims to restore the second floor of the temple building as a flexible gathering space and reinvigoration of the third-floor ballroom and mezzanine.
The Hotel Jamestown, which recently celebrated its 100th anniversary, is proposed to receive $900,000 in DRI funding as part of a $2.3 million project. The project would make exterior repairs to the historic building with acquisition of the Brick City Market at 101 W. Fourth St. to create a specific and separate entrance for the general public to use when renting the Crystal Ballroom. The project will also retrofit the space to include accessible entry features, enhanced wayfinding and amenities.
It will be up to the Local Planning Committee to determine whether or not any or all of the projects actually receive funding through the DRI initiative.