Restore New York Grant

A grant program administered by Empire State Development (ESD) that supports municipalities' efforts to demolish, rehabilitate and restore blighted structures and transform them into vibrant residential, commercial and mixed-use developments.

Geographic Scope: New York State municipalities

Eligible Uses:

• Demolition of vacant, abandoned, condemned or surplus buildings
• Deconstruction of buildings
• Rehabilitation of buildings
• Reconstruction of buildings
• Transformation into residential, commercial, and mixed-use developments

Award Amounts by Applicant Type:

• Cities over 1,000,000 in population: up to $4,000,000 for projects in distressed areas
• Cities over 100,000 in population: up to $4,000,000 for one project
• Cities and villages with 40,000-99,999 population: up to $3,000,000 for one project
• All other municipalities: up to $2,000,000 for one project
• Empire State Development may grant a limited number of special awards

Funding Round: $60 million available in most recent round

Key Priorities:

• Projects in economically distressed communities
• Projects that leverage other state or federal redevelopment funds
• Project feasibility and readiness

Eligible Applicants:

• Counties, cities, towns, and villages within New York State

Administrator: Empire State Development (ESD)

Note: As of the content date (February 22, 2024), applications were opening. Current deadline status is unknown.

Application Process

Key Dates (from 2024 round):

• Applications Open: February 22, 2024
• Restore NY Instructional Webinar (hosted by ESD): February 27, 2024
• Intent to Apply Form Deadline: March 25, 2024

How to Apply

1. Complete Intent to Apply Form by deadline
2. Attend instructional webinar (optional but recommended)
3. Submit full application through ESD portal

Required Information

• Project details and scope
• Feasibility and readiness information
• Description of how project addresses blight
• Information on leveraged funding from state or federal sources
• Economic distress documentation (if applicable)

Additional Resources

• For detailed program information and eligibility requirements, visit ESD website
• For information on SEQR (State Environmental Quality Review) requirements, visit NY Department of Environmental Conservation