Our Towns

Everyone needs a sense of place. We thrive on belonging: to a neighborhood, to an extended family, to a community. And, when unity is stronger than division, when optimism overcomes doubt, wonderful things can happen.

This is a story about economic development — a story about how a positive community inspires growth of jobs, of resources, of people, and of the local economy. Essentially, though, it’s a story of cooperation: between institutions and government, between local businesses and area residents, between neighbors working toward a common goal.

Sometimes that goal takes the form of transforming a downtown of vacant storefronts into a retail center with goods and services once available only at a distance. Sometimes the objective is revitalization of housing, managed through an infusion of dollars, forward thinking, and a master plan that respects the past and builds on it for a secure future. Often, neighbors are working cooperatively simply to remake their towns into places where they can raise a family and nurture a dream.

The following are stories of collaboration — stories of people working together to make their town the town they want it to be.

Small towns, big ideas.

Canton, near the Canadian border, is home to St. Lawrence University, which founded the $1 million Canton Initiative in 1997. Through the initiative, the university has sponsored low-interest loans to improve storefronts and historic buildings.

In 1998, Colgate University, the Village of Hamilton, and the Town of Hamilton formed The Partnership for Community Development to foster economic development. The partnership identified priority projects including programs to foster small business, improve building facades and streetscapes in Hamilton’s downtown business district, restore the Village Green, and provide retail support for local arts and crafts.

Houghton College, located in rural Allegany County, has been instrumental in local community development, spearheading efforts to enhance the appearance of buildings and services found in the business district.

Clarkson University has been instrumental in maintaining the integrity of downtown Potsdam. The university, which has been moving out of its downtown campus to consolidate on its main campus, has been actively recruiting businesses and renovating their downtown buildings for new tenants.


Myrtle Avenue before

Myrtle Avenue after

Brightening city lights.

Fordham University students have been helping Yonkers in revitalization efforts by providing cost projections for construction and clean-up of a key corridor along the Hudson. Fordham is also actively engaged in the Lincoln Square Business Improvement District and the proposed Fordham Road Business Improvement District.

Recognizing the need to revitalize Myrtle Avenue, Pratt Institute organized a group of local leaders to bring new life to the Brooklyn communities of Fort Greene and Clinton Hill. The Myrtle Avenue Commercial Revitalization and Development Project was formed and is changing the appearance and potential of the avenue.

Downtown Troy is renowned for its beautiful historic homes. A collaboration of The Sage Colleges and Troy Rehabilitation and Improvement Program, the “Own a Home in Historic Troy”program is encouraging homeownership downtown with forgiven loans for downpayment, legal services, workshops, and a reduction in undergraduate tuition costs.

In Syracuse, the Crouse-Marshall Revitalization Project was created by Syracuse University to redevelop and improve this business district that serves a mix of year-round residents, students, and visitors.

Good neighbors make good neighborhoods.

Master plans are the practical beginning of any long-term redevelopment effort and Glen Cove’s ongoing revitalization could be a model for community renewal. This is according to a study by the C. W. Post Campus of Long Island University which “explores the economic, social, and environmental factors affecting Glen Cove’s growth.

To recall Albany’s relationship to the Hudson River, the city commissioned a mural by an area artist and her six apprentices from The College of Saint Rose. This public work of art has dramatically altered Albany’s landscape and is a symbol of its promise to reconnect with its waterfront.

The Harlem Restoration Project is just one of 25 programs supported by Columbia University’s Community Impact student volunteer program. Volunteers restore landmark structures; they also make buildings and vacant apartments habitable once again by repairing problems from poor plumbing to leaking roofs.

When students studying at Buffalo’s D’Youville College Library look up, they see an historic stained-glass skylight. The college recently purchased a city landmark and renovated the structure into an expansive new library.

Affordable housing in northwest Bronx is the goal of the University Neighborhood Housing Program (UNHP), created by Fordham University in 1983 to assist in community-based housing preservation.

Canisius College has made it a priority to connect with its historic Hamlin Park neighborhood. One recent renovation is the former St. Vincent’s Church, now the Carol and Carl Montante Cultural Center, a multi-use space to serve the college and the community.

The Union-Schenectady Initiative is an ambitious plan that addresses housing, aesthetics, scholarships, safety issues, and community outreach. The 1998 initiative has attracted other institutional, public, and corporate partners, all of whom are working together to revitalize the Schenectady neighborhood west of the campus. Union College has committed $10 million to the project.

In the Finger Lakes area, the Cornell-Ithaca Flats Outreach Partnership secured a $400,000 grant to tackle issues including job skills development, economic development, housing, community leadership, health, safety, and environmental issues. Cornell University and the City of Ithaca have also pledged up to $1.5 million in cash or services.

In September 1999, Syracuse University and the City of Syracuse embarked on the University-Community Partnership with the goal of ensuring that Syracuse’s east neighborhood remains a great place for all its residents. The university has also established a City Guaranteed Mortgage Program in support of the Syracuse Neighborhood Initiative.

Reaching new heights.

In 1999, four New York State private colleges and universities — the Albany Law School, the Albany Medical Center, The Sage Colleges, and the Albany College of Pharmacy — formed the University Heights Association (UHA). Its purpose is to enhance economic vitality and quality of life, both for campus constituencies and residents in the New Scotland Avenue community of Albany. The association is committed to developing a united campus with a network of shared services.

In November 2000, UHA participated in the conference “Neighborhoods Work: Building a Plan for a More Livable Albany.”The content of the UHA presentation is telling of the consortium’s philosophy. Colleges and universities, it suggested, can and must contribute to their community in economic, social, political, educational, and technological ways. It’s all about neighbors working together: that’s what makes a neighborhood work.