Broome County Receives Two Grants to Help Preserve Our History
BINGHAMTON, NY - Broome County Executive Barbara J. Fiala announced today that Broome County has received 2 grants that will go a long way towards preserving our historic communities and attractions.
The first grant is an $80,000 award from the New York State Quality Communities Program. Broome County was awarded the funds to revise the Susquehanna Heritage Area Management Plan (SHA). This inter-municipal project will survey and assess current historic districts within the SHA. It will also further identify other potential heritage area districts within contiguous communities in the Southern Tier region for possible addition to the SHA system.
“Communities that honor their historic buildings, structures and attractions understand that by making preservation a priority, economic revitalization can follow,” said Executive Fiala. “This grant will allow additional communities, beyond Binghamton, Johnson City and Endicott to receive help in their preservation efforts and in the end the entire area will benefit.”
“Beyond the additional funding that can become available, being a part of the Susquehanna Heritage Area can lead to sound planning practices,” said Broome County Planning Commissioner Rita Petkash. “It is a powerful community development tool that assures retention of the character of a particular community.”
The $80,000 grant will allow the Broome County Planning Department to hire a consultant to help them conduct the assessment of the current Susquehanna Heritage Area and look at its possible expansion.
In addition, Broome County received a $6,800 grant from the Preservation League’s Preserve New York Program. This is a grant program of the Preservation League and the New York State Council on the Arts. The Preserve New York grant will be used to survey the remaining Chenango Canal Sites in Broome County.
The Chenango Canal was a towpath canal that ran from Binghamton to Utica along the Chenango River. It provided a significant link in the water transportation system of the northeastern United States connecting the Susquehanna River to the Erie Canal.
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