City of Corning (Winner)
County: Steuben County
Population: 5,000 to 10,000
City Hall: (607) 324-7421

The City’s Housing Partnership is a successful collaboration between public and private entities that has improved the neighborhoods and housing stock in the City of Corning. In just two years, the program has already assisted in the rehabilitation of thirteen total properties by renovating eleven and demolishing two. The Corning Housing Partnership has led to a more concentrated effort to improve the City’s housing stock and neighborhoods by leveraging the knowledge and expertise of local partners.

Village of Clyde (Winner)
County: Wayne County
Population: Less than 5,000
Village Hall: (315) 923-3971

Over twenty years ago, local planning and community groups began to look at the property along the Erie Canal in the Village of Clyde. The property was abandoned by the West Shore railroad. In 2000, the Village of Clyde acquired ownership for $10,000 through a grant. During the years following this acquisition, many additions were added to this vacant land based on several planning reports completed by various outside entities. The main idea from these reports was to develop the land into a park and provide a stop for boaters along the canal. The result of these efforts is now a beautiful park called Lauraville Landing which is due to the fact that Clyde used to be referred to as “Lauraville” in the 1800’s.

City of Binghamton (Winner)
County: Broome County
Population: 10,001 to 50,000
City Hall: (607) 772-7001

The City of Binghamton diagnosed a problem in the heart of its North Main Street (NoMa) area. The City, partnered with the local housing non-profit First Ward Action Council, underwent a $10.5 million revitalization project funded by State grants to renovate the exhausted Crandall and North Streets. Spurred by resident neighborhood groups, the City identified the two streets as an epicenter of policy activity, and code violations. To combat this matter the City and First Ward begun a revitalization project to transform the decrepit streets of Crandall and North to create new, affordable housing for low-income residents. In addition to creating affordable living, the Revitalization Project transformed the neighborhood, while saving some of the historic houses. The City credits the Revitalization Project for increasing quality of life in NoMa, and attributes it as a catalyst for more future neighborhood-driven work in Binghamton

City of White Plains
County: Westchester County
Population: 50,000 +
City Hall: (914) 422-1200

The White Plains Education & Training Center (WPETC) is a 13,500-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility which provides comprehensive workforce development while at the same time strengthening the city’s economic development strategy by offering employers a well-trained and skilled workforce. The WPETC is operated and managed by the City of White Plains. The WPETC employs a unique collaboration between government and the private sector in order to provide real-time training for high demand jobs and skills development in an easily accessible manner and location. WPETC is supporting the employment needs of regional, high growth industries including: culinary and hospitality, medical and health care, technology, and entrepreneurship.

Village of Upper Brookville
County: Nassau County
Population: Less than 5,000
Village Hall: (516) 624-7715

Upper Brookville previously delayed rebuilding and resurfacing roads until they were close to the end of their useful life and the only solution was costly reconstruction. In July 2016, the Board of Upper Brookville resolved to (a) repave the rest of the village’s roads at a cost of $2.3 million over two years, and (b) issue 15-year bonds to cover the cost. Issuing bonds would finance the repaving of all needy roads while lowering the annual road expense from $450,000 to $200,000 per year.

City of Olean (Winner)
County: Cattaraugus County
Population: 10,001 to 50,000
City Hall: (716) 376-5615

The North Union Complete Street Transformation converted a four-lane automobile-oriented arterial roadway into a two-lane “complete street.” The “Walkable Olean” streetscape design evolved through an understanding of history and assessment of existing conditions, community participation including open forums, a study of street precedents, consideration of best practices in Main Street design, and creative engineering and urban design. The transformed street supports economic vitality, addresses water quality concerns with innovative stormwater treatment, and improves mobility, safety and accessibility for all users. The completed project includes five roundabouts, bicycle lanes and permeable pavers and landscaped “rain gardens” to treat stormwater runoff.

Village of Cooperstown
County: Otsego County
Population: Less Than 5,000
City Hall: (607) 547-2411

The Village of Cooperstown utilized GIGP funding through a grant award from the NYS Environmental Facilities Corporation to retrofit Main Street with permeable pavement, permeable sidewalk pavers, bioretention and stormwater street trees. This green street project has helped to revitalize downtown by improving walkability along Main Street, as well as to improve water quality in the Willow Brook and Otsego Lake.

City of Peekskill (Winner)
County: Westchester County
Population: 10,000 to 50,000
City Hall: (914) 737-3400

In 1998, Scenic Hudson and the City of Peekskill partnered to acquire a vacant, underutilized 4.4 acre industrial waterfront property. The NYS Brownfields Program funded environmental remediation and shoreline stabilization of this property, locally known as Peekskill Landing. Then in 2009, Peekskill completed a Waterfront Park and Trail Master Plan with extensive public input and funding assistance from NYS Department of State and Ginsburg Development Companies. The public was engaged in park and trail design through the charrettes process, and the City was awarded grants from Empire State Development (ESD), Department of State, and the Office of Parks and Recreation to construct and open the beautifully landscaped ADA accessible “Scenic Hudson Park at Peekskill Landing” in 2014. In 2015, the second phase of the ESD grant was used to implement the Waterfront Master Plan, by constructing a mile-long ADA accessible multi-use waterfront trail and three-acre Riverfront Green South Park. This trail provides pedestrian access between two existing heavily used parks, and links them with the adjacent Metro North train station.

Village of Goshen (Winner)
County: Orange County
Population: Less than 10,000
Village Hall: (845) 294-6750

In 2003, the Village of Goshen oversaw the construction of a new Waste Water Treatment Plant. Part of this process required the excavation and removal of an old Village landfill. This landfill material was put on trucks and moved to a Village owned parcel on the outskirts of the Village. This was a temporary solution. Beginning in 2009, the Village worked to have the landfill removed and used for a discounted "beneficial reuse" price at multiple landfills. After this was concluded, the Village and its consultants worked with NYS Department of Environmental Conservation to complete required testing to verify that proper remediation had taken place. After it was clear that the property was environmentally safe, the Village used various strategies to market the property and ultimately the property was purchased by an international brewery, Kikkerfrosch, LLC. Kikkerfrosch and the Village negotiated a $1.7M sale price and the property will be coming back on the tax rolls.

City of Ogdensburg (Winner)
County: St. Lawrence County
Population: More than 10,000
City Hall: (315) 393-1130

The City of Ogdensburg has developed and continues to implement a comprehensive Energy Conservation Program in an effort to reduce costs and promote green energy solutions. Ogdensburg developed a Local Climate Action Plan, and in 2010, conducted an Emissions Inventory and Forecast for which they received a 2011 Milestone Achievement Award from ICLEI-USA in recognition of the City’s leadership and tangible progress toward climate protection.