Sarah Trafton is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Coxsackie village officials are prepared to submit an extensive, multi-million-dollar Downtown Revitalization Initiative application when the next round is announced, Mayor Mark Evans said March 15. The DRI proposal outlines a series of potential projects totaling $26 million to make the village a more attractive place for business owners to invest. DRI applications are submitted to the Regional Economic Development Council; those selected receive $10 million from the state. “The theory is, throw in everything and the kitchen sink and hopefully they like enough of what you have to approve at least some of it,” Evans said. “It’s a wish list. In a perfect world, if they gave us $26 million, we’d do it all, but that won’t happen.” The area covered by the application would include all of the Reed Street Historic District, Mansion Street, River Street, South River Street, lower Ely, lower Church and New streets. Riverside Park is also included in the area. More than 160 people are employed within the DRI area and 29 businesses, or nearly one-third of all village businesses, are located within that boundary. The proposal was divided into roughly a dozen categories including transportation and infrastructure; historical redevelopment; downtown gateways; mixed-use development; and more. Assemblymember Chris Tague expressed his support for the proposal. “With much to offer its growing population and tourism-driven visitations, the village of Coxsackie is looking to continue to capitalize on its amazing Hudson River frontage, historical assets, anchor institutions. and rich cultural heritage,” Tague said. The impact of the plan would reach beyond the village, Greene County Chamber of Commerce President Jeff Friedman said. “The village...and the entire Capital Region will benefit significantly from the DRI award,” Friedman said. The application included letters of support from the Coxsackie-Athens Central School District, the Historic Preservation Commission, Flach Development and Realty Inc., State Tel, Che Figata Bistro and Mansion and the Reed General Store. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.