A DOWNTOWN RENAISSANCE The past 15 years have been a time of renewal for the city, beginning with the addition of a roundabout in the heart of the community. “It was transformative in the sense that it created this sense of flow and activity in what’s a pretty small downtown area,” describes Glens Falls Economic Development Director, Jeff Flagg. He shares that this project spurred over $48 million in public and private investments, including a New York State Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant of $10 million, resulting in streetscape beautification efforts, and the revitalization of historic buildings. Ongoing plans include the creation of affordable and market-rate housing, the development of new commercial spaces, and the introduction of a Market Square, featuring a 4500-square foot makers market. INFRASTRUCTURE AND WALKABILITY Mayor Bill Collins notes that recent years have also seen major investment in infrastructure, including a $15 million project to separate outdated combined sewer and stormwater systems, reducing yearly overflows from 44 to around 14. “During that same period, the heavy rain in the environment has increased tenfold. So, it’s quite an accomplishment, and we’re very proud of it,” he says. The city spends an average of $2 million annually on paving and sidewalks and has created a Complete Streets advisory committee to ensure the community is pedestrian and bike-friendly. “We know that the young people want to live where they can walk to restaurants and bars, and to the parks,” Collins explains. “We’ve also invested about $1.5 million into revitalizing our parks. We used ARPA money for that, and we were able to redo all of our basketball courts, and create pickleball courts, which is a huge craze in this part of the country.” A SENSE OF PLACE Glens Falls has always been a center point for commerce and innovation in the region. Jim Siplon, President and CEO of Warren County’s Economic Development Corporation, describes, “It is a small city, 15,000 people, but it serves a much wider area. 193 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 11 GLENS FALLS, NY
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