New York State Downtown Revitalization Initiative

About this Project

As part of Governor Hochul’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI), the Cities of Medina and Norwich in Upstate New York embarked on a transformative project to reinvigorate their historic downtowns and create a vibrant, walkable, and economically resilient urban core. Our team played a central role in shaping and implementing a shared vision that balances economic development, community identity, and sustainable design.

Key components of the revitalization included:

• Streetscape enhancements to improve pedestrian safety and mobility

• Redevelopment of underutilized properties into mixed-use spaces

• Creation of public plazas and green spaces to support social gathering

• Façade improvements and adaptive reuse of historic buildings

• Wayfinding, lighting, and signage strategies to strengthen identity and access

Role:

Urban Planner

Tasks:

– Conducted a comprehensive analysis of the existing downtown core, identifying underutilized assets and opportunities for growth

– Worked with the Local Planning Committee to translate and facilitate community feedback into a cohesive architectural vision for the downtown districts

– Designed anchor projects specifically selected to enhance the downtown districts and spark the local economy supervised by Principal Planner 

Software Utilized:

SketchUp | Photoshop | Nano Banana

This evolution of each image shows the transition from a schematic model to an AI-enhanced vibrant vision. The utilization of AI software refined the interaction between proposed architectural materials and the existing urban fabric, ensuring the final concept felt historically grounded yet forward thinking.

This project proposes the transformation of the underutilized street frontage adjacent to the YMCA into a vibrant, multi-functional Community Parklet. By converting a portion of the existing paved area and street shoulder into an active pedestrian zone, this intervention creates a safe, accessible, and inviting public gathering space that bridges the gap between the YMCA’s wellness programs and the broader downtown community.

This project creates a dynamic engine for local economic growth by combining a Community Workshop maker space with a flexible Farmers Market Plaza. Located at a key transition point between the urban core and the downtown district, this development revitalizes an existing vacant gas station into a center for skills training, local commerce, and fresh food access.

This project focuses on the adaptive reuse and exterior restoration of the district’s Red Roof Inn, one of the downtown’s only hotels for visitors. By pairing significant facade improvements with a complete redesign of the adjacent streetscape, this development transforms a deteriorating property into a vibrant anchor, seamlessly connecting the historic fabric of the neighborhood with the new pedestrian-friendly improvements.

This project focuses on the comprehensive restoration of the historic Colonia Theater, transforming it from a weathered structure into a radiant cultural anchor for the downtown district. By combining sensitive facade preservation with a reimagined streetscape, the project creates a dramatic entry experience that supports the theater’s expanded programming while enhancing the safety and vibrancy of the local area.

This project targets the comprehensive facade restoration of the Walsh Hotel, a cornerstone historic structure that has suffered from deferred maintenance and unsympathetic alterations. By peeling back non-historic layers and stabilizing the building envelope, this initiative prepares the site for full adaptive reuse and restores dignity to one of the district’s most significant architectural assets.