Downtown Revitalization Initiative Round 10 Opens $200M for NY Downtowns

New York has opened Downtown Revitalization Initiative Round 10 and NY Forward Round 5, making $200 million available to cities, towns and villages that want state money to rebuild their downtowns. Applications are due January 8, 2027, at 4 p.m., and only communities with a state Pro-Housing Community designation can apply (Office of Governor Kathy Hochul).

The announcement came on October 29, 2026, from Gov. Kathy Hochul through New York State Homes and Community Renewal. It starts the clock on another year of local planning work that, for the winners, typically turns into a list of building renovations, streetscapes, housing and public space projects that go out to design and construction over the following years (Office of Governor Kathy Hochul).

What Happened

The state is pairing two programs in one call for applications. The Downtown Revitalization Initiative, known as the DRI, is the larger of the two and is aimed at downtowns that can absorb a significant package of public and private investment. NY Forward is the companion program for smaller and rural communities, with a focus on hamlets and villages (Office of Governor Kathy Hochul).

Under the funding structure in the release, NY Forward offers two $4.5 million awards per region. New York City is handled differently: its NY Forward funding is combined with its DRI funding for a single $20 million DRI award. On Long Island, NY Forward funding is replaced by two DRI awards that total $20 million. The release does not give a full region by region breakdown of the $200 million (Office of Governor Kathy Hochul).

Applications go through the state Consolidated Funding Application portal. Communities in New York City must submit to their Borough President by December 30, 2026, ahead of the January 8 statewide deadline. The state will hold an application webinar on November 5, 2026, and will post a recording on the program websites (Office of Governor Kathy Hochul).

The Pro-Housing Requirement

The most important eligibility rule is housing related. Cities, towns and villages must hold a Pro-Housing Community designation to access state discretionary programs, including the DRI and NY Forward. The requirement was introduced in the FY 2025 Enacted Budget. The state says more than 460 municipalities are now certified and that certified localities have exclusive access to up to $750 million in state funding (Office of Governor Kathy Hochul).

Last year the rule worked on a slightly looser timetable. For Round 9, a locality needed a submitted letter of intent or Pro-Housing certification before applying and had to be fully certified before awards were announced (Empire State Development). The new release frames certification as a condition of access, so municipalities that have not finished the process should treat it as the first item on the schedule. WCG covered a related housing-linked state program last week in New York Opens $225M Clean Water for Housing Grants for Municipalities.

How This Round Compares

The headline amount is the same as last year. In September 2025 the state also announced $200 million for the combined programs, including $100 million for DRI Round 9, with applications due November 7, 2025, and New York City submissions due to Borough Presidents by October 31, 2025 (Empire State Development). This year’s deadline is about two months later in the calendar, falling in early January instead of early November (Office of Governor Kathy Hochul).

The cumulative totals have grown. The state now says the two programs have awarded $1.34 billion to 178 communities: $1 billion to 101 communities over nine DRI rounds and $340 million to 77 communities over four NY Forward rounds (Office of Governor Kathy Hochul). A year ago the combined figure was $1.2 billion to 151 communities (Empire State Development). One local report from May put NY Forward awards at $400 million to 77 communities, which does not match the state’s $340 million figure; the state release is the more recent primary source (Rochester Beacon).

What Winning Looks Like in the Finger Lakes

The most recent Finger Lakes awards show how the money reaches the ground. In May 2026 the state released $18.7 million for 23 projects in Canandaigua, Brockport and Phelps. Canandaigua received nearly $10 million for 10 projects, while Brockport and Phelps each received $4.5 million, for six and seven projects respectively (Rochester Beacon). WCG covered that package in State Releases $19 Million for Construction Across Canandaigua, Brockport, and Phelps.

The project lists are construction work in small pieces. In Brockport they include $1.5 million for canal-front workforce housing at 60-90 Clinton Street and $820,000 to redevelop a blighted property at 41 Clark Street with townhomes. In Canandaigua they include $1.9 million for Coach Street upgrades and $1.24 million to renovate 100 South Main Street. In Phelps, $975,000 is set aside to revive the Phelps Hotel with lodging and dining (Rochester Beacon). Statewide, the DRI has funded more than 5,000 housing units, more than 2,000 of them affordable or workforce housing (Rochester Beacon).

How the Process Works

The release says the programs pair state investment with community driven planning. A Department of State assigned consultant works with each winning community to develop its projects, and NY Forward also offers one to one technical assistance for full applications (Office of Governor Kathy Hochul). The release does not describe the scoring criteria for this round.

State officials framed the round around housing and downtown activity. Hochul said that “New York’s downtowns are at the heart of our communities, bringing people together.” Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said that “vibrant downtowns and strong housing markets go hand in hand.” NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen M. Harris pointed to the chance to incorporate clean energy into downtown projects (Office of Governor Kathy Hochul).

Implications for Owners, Developers, Contractors and Subs

• Property owners and developers: downtown building owners with a renovation, upper floor housing or storefront project should talk to their municipality now. Private projects in winning communities have received individual awards in the hundreds of thousands to low millions of dollars (Rochester Beacon).
• Municipalities: the Pro-Housing designation is the gate. Without it, a community cannot apply to the DRI or NY Forward or reach the other programs tied to the designation (Office of Governor Kathy Hochul).
• Contractors and subs: award announcements are followed by planning and design, so this round is a source of work in 2028 and beyond rather than next season. The current pipeline from earlier rounds, such as the projects in Batavia’s second $10 million DRI award, is where near term bidding opportunities sit.
• Design teams: the program’s mix of streetscapes, historic rehab, mixed use and small grant funds favors firms comfortable with older buildings and public funding paperwork.

What to Watch

• The November 5, 2026, application webinar and any guidance on scoring (Office of Governor Kathy Hochul).
• Which Finger Lakes and Western New York communities apply before the January 8, 2027, deadline.
• Whether more municipalities finish Pro-Housing certification to qualify, beyond the more than 460 already certified (Office of Governor Kathy Hochul).

Bottom Line

Downtown Revitalization Initiative Round 10 and NY Forward Round 5 put $200 million on the table, with a January 8, 2027, deadline and a firm Pro-Housing requirement. For upstate owners and builders, the round is the start of the next wave of downtown renovation and housing work, and the communities that win will set much of the small commercial pipeline for the late 2020s.

Key Questions

How much money is available in Downtown Revitalization Initiative Round 10?

New York is offering $200 million combined through Downtown Revitalization Initiative Round 10 and NY Forward Round 5, announced October 29, 2026 (Office of Governor Kathy Hochul).

When are DRI Round 10 applications due?

Statewide applications for DRI Round 10 and NY Forward Round 5 are due January 8, 2027, at 4 p.m. through the Consolidated Funding Application portal. New York City communities must submit to their Borough President by December 30, 2026 (Office of Governor Kathy Hochul).

Who is eligible for the Downtown Revitalization Initiative?

Cities, towns and villages must hold a New York Pro-Housing Community designation to apply for the Downtown Revitalization Initiative or NY Forward. More than 460 municipalities are certified (Office of Governor Kathy Hochul).

How big are NY Forward awards?

NY Forward Round 5 offers two $4.5 million awards per region, except in New York City and on Long Island, where the funding is folded into DRI awards (Office of Governor Kathy Hochul).

How much has the DRI awarded so far?

The Downtown Revitalization Initiative has awarded $1 billion to 101 communities over nine rounds, and NY Forward has awarded $340 million to 77 communities over four rounds, for a combined $1.34 billion (Office of Governor Kathy Hochul).

Related Coverage

• State Releases $19 Million for Construction Across Canandaigua, Brockport, and Phelps: 23 Projects in the Finger Lakes
• Batavia Wins Its Second $10 Million DRI Award, and a Data Center Is Already Breaking Ground
• New York Invests $18.7 Million Across 21 Projects in Western New York Through DRI and NY Forward Programs
• North Tonawanda's $10 Million DRI Is Delivering: The Canal City's Construction Comeback Is Almost Complete

Image credit: New York State Homes and Community Renewal. Image from the source article.

Sources

• Office of Governor Kathy Hochul (via EIN Presswire, provided by NYS Homes and Community Renewal), Governor Hochul Announces $200 Million in Funding Available for Downtown Revitalization Initiative and NY Forward Programs, https://www.einpresswire.com/article/953199532/governor-hochul-announces-200-million-in-funding-available-for-d
• Rochester Beacon, Region to receive nearly $19 million in downtown renewal funds, https://rochesterbeacon.com/2026/05/20/region-to-receive-nearly-19-million-in-downtown-renewal-funds/
• Empire State Development, Governor Hochul Announces $200 Million in Funding Available for Downtown Revitalization Initiative and NY Forward Programs (September 3, 2025), https://esd.ny.gov/esd-media-center/press-releases/governor-hochul-announces-200-million-funding-available-downtown