Glens Falls officials unveil Market Center, housing and phase timelines from DRI-funded downtown overhaul

Glens Falls City officials and development partners on Saturday delivered a progress report on the city’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI), outlining near-term openings, construction timelines and the mix of public and private investment that has accompanied South Street redevelopment.

Mayor Collins and project partners said the DRI-funded Market Center pavilion and associated projects will host the farmers market by June 1 and that a community ribbon-cutting is planned as the city completes final work. City presenters said the DRI’s original $10,000,000 award has spurred additional public and private investment and described a set of completed and in-progress projects that include a commercial kitchen and incubator at 36 Elm Street, three renovated historic buildings on South Street, and new workforce rental units.

The DRI matters because city officials said it has functioned as a catalyst for broader downtown investment: presenters cited a total development figure they put at roughly $48 million tied to the DRI and said that the city’s long-term stake is about $3.6 million, or about 7.5 percent of that amount. The program also supported small-business assistance, facade grants and arts projects that officials and developers said have helped…