Gloversville Receives Heissenbuttel Award for Planning Excellence

Awarded at the NY Planning Federation Conference for Outstanding Planning Practices

GLOVERSVILLE, NY – On behalf of the City of Gloversville, Mayor Vincent DeSantis was honored to accept the Heissenbuttel Award for Planning Excellence on April 7th at the New York Planning Federation Conference held in Cooperstown.

In accepting the award, the Mayor said: “I am delighted and very grateful for the federation’s recognition of our holistic approach to planning and implementing Gloversville’s revitalization. From the beginning of the process, we understood that all of the many interconnected aspects of any living community must be addressed and improved for rebirth to be successful. The stabilization and improvement of the quality of neighborhoods, the redevelopment of brownfields and derelict structures, the improvement of public parks, greenspaces and recreational facilities, and the commercial and cultural rebirth of downtown all must be advanced in tandem for transformation to happen.”

By this award, the New York Planning Federation has recognized Gloversville as an exceptional model of innovative planning and best practices.

It highlights Gloversville’s innovative approach to community revitalization that reflects the city’s dedication to sound planning principles while effectively serving other public interests.

Jennifer Donovan, Gloversville Downtown Development Specialist (GDDS), praised Gloversville’s professional and dedicated planning. “During my tenure, I have witnessed this type of planning drive positive changes in downtown,” she said. She emphasized both the city’s community-focused approach to creating a clear development roadmap and the city’s impactful revitalization efforts.

Nominated by Environmental Design and Research (EDR), the company that has worked with the city on several planning initiatives, the award is given to a municipality or agency for an outstanding and/or innovative comprehensive plan or plan update adopted by the municipality’s legislative body within the past three years.

The nomination centered on Gloversville’s comprehensive revitalization efforts, backed by significant funding from federal and New York State initiatives. Grants and programs include three U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Assessments, the state Department of State (DOS), Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP), DOS Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) Program, and the state’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI). These initiatives helped lay the groundwork for redevelopment, identify strategic opportunities, and support transformative projects in the city’s core.

“A conscious effort was made to build on the findings of each of these programs to advance the next. For example, data collected as part of the EPA assessment grants informed the boundary and recommendations of the BOA. Similarly, the developer of a project identified in the DRI Strategic Investment Plan discovered Gloversville through connections with planners and economic developers during the LWRP process. … Over the past decade, the city and its champions in the public and private sectors have attracted $45 million in investment to downtown Gloversville and its immediate surroundings. A combination of incentives at the federal, state, and local level; a historic stock building; and a walkable downtown have made investing in Gloversville appealing to both business owners and residents alike. The city recognizes that additional investment is crucial to continue to attract and expand local businesses. With a motivated public and community leaders, a reinvented Gloversville has gone from a vision to an emerging reality in just a few years,” according to the nomination form.

Mayor DeSantis pointed out that public participation has been at the core of this comprehensive revitalization effort. The city made concerted efforts to involve a wide variety of public interest groups, ensuring that the planning process is inclusive and representative of the community’s diverse needs and perspectives. “We have actively engaged those who have historically been left out of the planning process, including city neighborhoods and underserved areas, amplifying their voices and fostering meaningful participation,” he said.

The mayor noted there are several projects now coming to fruition because of the city’s efforts over the past several years:

1. The public DRI projects are in the final stages of construction. St Thomas Square, Littauer Piazza, and the new building at Trail Station Park will be completed by the first week of May. All three will be active public spaces.
2. The Heacock Building, which is 2 – 10 S. Main St., has new owners who will restore it to six market-rate apartments on the upper floors with several commercial shops and eateries at ground level.
3. The building at 33 N. Main St. has been fully restored inside and out. A new restaurant, Sage & Cedar, will be opening soon.
4. 31 N. Main St. was just purchased by Kristina Gillmore. She will be operating her business, Ricmar Printing and Design, out of the ground floor, leasing the two finished apartments on the second floor, and restoring the third-floor flat as a separate residence.
5. The Glove Theater received a $2 million DRI Grant plus a $2 million Restore NY Grant and is finishing architectural plans for a $16 million restoration of the entire facility using historic preservation tax credits augmented by a capital campaign.
6. Samco Industries has purchased the former Leader Herald Building at 8 E. Fulton St. They are a manufacturer of gloves and other apparel specifically for government contracts. Gloversville secured a CDBG grant for them for new equipment and machinery. They will fill the building with at least 45 employees making products, mostly for the Department of Defense
7. The building just north of the Glove Theater was formerly City Hall. It has already has apartments on the upper floors. The owner received a DRI grant to restore the first floor as a bakery and family restaurant. The architectural work is complete, and the funding is in place. Construction will begin later this year.
8. A one-story building at 97 S. Main St. was just purchased by owners of a Mexican restaurant in Schenectady. Restoration has begun on what will be a new Mexican restaurant here.
9. Another new apartment complex will begin construction this year on Littauer Place. It will include 73 residential units plus two commercial units on the first floor. It has received all its Planning Board and state funding approvals.
10. The Schine Building at 40 North Main has just completed the full renovation of the third floor. The renovations are partially funded by a DRI grant and will house co-working space for artists and artisans as well as a museum of Gloversville’s cultural and industrial heritage.