Gowanda Mayor David Smith stands with Gov. Kathy Hochul at Friday’s announcement for the village.

New York state is setting aside $4.5 million to continue the momentum seen recently in the village of Gowanda.

As part of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s budget investments in Western New York, Gowanda was one of four municipalities to win funding in an announcement Friday. “It is time to right the wrongs of the past, and we are doing so by continuing our commitment to re-building and uplifting the communities around the state.” Hochul said. “These investments will help to revitalize our beautiful downtowns, create jobs to support the local economy, and provide New Yorkers with more opportunities and options for a fulfilling life ahead.”

According to Hochul, the village of Gowanda has already set the stage for a downtown renaissance by embracing its potential as a true small-town destination, engaging in prior planning and making strategic investments. The NY Forward award will build on this growth and fulfill the community’s vision for the downtown by using its rich history and abundance of natural resources as a foundation for economic growth, the development of unique attractions and the continued investment in existing recreational assets.

Proposed projects include the restoration of the historic Hollywood Theatre; improvements to New York and Lake Erie Railroad excursions; cleanup and redevelopment of a federal Superfund site into Gateway Park located along Cattaraugus Creek at the headwaters of the Zoar Valley Multiple Use Area; and development of a micro-brewery.

The city of Tonawanda was announced as the recipient of $10 million in funding as the Western New York winner of the seventh round of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative. The Town of Aurora and Hamlet of West Falls are this year’s Western New York region other NY Forward winners. They also receive $4.5 million each. The governor also announced that the University at Buffalo has been selected to host Empire AI, a state-of-the-art artificial intelligence center.

Additionally, Hochul announced $50 million in one-time Federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funding to support locally driven anti-poverty initiatives, including $12.25 million for Buffalo. Building on the Budget, the Governor organized One Network for Regional Advanced Partnerships to create workplace development centers in four high-impact locations across Upstate New York. Lastly, Hochul announced $4 million in funding to the Roswell Park Cancer Institute to finance new mobile breast and prostate cancer screening vans and expand screening activities.