POTSDAM — Got ideas for future development in Potsdam?

Is the village heading in the right direction?

What changes would you like to see downtown?

Residents, business owners and those working in Potsdam now have the opportunity to weigh in and contribute to an ongoing brainstorming session in the form of an online survey.

The Village Planning and Development Office recently held a workshop to brainstorm ideas about the future of the Village, and an online survey was launched to gather even more information and ideas from residents and those who work or own businesses here.

Village officials and committee members gathered for the Village of Potsdam Visioning Exercise, led by Village Economic Developer David Thurlow, after the Oct. 21 village board meeting to brainstorm ideas for the future of Potsdam.

“The visioning exercise we ran at the last board meeting brought together the village board, staff and committee members,” Thurlow told North Country This Week. “The exercise was meant to build on the work the village has done in the past and also be a starting point for new ideas and goal setting. We have several transformational projects in the works stemming from our 2019 Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) grant, including opportunities to enhance Potsdam’s branding and marketing. For all these projects, we want to make sure that everyone on our team is working in the same direction.”

About 25 village officials gathered at the workshop event where they broke into small groups and filled out worksheets with ideas for the economic and cultural development of the village. The groups then shared their ideas with the rest of the group and discussed their favourites.

The survey, posted on the village website after the public workshop, follows the same path.

The Potsdam Village Identity and Vision Survey, found online at , will gather ideas that help the village’s economic developers identify goals for the community, particularly in light of the expanded downtown projects planned to be funded by the state through the Initiative revitalization of the city center. .

“This activity is intended to help align efforts for our current Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) and other future village projects,” the survey states.

The survey asks the survey taker to identify themselves and their relationship to the community, whether they are a resident, business owner or someone who works here.

Other questions include:

1. What makes Potsdam special? What can we be proud of that is unique or important to us?
2. What elements of Potsdam’s HISTORY make it special?
3. What elements of Potsdam’s resources, geography or built environment make it special?
4. What elements of Potsdam’s culture make it special?
5. What would you say our community should care about, prioritize or keep?
6. What else is great about living here or visiting?
7. Imagine the future of Potsdam in 10 years, where it has grown and evolved into a thriving and successful village. What does this future look like?
8. What has improved (in 10 years)? for example, not specific ideas, but general reasons why people like to live here or visit.
9. What should Potsdam feel like as a village? What kind of atmosphere should it have? for example, how would one describe it to a stranger?
10. What else should be included in a shared vision of what we want Potsdam to be?

The village is in the midst of several projects funded by some of its $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative awards promised by New York State in 2019.

Numerous businesses and organizations have received or will receive funding from the DRI award, including the North Country Children’s Museum, SLC Arts, Jernabi Coffee, Market Square Mall Rehab and the Potsdam Food Co-op.

On the village’s workbench are two expansive and multi-level projects — the Downtown Streetscape and Riverwalk Trail projects, which together cost more than $4 million paid in DRI funding channeled through the state Department of State.

Potsdam’s downtown landscape improvement project will include areas on Market Street from its intersection with Depot Street to its intersection with Maple and Main Streets, and Raymond Street from its intersection with Market Street to its end at Garner Park . New sidewalks, pedestrian safety features, decorative pedestrian crossings, pedestrian-scale LED street lighting by National Grid, stormwater management facilities, new street trees, wayfinding signage and street furniture are some of the improvements expected under the project .

The Village’s Downtown Riverwalk Trail Project area includes the section of Maple Street between Market Street and Clarkson Ave., Maple Street Park at the intersection of Maple Street, Clarkson Ave. and Sandstone Drive and a connection between Sandstone Drive and Garner Park. The scope of this project will include bike lanes, new sidewalks, pedestrian safety features, a pocket park, pedestrian-scale LED street lighting, new street trees and wayfinding signage.

“A strong community is one that has a shared sense of identity; where there is some agreement and understanding of what we care about, what makes us special and what we are proud of,” Thurlow said. “Potsdam’s history, resources and culture are rich and unique, and we have the opportunity to continue to improve. We want to gather input from the community on all of these elements to help us define that collective identity and vision. This poll invites everyone to share their thoughts and ideas. We also expect more opportunities for public input on certain future projects, such as branding and marketing, in the near future.”