NY Forward and the Village of Dryden

Exciting things are happening in Dryden! This spring, the Village was awarded a $4,500,000 NY Forward grant to fund projects that will transform our community. On Thursday, September 18, local businesses and organizations will share their proposed projects at a public workshop from 6-8 PM at the Dryden Fire Hall on North Street. This is a great opportunity for you to comment on how the proposed projects will fit with your vision for our best future.

Of course, representatives of the Dryden Center for Community will be there to share our hopes for converting the historic Methodist Church on Manin Street into a vibrant gathering place where everyone in the community can attend meals, events and classes, where organizations can hold their meetings, and where all kinds of activities and initiatives can find a home. Since we have started talking with our neighbors and raising money, the creative possibilities for using the space are pouring in! So many of you have already shared your ideas about how we can use the building to serve Dryden and contribute to the restoration of our downtown. Our grant proposal will help us make these ideas a reality by installing air conditioning, adding capital equipment in the kitchen to enable new culinary entrepreneurs to launch their businesses, renovating two small bathrooms, and installing professional lighting and sound systems in the former sanctuary, and improving the accessibility of the building for everyone. But all of these dreams depend on raising the money needed to purchase the building quickly and showing the state funders that we can sustain the center far into the future.

Please come to the NY Forward Public Workshop in Thursday, September 18 and join in the exciting conversation about what comes next for the Dryden Center for Community and our Village's Main Street.