“It was the best Christmas gift ever,” said Aimee Rogers, President of Imagine Forestville.

The New York Main Street Program, through the State’s Department of Homes and Community Renewal, awarded $497,751 to the Town of Hanover to be used to improve and develop properties along Main Street in Forestville. The funding is part of Phase II of improvements along Main Street in Forestville. Phase I began in 2024, as Imagine Forestville received funding from the Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth to create Design Guidelines for a commercial district along Main Street.

A Technical Assistance grant in 2025 used the guidelines to produce concept renderings, scopes of work and cost estimates for upgrades to several buildings in the Target Area.

Rogers stated that at least five properties along Main Street expressed an interest in making upgrades as part of the program. Both existing businesses and properties that are not currently operational expressed an interest in making improvements. The grant allows for improvements to what already exists in the heart of Forestville, while also encouraging development of spaces for new businesses, as well.

Pictured is a mural on Main Street in Forestville.

“We’re very excited. It will be a blessing for the community to maybe have another business or two come in. That’s the main goal,” Rogers said.

Up to $50,000 is available to enhance the facade or interior of a commercial business, while an additional $25,000 to $50,000 is available to enhance apartment spaces attached to the businesses. The property owners would need to cover the cost of the work upfront, but the grant funding will reimburse up to 75% of the cost of the work.

As per state guidelines, no work can be performed, nor costs incurred, prior to the execution of a grant agreement with the Housing Trust Fund Corporation, along with the required environmental review.

Imagine Forestville, a 501c3 non-profit community organization started in 2018, initially targeted grant funding to improve Main Street, but the extensive grant process through the state led the Town of Hanover to submit the application itself. The Town hired a grant writer to assist with the process. Rogers was involved in the grant process as a member of the Hanover Town Board, in addition to being President of Imagine Forestville. The Town of Hanover shared news of the grant funding being awarded at a recent meeting to close out the 2025 calendar year.

Forestville also made several other improvements to Main Street in recent years, as a new electric clock, a welcome mural, and a repurposed horse trough were unveiled in fall of 2024, thanks to the efforts of Imagine Forestville. The Forestville Farmers’ Market has also established its foothold on Main Street since the summer of 2024.