In announcing the award, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office noted that “The Village of Clinton is also home to Hamilton College, a nationally recognized liberal arts college that attracts diverse students, faculty, and staff.”
Several people with Hamilton connections are involved with the Clinton Kirkland Improvement Corporation (CKIC), the organization that prepared the grant proposal on behalf of the village and town. Michael Debraggio P’07, executive writer and director of community relations for Hamilton and the president of CKIC, was the principal writer for the grant proposal; Gill King, chief of staff and secretary to the Board of Trustees, and Steve Bellona P’03, Hamilton’s former associate vice president for facilities and planning and former Clinton mayor, are members of the CKIC board.
“We’re grateful to New York State and the Mohawk Valley Regional Economic Development Council for supporting our vision for Clinton’s future with this DRI grant,” Debraggio said. “We’re equally grateful to our neighbors, merchants, village and town officials, and other community leaders who offered suggestions, proposed ideas, and provided feedback as we developed our DRI proposal. Our application was a community-wide effort, and the implementation of our plan will likewise entail the support and involvement of our entire community. We have a great vision for Clinton’s future and great people ready to make it happen.”
Among the 21 proposed projects for the grant are:
- a new “franchise” hotel in the village
- renovations to historic Lumbard Hall on the north end of the Village Green
- a new townhouse development
- expanding sidewalks in the village and town and widening sidewalks on West Park Row
- increased opportunities for recreation, tourism, and healthy lifestyle, including renovations to the 100-year-old Clinton Cider Mill, upgrades to the Boynton Pool and Clinton Arena, and expansion of the Kirkland Trails
- Enhancements to arts, culture, and education offerings such as those offered by the Kirkland Town Library and the Kirkland Art Center
- View entire proposal
Hamilton in the Community
Hamilton invests in the vitality of the community through direct contributions, voluntary support, and the economic impact of its students, employees, contractors, and visitors.
