NY Forward Planning Process

The Marathon NY Forward planning process is a community-driven process supported by New York State and a consultant team. The six-month planning process will identify, develop, and recommend proposed projects for NY Forward funding and will result in the development of a Strategic Investment Plan. Throughout the planning process, the public — including residents, business owners, civic organizations, Village staff, anchor institutions, and the broader community — are invited to attend Local Planning Committee (LPC) meetings and public workshops to learn about the planning process; to help shape the vision for downtown Marathon; to pose questions; to comment on the findings, goals, and recommendations; and to contribute project ideas. The section below describes the key components of the planning process.

Public Engagement

Public engagement will occur throughout the entire NY Forward planning process to understand community needs, opportunities and challenges, identify and develop potential projects, and to ensure NY Forward revitalization efforts are supported by the local community.

The downtown profile and assessment will provide a clear, concise, and compelling narrative that articulates the story of the region and downtown Marathon as well as describes the future of the downtown area and region. This section will provide a data-driven basis for projects recommended for NY Forward funding.

Downtown Profile + Assessment

Informed by the Village of Marathon’s NY Forward application and community input, the LPC will develop a vision statement with corresponding goals and revitalization strategies to guide decision-making about future development and investment in the downtown area.

Downtown Vision, Goals + Strategies

Proposed projects for NY Forward funding will be identified through an open call for project proposals. The state and consultant team will work closely with project sponsors to develop project profiles. The final slate of projects are intended to have positive and transformative impacts on the NY Forward community and will be a mix of public, non-profit, and privately sponsored projects.

Project Identification + Development

The SIP will describe the unique challenges and opportunities for revitalization of downtown Marathon, present the community’s vision for the future of downtown, and propose transformative projects that may be realized with an investment of NY Forward funds. Once complete, the State will review Marathon’s SIP and select which projects will receive NY Forward funding.

Strategic Investment Plan (SIP)

Marathon’s NY Forward Boundary

 The NY Forward program encourages a compact, walkable boundary focused on the downtown area to concentrate investment. The preliminary NY Forward boundary was identified in the Village’s application and refined based on LPC input. Further modifications may be considered based on public input and project information received during the Open Call for Projects.

Local Planning Committee (LPC)

While the New York State Department of State will oversee the Marathon NY Forward process with support from a consultant team led by Stantec, the Local Planning Committee (LPC) will be responsible for meeting regularly with the consultant team and representing the public throughout the process. The LPC is comprised of a diverse group of community leaders and stakeholders. The LPC is tasked with overseeing the development of the SIP and ultimately voting on a slate of potential projects for NY Forward funding consideration. The LPC will also be responsible for sharing information about the NY Forward planning process with their networks and communities. Members of the LPC play an important role in ensuring that the plan is grounded in the values and aspirations of the community.

All LPC meetings are open to the public to observe. A public comment period is provided at the end of each meeting.

Members of the Marathon LPC include:

  • Co-Chair: Scott Chamberlin

  • Co-Chair: Garry VanGorder

  • Co-Chair: Melanine Vilardi

  • Terrie Atwood

  • Mary Bliss

  • Alex Decker

  • Norman Forrest

  • Mary Frank

  • Kellie Givens

  • Alex Hartman

  • Larry Hayes

  • Tracy Koenig

  • John Tillotson