Oneonta was awarded a $10 million grant in the state’s competitive Downtown Revitalization Initiative, funding which officials said will benefit not only the city but the entire region for years to come.

“Congratulations,” said Howard Zemsky, head of Empire State Development, in announcing the award to thunderous applause at the Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center on Tuesday afternoon.

State, county and town politicians, along with community and business leaders, joined Oneonta’s mayor, Common Council and city staff for the announcement at the Foothills production center on Market Street downtown. Organizers said 200 people attended the event.

“The importance of this award to the city of Oneonta cannot be overstated,” said Mayor Gary Herzig. “This comes just at the right time, as the city, in partnership with Otsego Now, is moving ahead with a real vision to expand, transform and revitalize Oneonta’s downtown and overall economy.”

Herzig, who spoke at the beginning and end of Tuesday’s program, emphasized collaborative efforts in the city’s development progress to date, in creating the city’s blueprint document, “Authentically Oneonta: A City on the Rise” and preparation of the DRI application. The city applied to the DRI program in May,

Herzig said Oneonta was among about a dozen municipalities entering the Mohawk Valley Regional Economic Development Council competition.

Oneonta joins Oswego, Plattsburgh, Elmira, Middletown, Westbury and Geneva as DRI award recipients in other REDC areas.

The city of Oneonta, with assets including mixed-use housing, inter-modal transportation and anchor institutions, such as Hartwick College and SUNY Oneonta, is poised to transform into a 21st-century, regionally competitive community while maintaining its quaint, small-town essence, according to the governor’s office. The DRI award will help Oneonta leverage private investment to promote sustainability and reduce the city’s carbon footprint, provide new housing opportunities, create a food and craft beverage district, and expand upon its economic potential as a regional center of culture and commerce.

“As the southern gateway to the Mohawk Valley, Oneonta’s historic downtown is poised to become a center of innovation for the growing local craft food and beverage industry and a pedestrian friendly destination for arts, entertainment and recreation.”

Herzig said another principal initiative will be redevelopment of the Oneonta railroad yards to provide shovel-ready, multi-modal sites for various various economic and other opportunities.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo had been scheduled to announce the award in Oneonta on Tuesday. But he traveled downstate after a crane collapsed on the Tappan Zee Bridge, officials said. There were no serious injuries reported.

“Oneonta’s unique assets position it to become an economic anchor for the Mohawk Valley,” Cuomo said in a media release. “This investment will transform Oneonta’s downtown area, bolster its academic and business opportunities, and ensure it remains a cornerstone of the region’s growth for years to come.”

The Downtown Revitalization Initiative, presented in the governor’s 2016 State of the State address, is a comprehensive plan to transform local neighborhoods into vibrant communities where the next generation of New Yorkers will want to live and work. The grant is part of a $100 million effort to improve the vitality of city centers across the state.

Winners have been nominated as part of a competitive process by the state’s respective Regional Economic Development Councils and will receive $10 million in state funding to generate opportunities for long-term growth and prosperity.

The award will include up to $300,000 in planning funds for private sector experts to work with a local committee to create strategic investment plan that will identify economic development, transportation, and housing and community projects, officials said, and plans are expected to be complete in early 2017.

Each Regional Economic Development Council weighed seven criteria in selecting its nominee, the governor’s office said. According to the criteria, the targeted neighborhood should be compact and well-defined; the downtown should be able to support an active, year-round downtown and should have an existing or increasing population; downtown should capitalize on prior, and catalyze future, private and public investment in the neighborhood and surrounding areas; and there should be recent or impending job growth within or in close proximity to the downtown.

Oneonta’s success was the result of many diverse partners collaborating, including the city and the Otsego County Industrial Development Agency, local officials said Tuesday, and the resulting vital groundwork has prepared the city to capitalize on its transformational plans.

“Wow — what a day for Oneonta,” state Sen. James Seward, R-Milford, told the crowd. “We are very, very proud to be one of the recipients of this $10 million grant. … Oneonta’s future looks bright _ and that’s a good thing for everyone in the region.”

Assemblyman Bill Magee, D-Nelson, echoed other leaders thanks to the governor for a commitment to helping Oneonta through the DRI award.

“It’s not every day that you get a check for $10 million,” Magee said. Oneonta, a hub for Otsego County, is “brimming with beautiful and historic buildings, unparalleled access to the Susquehanna River and countless opportunities for growth,” he said.

“By enhancing assets already in place, we can continue to revitalize downtown Oneonta, create jobs and move the region forward,” Magee said. “I’m excited to continue to work together to improve the quality of life for all our residents.”

The award reflects cooperation between the and the Otsego County IDA, which is part of the Otsego Now, according to David Brenner, a former Republican mayor of Oneonta.

“It’s wonderful for downtown and for the community at large,” Brenner said. “It’s a plus, plus.”

Barbara Ann Heegan, president and chief executive officer of the Otsego County Chamber of Commerce, said the award was good news for the city of Oneonta, its plans and the region.

“This will lead to new development, new jobs, a new sense of place and a new quality of life and work,” Heegan said. “These bold plans will now come to fruition, allowing Oneonta not only to rise but to flourish.”

By, Denise Richardson, Staff Writer, The Daily Star, 7/19/16