Liberty Village has a new spirit of determination

By TOM KANE

LIBERTY, NY — There’s a strong group of people in the Village of Liberty who are determined to remake the village’s past.

They have their work cut out for them, but in listening, you get a strong sense that they’re going to succeed.

On Thursday evening, October 23, the group, mostly members of the Liberty Chamber of Commerce and the Liberty Main Street Revitalization Committee, listened to the results of a survey and study conducted by a trio of economic development experts called the Hudson Group.

They also heard another trio—representatives from Cornell University’s Department of City and Regional Planning—who will help the group develop an economic development plan for Liberty.

The Hudson Group people didn’t pull any punches. They told the group the facts.

First, Liberty doesn’t have a strong enough concentration of residents with enough buying power who can attract entrepreneurs looking for places to set up shop.

Second, Liberty’s median household income is $27,903, lower than most neighboring areas.

Third, Liberty is still recovering from the long-term decline in the resort industry.

Despite this, there are ways that the village can revitalize itself, they said.

Get more full-service and mid-level restaurants, they said. Develop other food purveyors like bakeries, gourmet foods, high-end take-out stores, antique shops (especially aimed at seasonal residents and tourists), specialty sporting goods stores and outdoor recreational equipment stores.

The village was advised to take advantage of its 6,000 second-home households. Twenty five percent of this population have median incomes over $100,000. They have to find ways to reach that population, surveyors said. Up to 27,000 people come into the village on peak summer weekends each year.

Other ideas were to improve the village’s infrastructure. Fix streets, restore buildings, have better signage, strengthen and diversify existing businesses, hold special events and expand cultural attractions downtown. In short, market downtown Liberty.

The keys to success lies in an active partnership between businesses and the village government and in investigating funding sources to support improvement and code enforcement

The Cornell representatives, who have been conducting their own surveys throughout the village, have a process for Liberty. Through an inclusive, hands-on, action-oriented process, they will help community leaders craft a vision for Liberty’s future, develop long-term economic development strategies and implement community action projects to make their vision a reality.

They will hold open houses all day on November 6 and 7 at the Liberty Museum and a special visioning workshop for residents on Saturday, November 8, 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the museum.

Both groups of consultants said they were optimistic if the groups in Liberty will take up the challenge over the long haul.