At the Crossroads

Have you reached a ‘crossroads’ in your New York Main Street process? Are you unsure where to go next? Do you have questions about what the next step should be?

Technical assistance and guidance is available from New York Main Street regional representatives, hired consultants or the central office staff as well as this website.    

For contact information visit the Contact Us link located here. You will receive expert advice and guidance as well as gain additional insight about other sources of assistance NYMS has available for your program. You can also email Ask the Expert with questions or concerns about downtown revitalization, historic preservation or the NYMS process in general.

New York Main Street takes an ‘LPA Approach’ to program management.  This term stands for ‘Local Program Administrator’.  Are you a first time LPA?  Do you need to refresh your memory about what this entails?  See The LPA Approach for a brief snapshot of your role.

Have you been told that you’ve received a Main Street Grant and now you need to ‘get to contract’?  Wondering what you need to do first?  See our Contract Procedures slides for a brief overview.

You’ll notice the first considerations are SEQR Clearance, under the State Environmental Quality Review Act, and your Administrative Plan.  Along with obtaining your SEQR Clearance (see slides), the Administrative Plan needs to be among the first steps you take toward getting to contract.  A contract will not be issued until the SEQR review is completed (see Board dates on slide) and an acceptable Admin Plan is agreed upon.   While there is no specific deadline for the Admin Plan it is strongly advised that you submit a draft copy to your Regional Representative, and receive any technical assistance with it, as soon as possible. To get an idea of the requirements click Administrative Plan and review the multiple slides for a thumbnail sketch of the plan’s content.

Do you have your contract with us and want to know how to get started with the work?  Are you wondering how you get reimbursed for work completed?  Visit the NYMS Materials page for a complete manual on Set-Up/Disbursement procedures, as well as the necessary forms for both processes.  You may also click on Payment Procedures for a quick rundown of both aspects of the process. 

Wondering if you’ve forgotten anything?  See Other Requirements for a quick reminder of important program considerations. 

We hope this information is helpful as well as convenient for you to use. Remember however, if you have questions you don’t find answers to either here or on our FAQ page, visit the Contact Us page for information on how to access the most immediate source of guidance for your program, your local regional representative.