Chautauqua Rails to Trails

Funding will be used to support projects in various communities across Chautauqua CountyJAMESTOWN, NY - The Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth (CCPEG) has announced the recipients of its 2025 round of grant funding, used to support economic development projects that focus on revitalization and long-term strategic investment throughout Chautauqua County, consistent with the County’s economic development strategic plan. This year, 14 different projects will receive a total of $175,000 in grant support from CCPEG. The combined value of all 14 projects is $984,000. Many of the projects that received funding for this year have a county-wide impact, while others are located in specific communities, including Jamestown, Mayville, Sherman, and Westfield. The applicant receiving the largest amount of CCPEG grant funding, Dream It, Do It Western New York, was awarded $25,000 for its Advanced Manufacturing Program. Two other projects each received $20,000 in support funding. They were the Jamestown Department of Development’s Main Street Underpass Park project and the Village of Sherman’s effort to make public parking improvements for the Chautauqua Rails to Trails trailhead, located within the Village. A complete list of all projects is provided below. A total of 31 applications seeking $775,000 in total grant support from CCPEG were submitted by the February 21, 2025 deadline. Grant awards typically range between $10,000 and $20,000, however, requests of up to $50,000 were considered. Projects were selected based on a number of criteria including: readiness, economic impact, leverage potential, geographic distribution, alignment with the economic development strategic plan, and input from CCPEG’s public-private Advisory Board. “This has been an extremely valuable funding resource for dozens of local projects the past three years, and we are pleased to see it continue in 2025,” said Nathan Aldrich, Economic Development Manager for CCPEG. “We look forward to realizing the tremendous impact that this funding will have on our ability to execute our mission and implement several transformative economic development projects within the next few years.” Funding from the projects was provided by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation (RCWF). In November 2024, the Chautauqua Region Economic Development Corporation (CREDC), the umbrella organization of CCPEG, authorized the acceptance of a three-year funding award from RCWF, totaling $1.625 Million. The grant award, CCPEG’s largest financial commitment to date, extended and enhanced CCPEG’s administrative and project development capacity, helping to provide local-matching dollars to support catalytic economic and community development projects. “For the past three years, CCPEG has supported numerous high-priority projects, designed to spur economic development within Chautauqua County,” said Mark Geise, Deputy County Executive for Economic Development and CCPEG Advisory Board co-chair. “Thanks to additional funding from the Wilson Foundation, we are able to continue providing support for local economic development projects that will build on the momentum we are generating across the county.” While the next round of CCPEG support for economic development projects will tentatively open in early 2026, CCPEG does have limited funding still available to allocate this year, specifically for high-priority economic development grant projects required local cash match. As partners think about the upcoming Regional Economic Development Council funding process, and other state and federal funding opportunities this year, they are encouraged to reach out for assistance and to inquire about the possibility of matching funds support. More information about the funding program is available at CHQPartnership.org. 2025 CCPEG Support for Economic Development Projects Grant Recipients Project Name Applicant Total Small and Micro-Business technical Assistance Chautauqua Opportunities for Development Inc. $6,250 Chautauqua Child Care Economic Development Project Chautauqua Opportunities, Inc. $10,000 Mayville Depot Outdoor Digital Kiosk Chautauqua Township Historical Society $6,250 Nature for All CHQ Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy $10,000 Promoting ShopLocalCHQ and Supporting Local Businesses CHQ Chamber $15,000 Chautauqua Grown Expansion Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County $10,000 Dream It, Do It Advanced Manufacturing Program Dream It, Do It WNY $25,000 Main Street Underpass Park Jamestown Department of Development $20,000 Field & Wright Building Jamestown Renaissance Corporation $10,000 Literacy Volunteers Digital, Financial, and Workplace Essentials Literacy Volunteers of Chautauqua County $10,000 Chautauqua Rails to Trails Southern Trailhead Improvements Village of Sherman $20,000 A Vibrant Shoulder Season – Streetscape Village of Westfield $7,500 Westfield Village Green Updates Village of Westfield $10,000 First Impressions – Façade Improvement Grant Westfield Development Corporation $15,000   About CCPEG - The Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth (CCPEG) serves as the main convener of economic development partners and resources to advance key projects that achieve economic prosperity in Chautauqua County. It also serves as the catalyst and broker of resources for advancing economic prosperity efforts and is the central coordinating entity for the formation, retention, development, and attraction of quality jobs and advancements to the quality of life. It is an initiative of the Chautauqua Region Economic Development Corporation (CREDC). For more information, please visit CHQPartnership.org.