NORWICH – The Development Chenango Corporation, through Commerce Chenango, has started the application process for a grant that could revitalize the downtown Norwich area.

The Downtown Revitalization Initiative was created to “transform downtown neighborhoods into vibrant communities where New Yorkers want to live, work and raise families” according to the grants website.

The grant would allocate $10 million to support downtown revitalization projects through transformative housing, economic development, transportation, and community projects that will attract and retain residents, visitors, and businesses.

In order to better serve the community, Commerce Chenango has developed a survey asking residents how they'd like to see the funds used.

“We're really trying to get as much community support input as we can about what are our strengths, what are our weaknesses, what areas do you feel like Norwich does really well. Where would you like to see improvement. What kinds of businesses and industries would you like to see come here,” said President and CEO of Commerce Chenango Kerri Green.

When the county's agency of economic development received feedback on last year’s application, they were informed that there was no general theme for what type of community Norwich identifies as.