OLEAN, N.Y. (WKBW) — It was a big day for the City of Olean on Friday, a celebration of pride, progress, and a promise fulfilled.
City leaders, residents, and representatives from the New York State Department of State gathered Friday at the Olean Municipal Building Plaza to mark a major milestone: the official completion of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI).
Olean was awarded $10 million in 2017 through the state’s DRI program, aimed at transforming city centers into vibrant, livable communities.
WATCH: Olean celebrates completion of $10 Million Downtown Revitalization Initiative
Eight years later, that vision has come to life and for longtime business owners like Christie Brooke, the change has been nothing short of remarkable.
“It is night and day,” said Brooke, owner of Christi’s Boutique on North Union Street. “There was nobody here when we moved in, but it has really picked up.”
Brooke opened her boutique in 2017, right at the start of the DRI effort, and said she’s witnessed the transformation from the very beginning.
“We have experienced everything from the beginning to the finished project, and it has been amazing,” she said.
The celebration featured speeches from state and local officials, including New York Secretary of State Walter Mosley, who declared the initiative a resounding success.
“We are here to say, mission accomplished. Mission complete!” Mosley said, and he emphasized that the DRI was about more than just infrastructure.
“It makes the place livable, more walkable, it builds a tax base,” he said. “But at the same time, it gives people hope that better things are coming and that we are not stuck in time.”
According to Mosley, the city completed nine major DRI projects in total, all designed to make downtown greener, more beautiful, and a place where people want to live, work, and visit.
Olean Mayor Bill Aiello said the investments are already paying off.
“We wanted to make our street more attractive to bring in businesses and also attract more people here,” he said. “I think we’ve accomplished that to a degree, and I want to see that continue.”
Brooke agrees. In fact, she said the transformation is so dramatic, some returning visitors hardly recognize the city.
“People come in and say they’ve come back to the area and seen all the great things happening, how beautiful it is,” she said. “Just the action on the street has changed.”
With the projects now complete, city leaders say they are looking ahead hopeful that this revitalization marks not just the end of a chapter, but the start of a new era for downtown Olean.
