A plan to make the Village of Owego a more attractive community has been put in place.

The state's Downtown Revitalization Initiative awarded Owego in 2018 with $10 million in grant money. As a result, the village has comprised 17 projects that should transform the community.

Many of the projects touch on issues that community members have brought up.

"We really have had an issue with parking here. I heard some money will be going towards that. And I'm thrilled to hear that because every day I hear 'well I could have stopped at your place but there's nowhere to park," said Carol Ostrander, owner of Carol's Coffee and Art Bar.

More than $470,000 is also going toward making businesses more attractive from the outside. “We have like the gateway to Ithaca college, Cornell University, wine country and so if they come through and see a kind of dingy rundown community and business facades and things like that, they’re less apt to stop," said business owner, Ike Lovelass.

The village will add a new business as well. The Public Well is going to be a new brewery opening up on North Ave that will have a tap room and food service.

"Really kind of put an anchor down on North Ave that will help the whole community start to grow and revitalize that section of town," said Lovelass.

The Downtown Revitalization Initiative is in its fourth year of transforming upstate neighborhoods.