Local leaders in Lockport have big plans for $10 million in funding the state awarded it late last year.

"It's a catalyst to start more investing in the city and it means that everybody sees the potential that Lockport has," Mayor Michelle Roman said.

The Western New York Regional Economic Development Council toured the various projects a planning committee identified for the city.

"It's targeted toward a specific core and to make anchor projects so that things can build around them," Roman said.

City leaders said private investors have added additional $12 million to the projects, bringing the total impact of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative to $22 million already. REDC Co-Chair Jeff Belt said that's common.

"Often we see leverage of three, four or five to one so $10 million becomes $50 million," Belt said.

The state has selected three rounds of winners over the past several years from 10 different regions across the state. This weekend, many people saw the program's impact on Western New York's first winner, Jamestown, during the annual Lucille Ball Comedy Festival.

"Not just draw in tourism," Belt said. "Really draw in people who have already invested. This is the idea of traditional town planning. Bring people back into these small cities and villages because there's tremendous quality of life here."

He said every community is different and the program tries to draw on the strengths and investments already there. Roman said those were easy to identify in her city.

"Obviously the canal and the locks and our ice arena, our local Palace Theater and just our initial downtown Main Street area," she said.

Meanwhile, the state has already started Round 4.