FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 1, 2023

Mayor Noble Announces Awards for ARPA Business Promotion Grant

KINGSTON, NY – Mayor Steven T. Noble is pleased to announce the awardees of the ARPA Business Promotion Grant are the three local business district organizations: the Kingston Waterfront Business Association, the Midtown Business Alliance, and the Kingston Uptown Business Association.

The ARPA Business Promotion Grant program was designed to assist in a campaign for promoting Kingston’s many attractions, with a focus on local small businesses. With funds from the City of Kingston’s Federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant, this program is intended to respond to the negative economic impacts of the pandemic by supporting small businesses, particularly public-facing and hospitality-oriented enterprises. Each organization will receive a $16,500 award to promote their respective business districts. 

Mayor Noble said, “Our local businesses are what make our community unique—they drive our economy, they serve our residents, and they attract visitors. We were proud to offer the ARPA Small Business Grant to 150 different local businesses, and are so pleased to now grant our local business district organizations this funding, so they can collectively continue to recover from the pandemic. Supporting local business is an essential use of our ARPA funding.”

Chris Baker of the Kingston Waterfront Business Association said, “This ARPA Business Promotion Grant award is an incredible boon for Kingston's Rondout waterfront, and comes at a critical time. Between anchor businesses who struggled but survived the COVID-19 pandemic and a large number of fledgling businesses who have breathed life into empty storefronts in the past two years, we are working together to put our beautiful neighborhood on the map for residents and visitors to our region. We are profoundly grateful to the City of Kingston for directly entrusting the Kingston Waterfront Business Association and our close partners in Midtown and Uptown with the resources to build up our community and collective futures.”

Miles Crettien of the Midtown Business Alliance said, “The MBA is pleased with the roll-out of the city of Kingston’s ARPA grant funding to support small business recovery from the pandemic. We’re appreciative and thrilled by the opportunity to receive funding to continue our work to support the small businesses underlying the fabric of our developing local economy.”

Miriam Gibbons, President of Kingston Uptown Business Association said, “KUBA is honored to be a recipient of this business district promotion grant. We thank the efforts of the Mayor and his staff to support our business districts, making Kingston ever more dynamic for residents and visitors alike.”

For more information about this and other ARPA programs, please visit  www.engagekingston.com.