LAKE GEORGE, N.Y. (NEWS10) – The village and town of Lake George are coming together to apply for funding to bolster community centers and business involvement around the lake. This month, those with a stake in the lake can attend an open house and fill out a survey to join the conversation on how Lake George would spend Downtown Revitalization Initiative funding from the NY Forward Program, as the two municipalities prepare to submit an application.

On Monday, Sept. 11, two sessions will be held at Lake George Town Hall, inviting residents to submit ideas for how DRI funding could be put to work. Sessions will be held at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. at 20 Old Post Road.

Following those meetings, the town and village will reach further into the community. A virtual survey will launch from Sept. 11-17, giving residents the chance to rate and comment on individual ideas for projects that Lake George could tackle with DRI funding.

Both village and town want to add more to Lake George’s downtown region, bringing about fresh tourism offerings and bolstering businesses and community centers. The two municipalities have proposed a district boundary running north along Route 9 from its intersection with Prospect Mountain Highway up into the village, reaching just past Amherst Street. It reaches east to the shore of Lake George starting along Elizabeth Little Boulevard; and a block west from the village’s main drag.

“By enhancing and expanding the downtown character to create a more vibrant community, creating accommodations for a growing population and focusing on the ‘visitor experience’ of the tourism sector, we will preserve and improve upon the integrity of its historical, cultural, recreational and environmental resources while leveraging them as economic drivers. To strengthen the year-round economy for future generations, our communities support initiatives that create an inclusive and diverse workforce and sustainable environment,” leaders wrote on a special website created for the DRI effort.

The NY Forward program is meant to provide grants to smaller towns and villages, intended by the state as a way to add to existing DRI efforts. Lake George was nominated by one of the state’s Regional Economic Development Councils.