First Impressions

As a business, you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. Whether your viewer is online, on the sidewalk, or on the other side of the street, the impression your business makes will create a lasting impact on customers purchasing and returning habits. You want to make a strong, well-branded, cohesive impression on every person who steps through the door to ensure they leave happy and come back through your door again and again.

Our First Impressions Program funds projects that promote a lasting and genuine first impression of Livingston County’s communities and businesses. This program contributes to creating a sense of place for locals, businesses, and visitors while driving the economy for future success. The First Impressions Program will provide reimbursement of up to 50% of signage, interior or exterior lighting, facade improvements, public art installations or streetscape enhancements, and digital-first impressions. The reimbursement shall not exceed $5,000 for any individual project. This program replaces the Sign + Facade Program.

Dream-O-Vate

Every entrepreneur starts with a dream and the desire to innovate in their field. In February 2019, we launched our first-ever Dream-O-Vate Business Competition to help entrepreneurs bring their dreams to reality. This county-wide, highly competitive project aims to recruit new businesses to the area and enhance their chances of success with support, assistance, and funding. In total 37 businesses applied to attend the class and our office aimed to fund up to 10 new businesses throughout the county by the end of 2019. Our winners were announced in May 2019 and since then they have taken steps to implement and launch their businesses.

After such a successful 2019 program, in 2021, we launched another round of Dream-O-Vate to support entrepreneurs to bring their dream of opening a business to reality. The program awards $300,000 in prizes to fifteen winners through training, funding, and the essential resources and tools needed to successfully open their businesses. Livingston County is actively seeking makers, creators, movers, and shakers to open retail establishments that will enhance the visitor experience in and around nine historic Main Street districts. Applicants can be a new business start-up or diversification of an existing business.

Extreme Makeover: LivCo Edition

Livingston County Economic Development is committed to transformative revitalization that preserves and enhances the charm and character of the communities in Livingston County. Extreme Makeover: LivCo Edition is a funding program that provides matching grant funds to help transform commercial and mixed-use buildings that are key to local revitalization efforts. These renovations will attract new visitors and boost the quality of life in the region by creating unique spaces for new and expanding businesses. Livingston County is looking for projects that will create a draw and help drive visitor traffic.

Eligible activities include façade restoration and preparing commercial space for tenants. When ancillary to commercial renovations, projects can also include residential improvements, site work, and professional service expenses. Eligible applicants include building owners or business owners who can provide written acknowledgment from the building owner that they are allowed to make renovations to the building. Applicants can request between $7,500 and $100,000 per application for a substantial renovation of commercial or mixed-use buildings. No more than 60% of the total project costs can be funded by the program.

Real Property Tax Law

Our office is constantly working to adopt and implement forward-looking policies that will assist in community revitalization efforts. Livingston County is one of only two counties in the state of New York that offers tax exemption for mixed-use properties through section 485-N of the Real Property Tax Law. This tax law authorizes the governing body of any town or village in Livingston County to adopt a local law offering a partial tax exemption from town taxes or from village taxes to properties that are converted, created, modernized, rehabilitated, expanded, or otherwise improved for commercial and mixed uses.  

If you are in a designated downtown district with a commercial or mixed-use property, you may be eligible. This tax abatement law stipulates year 1-8 at 100% with ratchets down 20% per year until year 12 and applies to properties that have been converted, created, modernized, rehabilitated, expanded or otherwise improved. Not every designated downtown district in Livingston County has adopted 485N so we recommend you inquire with your village assessor before applying.

New York Main Street

Livingston County Economic Development assists communities in applying to the New York Main Street (NYMS) Program and has successfully completed 15 projects to date. These successful projects have stimulated renewed private investment in our central business districts. NYMS provides matching grants to help revitalize historic downtowns through architectural planning, targeted building improvements such as façade renovations, interior commercial or residential building upgrades, and streetscape enhancements. 

Revolving Loan Fund

Livingston County Economic Development offers loans to new or expanding businesses. Revolving loan funds may be used for any justifiable business purpose including, but not limited to startup costs, working capital, expansion costs, and fixed assets including furniture, fixtures, and equipment. Loan terms vary based on the size and use of the loan but generally have a five-year term. A business plan detailing current operations and/or future plans will be required with a loan application. 

NYS Consolidated Funding Application

As part of Governor Cuomo’s transformative plan to improve the state’s economic development model, an NYS Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) has been created that will streamline and expedite the grant application process. The CFA process marks a fundamental shift in the way state resources are allocated, ensuring less bureaucracy and greater efficiency to fulfill local economic development needs. Livingston County Economic Development can assist with the navigation of state resources available through the CFA and assist with grant writing and administration for eligible projects.

Tax Exemptions

Livingston County Economic Development works to encourage and strengthen business development by providing incentives to qualifying businesses that make significant capital investments and create and retain jobs within Livingston County. These incentives include:

• State and local sales tax exemptions

• Mortgage recording tax exemptions

• Real property tax abatements (PILOT program)

Bonds: 

Livingston County Economic Development has the ability to issue the following types of bonds:

• Tax exempt industrial revenue bonds

• Civic facilities bonds

• Taxable bonds

Livingston County Tourism:

Livingston County Tourism (also known as Visit LivCo) offers additional funding opportunities for businesses and event organizers in Livingston County that aim to drive economic growth through travel and increase the annual visitors and number of overnights in the county.