Onondaga County awards $4.63 million to boost Camillus village center

Thirteen projects in the Village of Camillus are set to share $4.63 million in county money, a bet that cleaner storefronts, repaired facades and sharper signage can pull more people into the village center and keep small businesses competitive.

Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon announced the funding Monday through the county’s Main Street Revitalization Program. County leaders cast the package as a way to strengthen village centers and older commercial strips by improving the look and function of the business district, not just its appearance. The county says the program has already benefited 357 projects, and businesses have invested about $16 million alongside public dollars.

That private match is central to how the program works. County application materials say property owners must provide at least 25% of project costs, and eligible work is limited to existing commercial and mixed-use buildings. The county lists facades, painting, siding, windows, doors, fencing, signage, dumpster enclosures, decking, patios and visible roofing as eligible improvements. New construction is not eligible, and the county does not fund parking lot work, landscaping or sidewalk replacements under the program.

For Camillus, the money lands in a village center shaped by the Erie Canal and rail history, where older buildings and small commercial spaces still define the corridor. The Town of Camillus says it was founded March 8, 1799 and is home to about 26,000 residents, making the village a compact but visible test case for whether public dollars can trigger private reinvestment. If the projects produce better curb appeal and more functional storefronts, the first effects should show up in higher foot traffic, stronger occupancy and a more attractive setting for nearby merchants and landlords.

The county has already used other public investments in Camillus to reinforce that civic-and-commercial identity. On Jan. 28, 2026, officials marked completion of a public art mural at Maxwell Memorial Library, with Jennifer Burke and Rena Brower of the library, artists Elliott Mattice and Kathy Maio, and partners including Carrie Grooms and CNY Arts. That project was funded through the county’s Public Art Program, first announced in 2023.

Camillus also sits near Camillus Erie Canal Park and the restored Nine Mile Creek Aqueduct, which gives the village a built-in historic draw that economic development officials can try to turn into everyday business. The question now is whether the $4.63 million can do more than refresh buildings and instead help fill empty spaces, lift property values and keep the village center active for the long term.