Two separate things happened on Mohawk Avenue in 2026, and the village could only shape one of them. National Grid's gas main replacement tore up the sidewalks. It was state-mandated, and the village says it had no control over it. The second is the NY Forward process, which will decide the next round of physical change on the same blocks. Village residents and the Local Planning Committee are choosing those projects this fall, and the requests on the table add up to roughly three and a half times the money available.
The dig was never the village's project
The work residents have been walking around is National Grid replacing cast-iron gas mains under the Mohawk Avenue sidewalks with plastic pipe. The Daily Gazette reported that the line in Scotia runs about 9,900 feet and carries 146 services, mostly commercial. The work follows a Public Service Commission requirement, in place since 2022, that utilities replace leak-prone pipe.
Mayor David Bucciferro made the point at the June 10, 2026 board meeting. The minutes record that the gas line "is not a Village project," that business claims go directly to National Grid, and that crews would work from the bridge to Maalwyck Park before replacing the cross lines on the north and south sides of the avenue. The Gazette quoted him on how little control the village had:
"I don't think people understand that this was not a project the village has any control over."
According to the same report, most of the work sits in New York State Department of Transportation or National Grid rights-of-way. That jurisdiction question explains the next thing residents will notice.
Why many of the trees aren't coming back
A later Gazette report described the gas main replacement as "essentially complete." NYSDOT is set to repair any roadway the work disturbed, and National Grid is to replace the sidewalks it opened. National Grid's earlier estimate for finishing, sidewalks included, was "October or early November," weather permitting. The later report says the gas main itself is essentially done but gives no firm date for the full restoration.
The trees are a different story. The Mayor told trustees that NYSDOT's property lines and rights-of-way reach almost to every business's front door, and that the department was "unequivocally clear" it will not allow trees to be planted on Mohawk Avenue. The concern is root damage to sidewalks and roadway and the hazard to DOT workers and equipment. A few trees on the north side will be replaced. Many others will give way to planters and greenery, and the Mayor plans to seek grants for tall planters like the ones on Schenectady's lower State Street near Proctors. The village also said it wants to see the finished sidewalks before ordering planters, and it plans to work through the details with the Scotia Business Improvement District and the business owners whose storefronts will be affected.
So even the cleanup phase is shaped by state rules. The decisions the village actually controls are the ones coming up next.
The money residents do get a say in
In March, the state awarded Scotia $4.5 million through NY Forward, the Downtown Revitalization Initiative's smaller-community counterpart, aimed at the Mohawk Avenue corridor. In the Mayor's words to the Gazette, the award is not "a check he can endorse and deposit." It funds projects that the village and residents choose, and the state then has to approve them.
The open call for projects closed September 1 with 15 submissions. When the Local Planning Committee met September 23, the meeting presentation put the total NY Forward request at $15,903,000, attached to $56,115,000 in estimated project costs. That works out to about $3.50 requested for every dollar available.
The five public projects are all sponsored by the village:
| Project | Estimated total cost | NY Forward request |
|---|---|---|
| Reconstruct Mohawk Ave as a Safe and Connected Downtown Corridor | $6,500,000 | $2,000,000 |
| Improve Collins Park with Accessible Restrooms and Gateway Entrances | $1,124,000 | $702,000 |
| Complete Schonowee Trail Connections and Waterfront Overlooks | $406,000 | $406,000 |
| Downtown Small Project Fund for Commercial and Mixed-Use Improvements | $400,000 | $300,000 |
| Accessible Recreational Launch at Scotia Landing | $79,000 | $79,000 |
| Public total | $8,509,000 | $3,487,000 |
If all five were funded in full, they would use about 77 percent of the award by themselves. The corridor reconstruction alone asks for $2 million, close to 44 percent of the total. That is the project most directly tied to the blocks residents have been walking around all year. The village already has a separate design contract with LaBella for a 0.7-mile streetscape from Mohawk and Reynolds to Mohawk, Schonowee and Glen. The scope takes the design to 60 percent along with environmental review. The proposal says that design is not meant for construction, and its timeline runs six to eight months after notice to proceed. The sidewalks National Grid is pouring this fall restore what the gas work disturbed. The corridor redesign is a separate effort that is still on paper.
The private proposals, address by address
The other $12.4 million in requests came from private sponsors. Several are at addresses residents will recognize:
- Glen Sanders Mansion, 1 Glen Avenue: riverfront housing, a $29 million project asking for $2 million
- 217 Mohawk Ave: new multifamily housing, asking for $1.75 million
- 127 Mohawk Ave: conversion to affordable mixed-use housing, asking for $2.25 million
- 102–114 Mohawk Ave: a mixed-use retail destination, asking for $2 million
- 113–115 Mohawk Ave: restoring the buildings for mixed use, asking for $836,000
- Jumpin' Jack's, 5 Schonowee Ave: an energy-efficient kitchen and warehouse plus pedestrian safety improvements, asking for $750,000
- 143 Mohawk Ave: rehabilitation for expanded commercial activity, asking for $157,000
- Mohawk Taproom, 153 Mohawk Ave: space for outdoor dining and community events, asking for $150,000
- 104/107 John St: renovated and new small-business space, asking for $523,000
A tenth proposal, a mixed-use project at Ballston Corner on North Ballston Avenue, was later reported as withdrawn in the meeting summary. The committee's materials also flag the Schonowee trail project and the John Street project as outside the current NY Forward boundary.
The Small Project Fund has also drawn interest letters. These are statements of interest, not awards. They include facade work and an electronic marquee at Scotia Cinema, 117 Mohawk Ave; work at the Lions Splash Pad in Collins Park; and a proposed move of Weird-o Games into the former Scotia Diner building. The committee's published vision sets the criteria these proposals are judged against: a safer, more walkable downtown, active storefronts, housing choices, and better connections to the parks and the river.
What a year of construction cost one storefront
Amazing Grazing and Gifts opened at 125 Mohawk Ave in fall 2025, offering charcuterie, soups, sandwiches and meal bundles. It held a ribbon cutting in July and will close its storefront on October 31. NEWS10 reported that the owners described the shop as "caught in the perfect storm." They named the Mohawk Avenue construction and its effect on access, parking, visibility and foot traffic. They also listed sign rules that ruled out perpendicular signage, and a Business Improvement District budget committed mostly to snow removal and flowers. Their parting message asked people to support small businesses and said a "Revival on The Ave" needs people using Mohawk Avenue. The shop is open Monday through Wednesday plus Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., until it closes.
Several of the problems the owners named, including foot traffic, visibility and storefront activity, are the same ones the corridor and Small Project Fund proposals are meant to address. The building at 125 Mohawk also has its own Small Project Fund interest letter, for accessibility and HVAC improvements. That letter comes from the same sponsor behind the 127 Mohawk housing proposal, and like every interest letter, it does not mean the work will be funded.
The dates when the list gets cut
Sponsors have had feedback conversations with the consultant team from September 28 through October 9. LPC members get their project evaluation worksheets by October 14 and rate each project High, Medium or Low against state and local goals. Here is the rest of the public calendar, from the Scotia NY Forward meetings page:
- Public Workshop #2, Tuesday, October 13, 5 to 7 p.m., Scotia Village Hall. This is the public session that falls just before members score the projects.
- LPC Meeting #4, Wednesday, October 28, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., 4 North Ten Broeck St. The committee reviews the evaluation results.
- LPC Meeting #5, Wednesday, December 2, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., same location. The final ballot is handed out.
- LPC Meeting #6, January 13, 2027, only if needed.
The Gazette has reported that a draft Strategic Investment Plan would go to the state in February. Until the state approves projects, everything on this list is a request.
The gas main work was a state-mandated utility project outside the village's control. The October 13 workshop at Village Hall is the public's chance to speak before committee members score the next round of projects.
If you own a home near Mohawk Avenue and want to know how the corridor proposals and this year's construction fit into your property's value, Dufek Real Estate Group can walk you through it with a free home valuation. We'll follow the ballot through December 2 and keep you posted on which projects make the cut.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
