Neighborhood Revitalization
Creating “impact centers” that support residents and families while reviving neighborhoods in need—and making good neighborhoods even better.
Making the Most of the Places We Live
We are committed, as our vision puts it, in helping our two counties become a “vibrant region with opportunity for all.” That means strengthening individuals and families—and the places they live, their neighborhoods. Our larger community’s many neighborhoods can be better, and some need special attention. Every neighborhood we can help enhance, especially those most in need, will move both counties toward greater opportunity. And vibrancy.
Highlights
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Impact Centers
Anchor areas with centered service delivery for positive outcomes. Take nonprofit programs and services where they can do the most good.
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Resident Input
Ensures people get what they need to succeed.
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Donor Dollars
Attract like-minded partners to grow and renew neighborhoods, bringing new residents and commercial and cultural activity.
Related Stories
The Cornhill Revitalization Project is a collaborative endeavor with multi-faceted initiatives led by Community Foundation, which includes partnerships with People First, Mid-Utica Neighborhood Preservation Corporation (MUNPC), Collective Impact Network, Oneida County, and City of Utica.
Jessica Amber Hernandez is the Strategic Initiative Program Manager at the Community Foundation. In her role, Jessica leads the development, coordination, and implementation of the Cornhill Revitalization Project.
For nearly a decade, the Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Counties has worked alongside residents, nonprofits and local leaders to revitalize one of Utica’s most historic neighborhoods. The Cornhill Revitalization Project, now well underway, represents more than just new buildings. It’s a long-term commitment to creating safe, vibrant spaces where families, young professionals and residents can thrive.
On Wednesday, June 18, 2025, community members, nonprofit partners, and local leaders gathered together for the highly anticipated Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting of the newly reintroduced Cornhill Empowerment Center. The event, held at 230 James Street in Utica, marked an exciting new chapter for the neighborhood and was a major success.
The Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties will join a nationwide celebration, November 12-18, 2024, to recognize the increasingly important role that community foundations play in strengthening local communities and addressing area needs.
The Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties hosted a successful Community Dinner on Wednesday, October 23, 2024 bringing together community leaders, residents, and stakeholders to discuss a series of initiatives aimed at enhancing neighborhood investment and community engagement.
Oneida County, the City of Utica, and the Community Foundation announced a partnership to conduct an urban planning study of the West Street and James Street corridors where two anticipated impact centers will serve as the anchors of the $74M Cornhill Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative.
In recent years, the Community Foundation has redefined its role in the community, moving beyond traditional grantmaking to become a dynamic leader and partner by spearheading innovative solutions for sustainable change.
The Mid-Utica Neighborhood Preservation Corporation (MUNPC) today announced the creation of a new Executive Director position, which will continue the organization’s 45-year history and mission of serving Utica’s Cornhill community.
The West Street Impact Center is the kind of space that can help this community come together and flourish.
The $74 Million Cornhill Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative took a significant step forward with the demolition of the Mid-Utica Neighborhood Preservation Corporation (MUNPC), or Leisure Time Activity Center building on West Street. The demolition clears the way to start construction on the West Street Impact Center which will serve as one of two anchors for this community’s historic transformation.
The Impact Centers will have basketball courts, but for this community they will mean much more. To borrow a basketball phrase, they're game-changers.
The Community Foundation has spent the past 10 years — and even to this day — learning, listening, and having ongoing dialogue with neighborhood residents, stakeholders, and partners to collectively turn challenges into progress. We have been asking our residents directly what they want their neighborhood to be in the future, and we are listening.
In a significant step for its multi-partner Cornhill initiative, the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties recently welcomed the first two staff dedicated to neighborhood revitalization. Jessica Amber Hernandez and De’Quan Watson, working as community project strategists, will guide and help develop and implement the strategy that connects two planned new centers with nonprofit organizations and residents.
The Mid-Utica Neighborhood Preservation Corporation (MUNPC) and the Community Foundation have signed a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) as the next step in development of MUNPC’s Leisure Time Activity Center site as a collaborative multipurpose “impact center.”
We’ve come to think of some of our work as a series of “initiatives,” things that we’ve introduced or started, but the growing number of major projects are much more than the word’s definition suggests.
Impact centers could benefit multiple communities across Herkimer and Oneida counties. In Utica, Community Foundation Trustees and staff have made multiple visits to inner-city neighborhoods, walking the streets, talking with residents, elected officials, agency heads and advocates.