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Four projects will receive more than $1 million in funding, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul's office. Beacon Bay Marina in Cayuga will get $2.5 million for its redevelopment, which includes new lodging, an open-air space for guests and docks for boats. The village of Cayuga will receive $2,083,000 for renovations to McIntosh Park.

Two projects in Union Springs will receive over $1 million: The construction of a mixed-use building at 143 Cayuga St. ($1,428,000) and improvements to Frontenac Park ($1,338,000).

Other DRI-funded projects include:

• A waterfront park in Aurora that will serve as a southern gateway to the village. The new park will have a parking area, picnic tables with grills, trees and a canoe and kayak launch. The project will receive $773,000 in state funding.

• The state will provide $589,000 for a marina gateway, storefront entrance and waterfront cafe at 107 Cayuga St. in Union Springs. Existing structures will be removed and a new storefront entrance will be installed for the marina showroom. A triple bay service and parts facility will be built.

• An existing structure at 6200 Center St. in Cayuga will be redeveloped into an apartment building featuring two-bedroom loft-style apartments.

• In Aurora, $363,000 from the state will support the restoration of the historic Patrick Tavern building at 302 Main St. A historically accurate covered porch will be added to the facade. Other improvements will be made to the building, including a new roof and signage. A new green space will be created for events and markets.

• The United Ministry of Aurora will get $180,000 for upgrades to a community center and the installation of a new accessible entrance.

The long-awaited announcement comes more than a year after Hochul announced that the villages of Aurora, Cayuga and Union Springs were the joint winners of the DRI award. The program began in 2016 to invest in downtown corridors across New York.

After the villages' victory, they began soliciting ideas for projects and narrowed the list from 33 to 17. The state had the final say on which projects it would support.

Cayuga Mayor Don Wilson Jr. lauded the other villages and said in a statement that he looks forward to "continuing this momentum into the future." Union Springs Mayor Robert Thurston Jr. said his municipality is "ecstatic" about the selected projects, which he added will "generate a significant and lasting impact not only on the village itself but also on the wider region."

Aurora Mayor Jim Orman noted that his village lost more than half of its population with the closure of Wells. The DRI award, he continued, will provide "the first tangible step to begin the renaissance of Aurora."

In addition to the selected projects, the villages will have a $600,000 fund to support smaller projects.