Catskill's Main Street Is Almost Rebuilt. What Changes When You Walk It Again?

How much of the $7.6 million going into Catskill's Main Street will you actually be able to see?

According to the village's own breakdown, a little under a third of it. In a September statement reported by CBS6, village officials split the Main Street work into about $2.4 million for water, $2.9 million for sewer and $2.3 million from the village's Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant. So more than two-thirds of the money went underground. The sidewalks, trees, streetlights and meters that have kept the street coned off this fall belong to the smaller share, and they were always scheduled to come last.

That order explains why the street has felt unfinished for so long, why the ribbon cutting is set for November 6, and why the next few weeks downtown are worth planning around.

The expensive part is already buried

The Times Union reported that the project began in May 2025. The village rolled three underground upgrades into a single dig so Main Street wouldn't be torn up three separate times. Crews replaced the water and sewer mains, removed aging lead service lines and eliminated combined sewer overflows, which can send untreated sewage into local waterways during heavy rain. The same report says the work is meant to deal with the water main breaks that have plagued Catskill's century-old pipes for years.

By the village's account, the underground water and sewer work was finished by late May 2026. The order of work, laid out in an April update from the Greene County Economic Development Corporation, explains everything since:

1. The retaining wall in the municipal parking lot, built by contractor Luizzi, starting the week of March 16, 2026.
2. Main Street reconstruction between Thompson Street and Water Street.
3. A Central Hudson gas line along Main Street serving the new Greene County Justice Center.
4. Department of Public Works water mains from Union Street toward Water Street, then down Brandow's Alley.
5. New sidewalks and curb cuts, which could only start after every water line was tied in.
6. New streetlights and updated parking meters, then paving at the very end.

Everything a pedestrian notices sits in steps five and six. That's why the stretch looked like it was getting worse just as the hardest work underneath was wrapping up.

What the surface work adds

The visible layer is broader than new concrete. The village president's September statement listed replacement of about 85% of downtown sidewalks and curbs, 49 new trees, new streetlights and parking meters that take both coins and cards, with final paving to follow. The Times Union adds pedestrian bump-outs and says the sidewalk replacement is meant to bring downtown into full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Even the meters have had a bumpy route. The Daily Gazette reported that $98,000 was approved for meters and poles, and that tariffs drove up pole costs from the Canadian supplier. When that story ran, the village was weighing locally made poles, or reusing and repainting the existing ones if new poles went over the grant limit. Whichever pole ends up holding it, the new meter will take a card. Under the village's posted parking rules, meters are enforced Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with Sundays and legal holidays free. That notice predates the new equipment, so check the meter itself once it goes in.

Where it stood a week ago

The finish date has moved. On September 24, CBS6 quoted the village expecting completion by the end of October. A day later, the Times Union reported a mid-October target from Village Board President Natasha Law. The village's construction update for October 14 said sidewalk pouring would continue "indefinitely" in front of Hot Yoga, in the old community center building, and in front of Phos, along with some other spots. That same day, overnight parking was banned on the odd-numbered west side of Main Street from Factory Street to Greene Street, and on the even side from Livingston Street to Greene Street.

Restrictions change day to day. The Times Union notes that schedules and next-day updates go up every evening on the Village of Catskill Facebook page, the Catskill Downtown Public Improvements Facebook page and the village website. You can also call Village Hall and press 2 for a recorded daily update. That's the fastest way to find out where you can park before heading downtown.

Some of the rough spots were short-lived. The village told CBS6 that the roughly four-inch drop at some entrances was temporary staging that final paving, curbs and sidewalk pours would fix. Law told the Times Union that curbing in two spots sat too high and was redone at no cost to the village.

The shops worked behind the cones

The stores along this stretch have been operating around the construction for months. The Times Union's September story named AfterGlow Tanning, Fox Den Beauty Bar, the cat-themed gift shop Cat on the Corner and the antique shop Catskills Collectibles, and reported that some businesses, AfterGlow among them, had to close unexpectedly on days when their entrances couldn't be reached. The village put up signs at the entry points saying Main Street businesses remain "fully open and accessible." Some owners are betting on the finished street. Tom Illari of Catskills Collectibles leased the storefront next door to expand, and he explained why in that Times Union story:

"I'm investing in the end product here — in what Main Street is going to be like. This stuff needed to be done, and there's never a convenient time to do it."

Kira Goldfarb of Cat on the Corner told the paper she hopes "next summer will be more pleasant." The shops don't have to wait until summer, though. Downtown's late-fall calendar is already full, and all of it happens on or near the blocks being finished.

The downtown calendar through the ribbon cutting

Listings are as currently scheduled. Confirm with each venue before you go.

1. Thursday, October 22, 7 p.m. The Catskill Mountain Foundation presents Heidi Schreck's What the Constitution Means to Me at Loomie's Luncheonette, 466 Main Street. Loomie's opened in January 2026.
2. Saturday, October 24, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Catskill Public Library marks its 125th anniversary with music, food, local history and family activities, on the date its cornerstone was laid in 1901. That evening, the Community Theater's Nightmare on Main Street series screens Spookies.
3. Sunday, October 25, 8 p.m. Lamplight, The Fascinating Chimera Project and Blue Ranger play Avalon Lounge.
4. Wednesday, October 28 brings Shaun of the Dead at the Community Theater. Friday, October 30 brings A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors. The renovated 1920s movie palace reopened in September 2025.
5. October 30 to November 1. Peter Samelson's Phenom: Magic & Mentalism runs at Bridge Street Theatre, with 7 p.m. shows Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. matinees Saturday and Sunday. The same Friday, Avalon Lounge hosts Catskill EMO-WEEN with The Story Boys and a DJ, 8 p.m. to midnight.
6. Saturday, October 31, noon to 3 p.m. The village holds trick-or-treating on Main Street.
7. Sunday, November 1, 7:30 p.m. The Upstate Composers Orchestra plays Avalon Lounge.
8. Friday, November 6, 5 to 8 p.m. The First Friday Fall Festival doubles as the Main Street revitalization ribbon cutting, set for 5:30 p.m. at the head of Main Street between Catskill Chocolate Co and Loomie's. Main Street closes from upper Main and Water Street to the red light, 5 to 9 p.m. The listing includes Lex Grey and The Urban Pioneers, a Puppy Pup Crawl, a pumpkin rolling contest, balloon animals from Mr. Twisty, 50/50 raffles and merchant specials. A signature drink purchase enters you in a drawing for a merchant gift card.

The next round of money is a separate pot

In May 2026, Chronogram reported a new state award of $9.7 million for the Village of Catskill through the Downtown Revitalization Initiative, alongside $4.5 million for Athens through NY Forward. The money is meant for redevelopment, housing, business growth, waterfront improvements and public spaces. That's a separate award from the one paying for the current Main Street streetscape. Natasha Law described the new slate to Chronogram as combining "increased recreation and services with a deep commitment to small business support, walkability, and housing."

If the Main Street work has you thinking about what infrastructure upgrades mean for a house in the village, from water and sewer connections to what changes once a street is redone, One Stop Realty can walk you through it, and we represent only you. Schedule a free consultation.