Governor Tours Sites to See Progress of Mid-Hudson Priority Projects
Albany, NY (October 11, 2012)
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today continued the statewide Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) Progress Tour in the Mid-Hudson, where he toured priority projects to see, firsthand, their progress and their economic impact in the region.
This is the fourth visit in the Governor's REDC Progress Tour that is part of a review of last year's strategic economic development plans and job-creating projects.
Following these tours, the Mid-Hudson REDC provided a formal presentation outlining the progress they have made in advancing last year's strategic plans and projects, as well as their endorsed projects for the coming year to the Strategic Implementation Assessment Team (SIAT) at the Cornell Boathouse at Marist College in Poughkeepsie.
"Through the Regional Economic Development Council process, New York State has given individual regions the power to design their own plans for economic growth and job creation," Governor Cuomo said. "The Mid-Hudson Regional Council is turning their strategic plan into much-needed jobs and smart business investments in the region's communities."
"Last year, the Mid-Hudson Regional Council developed an innovative strategy to help transform our economy by supporting and attracting business growth and job creation," said Regional Council Co-Chair and Marist College President Dennis Murray and Regional Council Co-Chair and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. President & CEO Leonard S. Schleifer, "Thanks to the leadership of Governor Cuomo, Lieutenant Governor Duffy, and the work of our Council members, we have fully embraced this extraordinary opportunity to turn that plan into action and demonstrate that our region can work together to spur economic growth. While last year was about developing a forward-thinking plan, this year is about turning that plan into action and demonstrating the great work we are doing to transform the region's economy"
The Governor visited the following sites:
Kingston Home Port and Education Center
The Kingston Home Port and Education Center was awarded $400,000 to build an upriver environmental education center. The project will result in the creation of up to 40 new permanent jobs and 60 construction jobs. The center will offer hands-on maritime history instruction, green infrastructure training initiatives for river communities, as well as host community-based special events.
Walkway over the Hudson/ Waterfront Elevator Gateway
The Walkway Waterfront Elevator Gateway project was awarded $400,000 for the construction of a 21-story elevator at the base of the Hudson River Walkway. The project will create 10 constructions jobs and an additional 300 indirect jobs as a result of the overall economic activity generated by the construction. The elevator will include features, such as new fencing, railings and lighting poles that will boost tourism and improve visitor experience along the walkway.
Additionally, the Governor reviewed presentations on the progress being made by the following priority projects:
Ceres
Ceres was awarded $764,000 to establish a facility for the manufacturing of solar process equipment in partnership with Albany CNSE. Ceres will create 73 jobs as part of the 250 green energy jobs estimated to be created in Ulster County and across Upstate New York. Through this collaboration Ceres will become one of the first official suppliers of manufacturing equipment to the U.S. Photovoltaic Consortium (PVMC), which is headquartered at the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering's (CNSE) Albany NanoTech Complex.
Yonkers Public School 6
The Community Builders was awarded $29.6 million to demolish a dilapidated City-owned school building in a brown field in Yonkers and replace it with two diverse, sustainable LEED certified residential buildings for senior and family use. The project will create 350 construction-related jobs, and includes 121 rental units, brown field remediation, and an underground parking garage to accommodate the needs of residents.
"Governor Cuomo created Regional Councils to serve as the new approach our state needs to create new jobs and economic opportunities," said Lieutenant Governor Duffy. "Today is an exciting opportunity for an open discussion of the incredible progress Regional Councils are making in Mid-Hudson and across the state, as well the steps we are taking to build on that success for the coming year."
"Governor Cuomo's Regional Council initiative is taking New York from a state known as a frustrater of business growth to a facilitator of new business and private sector job development," said Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Kenneth Adams. Through its first year, we have seen job-creating projects in Mid-Hudson and across the state start to take shape and pay dividends in new jobs and economic activity to boost our local economies."
In the first round of the Regional Council initiative, Mid-Hudson was awarded $67 million in state support through the Regional Economic Development Council initiative and CFA process for 61 projects across the region. Throughout its first year of implementation activity, the Council has reported substantial progress in advancing an integrated approach to support key industry clusters in Hudson Valley, including the region's vibrant biotech, high-tech manufacturing and informational technology industries, distribution, financial and professional services, and the region's outstanding natural resources and tourism industry.
Once completed, the priority projects endorsed by the MHREDC and awarded funding through the 2011 CFA will significantly boost the local economy by creating and retaining over 1,700 permanent, non-construction jobs and leveraging more than $180 million in additional private sector investment.
The Council's progress report and full list of endorsed priority projects for 2012 can be found at http://regionalcouncils.ny.gov/content/mid-hudson.
To learn more about each Regional Council and their economic development plans, visit http://www.regionalcouncils.ny.gov.