Washington, DC – U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $2,861,690 in federal funding to be used to encourage job growth and economic development projects throughout the North Country and Central New York. The federal funding was provided by the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC).
“This federal investment is great news for communities throughout the North Country and Central New York,” said Senators Schumer and Gillibrand. “The funding will invest in projects that support New York businesses and provide essential services that strengthen and promote economic growth in our communities. We are proud to fight for this funding and will continue to advocate on behalf of the Northern Border Regional Commission so that they can continue their important work throughout New York State.”
“We were more than excited to receive this funding,” said Lenore VanderZee, Executive Director for Community Relations, SUNY Canton. “The Small Business Accelerator will help fill a recognized gap in the regional economy and will create unprecedented opportunities for both members of the community and SUNY Canton students to explore, refine and market their ideas.”
The Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) is a federal-state partnership that invests in economic and community development projects throughout the North Country and Central New York, as well as in rural communities in other states in the Northeast. From 2010 to 2017, the NBRC has invested over $57.6 million throughout New York. The NBRC region in New York State includes St. Lawrence, Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Cayuga, Oneida, Oswego, and Seneca Counties.
Schumer and Gillibrand successfully fought to include the reauthorization for the NBRC in the Senate Farm Bill. In addition, Gillibrand fought for the NBRC funding that was awarded to SUNY Canton, the Town of Herkimer, and to the Adirondack North Country Association, which she visited in May.
A breakdown of recipients, funding totals, and project descriptions is provided below:
|
Recipient |
Amount |
Project |
|
The Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA)
|
$248,364 |
ANCA will use the funding to establish a regional network of public, private, and nonprofit partners in Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence Counties to create the Adirondack North Country Center for Businesses in Transition. The Center will provide the soft infrastructure to supply matchmaking, resources, and services for transferring ownership to help the more than ten thousand businesses in the North Country currently owned by Baby Boomers looking to retire over the next several years. Their work will include helping businesses convert ownership to employees through the use of Employee Stock Ownership Plans or cooperatives. The Center is hoping to reach over 4,800 businesses and retain approximately 1,440 jobs.
|
|
State University of New York (SUNY) at Canton
|
$111,326 |
SUNY Canton will use the funding to purchase and renovate the vacant former Jubilee Grocery Store in downtown Canton, NY, and create an Entrepreneurship Accelerator, which will provide entrepreneurs from the campus and the broader community with resources, mentoring, and space to start their own businesses.
|
|
Jefferson Community College (JCC) |
$250,000 |
JCC, in partnership with Lewis County, will use the funding to support workforce training through the creation of the Lewis County Education Center. Lewis County is constructing the 22,000-sq. ft. Lewis County Education Center on a 56-acre property. The Center will include six smart classrooms, a conference room, three office areas, and a fabrication lab. The workforce education provided by JCC will focus on advanced agriculture and value-added farming. Funding will assist with equipping the Center for advanced agriculture, entrepreneurship, and food safety courses. It is expected that 300 participants will receive training within the first four years of operation.
|
|
City of Rome |
$400,000 |
The City of Rome will use the funding to rehabilitate a shared railroad-highway bridge over the Mohawk River in order to maintain 286,000-lb railcar access to industries located in the city. The city will also use the funding to improve safety for highway traffic and eliminate recurring structural and safety flags on the bridge. This bridge also carries a 12-inch water main owned by the City of Rome and a private 8-inch gas main. The utilities provide critical connections for the existing industrial and commercial users along the corridor. This project will provide safe, reliable, and efficient rail transportation alternatives, allowing for continued business activity of rail shippers and the diversion of truck traffic from highways.
|
|
Town of Crown Point |
$500,000 |
The Town of Crown Point will use the funding to relocate the sewer district collection and wastewater treatment system for Sewer District 1. The new facility will provide a system that is appropriately sized for current and future needs and will bring the town’s facility into compliance with the existing permit and modified permit.
|
|
Town of Herkimer |
$500,000 |
The Town of Herkimer will use the funding to extend 10,700 linear feet of sanitary sewer line to a 46-acre, commercially-zoned campus with a 430,000 square foot warehouse, distribution, and manufacturing facility. The sewer line will also connect to an Assisted Living Complex. This will increase the Town’s capacity for business development, job retention, and job creation. Two existing businesses have expressed interest in expanding once the new infrastructure is in place. The Town estimates that the project will create over 200 local jobs.
|
|
Town of Inlet |
$352,000 |
The Town of Inlet will use the funding to construct a communications tower that will provide cell service to portions of the town, as well as the nearby towns of Raquette Lake, Eagle Bay, and Big Moose, that currently do not have cell phone service. This would help improve service quality for local businesses, residents, and tourists.
|
|
Town of Volney |
$500,000 |
The Town of Volney will build a new 2-mile sewer line that will serve approximately 70 homes and businesses, the airport, and an adjacent industrial park. The new line will allow for growth at the Oswego County Airport and enhance an adjacent industrial park that has public water but no sewer service.
|