Dec 18, 2018
ALBANY — Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that more than $763 million in economic and community development funding has been awarded through Round VIII of the Regional Economic Development Council initiative.
In Genesee County, the Genesee Gateway Local Development Corporation (GGLDC) was awarded $2 million to make possible a project for Yancey’s Fancy to expand its cheese production. The $2 million is part of $86.5 million awarded to 141 projects in the Finger Lakes.
Established in 2011 as a centerpiece of the governor’s strategy to jumpstart the economy and create jobs, the Regional Economic Development Councils replaced the state’s old top-down approach to economic development with one that is community-based and performance-driven. The initiative empowers communities, business and academic leaders, as well as members of the public in each region of the state, to develop strategic plans specifically tailored to their region’s unique strengths and resources to create jobs, improve quality of life and grow the economy.
“Over the last eight years, we have implemented a vision to move New York state’s economy forward by allowing communities to make strategic investments to help grow their local economies and reenergize and develop their unique regions,” Cuomo said. “Regional-based economic development is vital for maintaining New York’s thriving, prosperous economy. I congratulate all of the winners of this year’s REDC awards and look forward to working together to build a stronger New York for generations to come.
“By empowering the people who know their communities best, we have transformed the state’s economic development strategy into one that is not only successful, but is built to last,” said Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, chair of the Regional Economic Development Councils, who made today’s announcement. “Together, we’re restoring downtowns, supporting local businesses, and welcoming new residents and visitors. Through the REDC process, we’re advancing the strategic economic development plans of each region and supporting growth as part of the Downtown and Upstate Revitalization Initiatives. With a focus on workforce development and growth of high-tech industries, we’re adding new job opportunities and strengthening the economy of the entire State of New York.”
The REDC process has transformed New York State government’s approach to economic development, creating a statewide framework for bottom-up, regional economic growth and streamlining the state funding application process. Since the initiative’s inception in 2011, over $6.1 billion has been awarded to more than 7,300 projects that are projected to create and retain more than 230,000 jobs statewide.
Today, more than $763 million in economic and community development funding was awarded through Round VIII of the REDC initiative:
Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Howard Zemsky said, “Across the state, communities remain actively engaged in their own economic development strategies and, as a result, we are seeing economic growth and job creation. By empowering regions to create their own path to success, New York State is making smart, strategic investments that promote sustainable economic development.”
This spring, Cuomo launched Round VIII of the REDC and the third round of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative. The $100 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) is a comprehensive, community-driven effort to improve the urban vitality of city centers across New York State by investing $10 million in 10 municipalities statewide. Earlier this year, after thoroughly evaluating each downtown’s potential for transformation, each of the REDCs recommended the top community plan in their region. To guide the use of the $10 million DRI awards, each municipality follows a Strategic Investment Plan, which identifies specific projects that align with a unique vision for revitalization of their downtown area.
During Round VIII, the Strategic Implementation Assessment Team (SIAT), which is composed of state agency commissioners and members of the New York State Legislature, traveled to Rome, Rochester and White Plains to receive presentations on this year’s proposals from each of the ten Regional Councils directly and assessed the implementation of the regions’ strategic plans.
In 2018, all 10 REDCs competed for designation as a “Top Performer.” Five Top Performers will receive up to $20 million in additional Empire State Development grant funding to support priority projects, with the remaining five regions receiving up to $10 million. Additionally, each region is eligible for up to $75 million in additional Excelsior Jobs Program tax credits to help attract and grow businesses in the region.
Highlights of the more than 1,050 projects across the state receiving $763 million in awards through the eighth round of the REDC competition are outlined below:
Finger Lakes: Top Performer Awardee | $86.5 million supporting 141 projects
Mason Farms will receive $1.9 million from Empire State Development to construct a 9,360 square foot sweet corn processing facility to produce up to 20,000 cases of organic and conventional sweet corn per week. Equipment will be purchased including cutting, cleaning, packaging and handling equipment for the corn, water handling and washing equipment, and a new sweet corn harvester. Phase 2 of this project will include a processing and packaging system for Mason Farms fruit and produce and a cold storage facility.
Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES will receive $208,900 from Empire State Development for equipment to help train P-TECH high school students for high-demand, well-paying jobs in the areas of advanced manufacturing and information technology.
Rochester Institute of Technology will receive $1.5 million from Empire State Development to renovate and upgrade its Genomics Research Lab Cluster, which will occupy 8,000 square feet within the Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences on the RIT campus. The lab cluster will support increased faculty research in the life sciences, enable increased enrollment capacity in the university’s life sciences academic degree programs, and produce graduates with cutting edge skill sets for the region and the state, and workforce development opportunities for life science companies.
SAF GLAS, LLC. will receive $8 million from Empire State Development and will invest approximately $59 million to relocate its Florida manufacturing and research and development operations for EnergyGlass to Jamesville, Onondaga County. The project will include the purchase of land and existing facility, renovations and new construction, purchase and installation of machinery and equipment. The company brings an innovative new patented glass technology that transforms residential and commercial building windows into vertical “solar farms” and allows these structures to reuse generated electricity and become self-sufficient and off the grid.
Volpi Manufacturing USA, Inc. will receive $320,000 from Empire State Development while investing $1.9 million to demolish 14,000 square feet of its existing facility and replace that space with new cleanrooms. As an engineering service provider and OEM and fiber optic supplier, Volpi develops tailored solutions for customers such as Siemens, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, Roche, GE, Welch Allyn and Qiagen.
Knowles Cazenovia will receive $1.8 million from Empire State Development while investing approximately $9 million to expand its production capacity at its facility in Cazenovia, Madison County. The project includes facility renovations and installing new machinery and equipment. This project will allow Knowles Cazenovia to better compete in the growing radio frequency filtering market and allow it to meet the increasing need for microelectronic components that enable 5G telecommunication technology and infrastructure.
