CNY regional economic development council happy to be a ‘top performer’ in state competition again Syracuse, N.Y. — Members of the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council had reason to smile during their first meeting of the year. The Central New York region has received $344 million in state funding for 311 economic development projects under Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s economic development council initiative, in which 10 regional councils compete for state funding. The $344 million the CNY council has received in the first four annual rounds of the initiative is more than any of the other nine regional councils have received. Council co-Chair Robert Simpson said the council has been successful at obtaining state funding because it has been diligent about the types of projects it supports. In December, the state awarded $80.2 million to 85 projects in Central New York and named it one of the “top performers” among the regional councils. It was the third time the Central New York council has been named a top performer in the competition. “Three out of four as a top performer is not bad,” newly elected Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul told the 17 members of the Central New York council who attended the meeting at SUNY Oswego Metro Center in downtown Syracuse Wednesday. Earlier Wednesday, Hochul toured the shuttered Hotel Syracuse, which received a $3.65 million state grant in the latest round for a planned $57 million renovation and 2016 reopening. Assemblyman William Magnarelli, D-Syracuse, said he would like to see a greater focus on infrastructure improvements, such as improvements to the Port of Oswego and a rail facility in DeWitt, in future rounds. Gary VanGorder, executive director of the Cortland County Business Development Corporation and Industrial Development Agency, said he wants to see greater emphasis on workforce development. He said he knows of local companies that are creating jobs but are unable to find people with the necessary skills to fill them. The Central New York council represents Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga and Oswego counties in the governor’s initiative. Contact Rick Moriarty anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148 Source: syracuse/ newsnyork/cny-regional-economic-development-council-happy-to-be-a-top-performer-in-state-competition-again/
Posted on: Thu, 15 Jan 2015 02:15:27 +0000
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