Senator Defrancisco Announces Local Job Creation Projects to Receive State Funding

State Senator John A. DeFrancisco today (12/19/12) announced that 17 job creation projects in the 50th Senate District will receive critically important state funds through the second round of Regional Economic Development Council awards.

“The $93.8 million awarded for local projects will strengthen our economy and help create and retain jobs,” Senator DeFrancisco said. “Our community leaders serving on the regional economic development council have worked hard to put together an economic development strategy that takes advantage of the tremendous resources, skills and talent in our area. Governor Cuomo and Lieutenant Governor Duffy deserve recognition for this successful initiative that is spurring job growth and building a stronger economy for the future.”

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo said, "For the second year in a row, the Regional Councils have been on the forefront of rebuilding New York State's economy. For too many years, top-down economic development policies have failed communities across the state and not truly invested in the unique resources and strengths of each of New York's regions. Now a new, bottom-up approach is in place that brings local communities together to chart their own economic destiny. The second round of Regional Economic Development Council awards will deliver funding for critical projects and investments in communities across our state, helping put New Yorkers back to work and rebuilding our economy."

The following job creation projects in the 50th Senate District will receive funding from the second round of the Regional Economic Development Council program:

Crouse Hosptial -- $575,000 - Crouse Health Hospital will undertake renovations and enhancements at the Baker Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry/The Research Foundation of SUNY -- $245,000 - SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry will create a biomass and biofuel processing facility.

Sweet Spot Development -- $500,000 - Sweet Spot Development will rehabilitate the former Camillus Cutlery site in Camillus into a mixed-use facility to be called Camillus Mills.

SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry -- $500,000 - SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry will purchase lab equipment for potential biotech incubator tenants and university collaborators.

3Gi Terminals LLC -- $420,000 - 3Gi Terminals LLC will construct the Central NY Inland Depot in Manlius for transfer of cargo containers from rail to and from surrounding ports. This is the first-phase of a five-year project.

Erie Canal Museum -- $100,000 - The Erie Canal Museum will create and launch 'History Happens Here: Beeline to Bville', a collaboration with the Village of Baldwinsville, 40 Below Public Arts Task Force, and City Lore that will create a trail of artful signage in and around Baldwinsville to highlight the personal stories, history and imagery of greater Baldwinsville and its relation to the Erie Canal, past and present. Signage will also include QR codes, accessible to mobile devices, that will link to a web based exhibit on the town's history.

Central New York Arts -- $150,000 - IDEAS', a project of Central New York Arts, is an established regional marketing and cultural tourism development program designed to create long term sustainable cultural programming and funding models for Central NY. This new phase of work programs will include a regional cultural events listings database for the public and a branded joint marketing program between the private sector and non-profit arts sector. Activities will promote cultural tourism and local community vitality.

Polaris Library Systems -- $950,000 - Polaris Library Systems will purchase, renovate, and equip the vacant former Syracuse Public Library for the new corporate headquarters, relocated from Liverpool.

Center State CEO -- $241,875 - Center State Corporation will renovate 16 residential Prospect Hill units and six commercial units in 12 mixed-use buildings in the City of Syracuse. The award will be used for interior and exterior renovations as well as administrative expenses.

Docs Coffee LLC -- $320,000 - Docs Coffee LLC will construct Prospect Place, a planned mixed-use development adjacent to St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center's main entrance and newly-constructed emergency department.

Rapid Response Monitoring Services Inc. -- $2.5 Million - Rapid Response Monitoring Services, Inc. will undertake a project that consists of the renovation to the existing facility and construction of an additional 20,000 square feet to provide a more efficient work flow and the creation of more useable space. Rapid Response Monitoring Services, Inc. will invest $11.3 million and create 175 jobs.

Village of Skaneateles -- $546,493 - The Village of Skaneateles will renovate a 7,500 sq. ft. vacant fire station in the Village center to establish a zero net energy facility that will serve as offices for the Village staff and the Police Department.

COR Inner Harbor Company LLC -- $1.5 Million - COR Inner Harbor Company LLC will complete infrastructure improvements related to the planned redevelopment of the Syracuse Inner Harbor.

Syracuse Stage -- $500,000 -- Renovation of the Arthur Storch Theatre and conversion of an existing warehouse into a new prop and scenery production center.

Vibrant Syracuse Spaces -- $680,000 - Vibrant Spaces Syracuse will complete renovations of The Gear Factory, a former manufacturing building in Syracuse, to attract new artisan manufacturers.

Village of Marcellus -- $30,000 - The Village of Marcellus will complete an engineering report that identifies inflow and infiltration impacts to the Village sanitary sewer collection system and upgrades needed at the Village Wastewater Treatment Plant.

SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry -- $397,831 - SUNY ESF will provide an outreach and training program along with skills development for farmers to deploy willow farming techniques and overcome barriers in the commercial expansion of willow biomass crops.

“I have been proud to work with people from Central New York including leaders in business, education, local governments, economic development and planning and others, to develop a list of job creation projects that achieve our goals of creating jobs and building a strong foundation for future growth,” Senator DeFrancisco said.

Statewide, a total of $738 million was awarded for 725 economic development projects in every region of New York State.