Griffo, Brindisi: $3 million budgeted to help retain and strengthen military facilities including Griffiss Business and Technology Park in Rome

ROME – State Senator Joseph Griffo of Rome and Assemblyman Anthony Brindisi of Utica announced today that they have successfully included $3 million in the 2016-17 State Budget to strengthen and retain military facilities in New York State, as well as to defend them against possible future cutbacks in defense spending.

Griffo and Brindisi say the money will be used to strengthen and retain the Air Force Research Laboratory at Rome, the Defense Finance and Accounting Services, and the Eastern Air Defense Sector – all in the Griffiss Business and Technology Park in Rome.  The funding will help protect jobs in the Mohawk Valley, as well as safeguard the region’s military assets from possible funding cuts in the future.

The exact funding allocation that will go toward retaining jobs at Griffiss will be determined in the near future, Griffo and Brindisi said. In addition to Griffiss, the funding will be split among other military bases including Fort Drum, Fort Hamilton and the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station.  

Senator Griffo said: “Throughout my years of public service, I have been a passionate defender of the military assets in our region. And in the State Senate, I have ensured that we are paying close attention to the mission and economic significance of these assets on our community. As we remain aware of what other regions are doing to protect their military facilities against cuts and closure, this funding will provide vital support for the stability of Griffiss’ presence in the Mohawk Valley.”

Assemblyman Brindisi said: “This funding can be used to support existing projects at Rome Lab and other military facilities, as well as for the redevelopment of the Griffiss Business Park.  Griffiss, DFAS and EADS are all major employers I our region and this allocation will help us to remain vigilant, in the event that there is another round of military base closings in the future.”

Mary Carol Chruscicki, the Alliance’s Executive Director, said: “Working to ensure funding to strengthen and retain NY’s Department of Defense assets is another great example of Senator Griffo and Assemblyman Brindisi unprecedented support and recognition of the synergistic opportunities these assets provide to the Mohawk Valley.  The funding will provide instrumental support to the CYBER NY Alliance (Central New York Defense Alliance) and the initiatives underway to strengthen the region’s Department of Defense (DoD) assets: Air Force Research Laboratory at Rome (Rome Lab), Eastern Area Defense Sector (EADS) and Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS), located at the Griffiss Business and Technology Park.”

Ms. Chruscicki noted the Rome Lab Command and Control, Computing, Communications, Intelligence, Cyber and Nano research and development program continues to stay strong, achieving over $1 Billion dollars in revenue in 2015.  The revenue translates to over $300 Million dollars in economic impact to our region by creating a strong collaborative community of high tech businesses, academic institutions and supporting businesses.  Products of this collaboration are seen in the FAA designation of the Unmanned Aerial System Test Site at the Griffiss International Airport and the Cyber Research Institute on the Griffiss Business and Technology Park."

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