December 8, 2011
NORTH COUNTRY IS NAMED BEST PLAN AWARDEE: WILL RECEIVE $103.2 MILLION Strategy for Investing in Infrastructure and Industries in the North Country The North Country Regional Council Strategic Plan provided a long-term roadmap to attract private investment, promote and facilitate connectivity between communities, and create a climate that will allow entrepreneurs to flourish. It put forth ways to achieve its vision by capitalizing on the region's natural assets, talented labor pool, and entrepreneurial population. Proposed projects were designed to launch the region's transformation by focusing on high-tech and traditional manufacturing, green energy production, agriculture, tourism, and arts and culture. Developing Infrastructure $9.9 million will rehabilitate the Newton Falls Rail Project to rehabilitate, reopening the 46 mile Newton Falls Rail Line. This project will restore and enhance the most efficient, environmentally-friendly, and reliable form of transportation, at the most cost-effective price, to service the paper mill at Newton Falls and the operations at Benson Mines. $900,000 will support improvements to the water distribution system in the Village of Gouverneur to support the continued viability of the Kinney Drugs Distribution warehouse. Revitalizing Communities $4 million will support the development of community rental housing in the area of Fort Drum. $3 million will support the construction of the new Clayton Hotel along the St. Lawrence River. $397,000 will restore the 1924 Strand Theatre to the Strand Performing Arts Center in downtown Plattsburgh. Investing in Industries $2.5 million will support Bombardier's expansion of their main plant in Plattsburgh, which will increase their capacity for new contracts. The project includes a 57,000 square foot increase of the main plant, a 2,100 square foot expansion at the off-site testing facility, and electrification of an additional half mile of railroad track at the test facility. $1.8 million will expand C Speed's advanced technology manufacturing center in Potsdam. In partnership with research being conducted in the North Country, C Speed will also be expanding facility in Central New York. Research Innovation $1.2 million will support the Trudeau Institute's Saranac Lake research campus to modernize laboratory medical facilities and hire scientists to explore disease protection techniques. Connecting Communities $472,000 will provide broadband access to communities throughout Hamilton County through a partnership with Frontier Communications. This project will install both middle mile and last mile fiber optic facilities to provide broadband service to several communities that currently have no existing broadband capacity. The complete North Country regional plan includes 70 projects totaling $103.2 million in state support. For a full appendix of these projects, go to: http://www.governor.ny.gov/assets/documents/CFAAWARDSBooklet.pdf To read Governor Cuomo's complete press release, go to: http://governor.ny.gov/press/12082011RegionalCouncils
