Mid-Hudson council seeks priority development projects

The Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council is seeking proposals for development projects it will recommend as priority projects for the seven-county region in this year”™s round of statewide competition for funding from Albany.

Empire State Development officials said up to $750 million in state economic development funding and resources are available in the fourth round of Gov. Andrew Cuomo”™s regional council initiative. Cuomo in 2011 created 10 regional councils operating as public-private partnerships and consolidated the state”™s funding application process to stimulate economic development and private investment across the state.

The 21-member mid-Hudson council represents Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Putnam, Dutchess, Sullivan and Ulster counties.

The state in December will award $220 million among the 10 regions to implement regional strategic plans and support priority projects, including $150 million in capital and $70 million in tax credits from the Excelsior Jobs Program. An additional $530 million will be awarded from state agency programs through the Consolidated Funding Application process launched by Cuomo with the regional councils.

Priority projects are chosen based on their ability to stimulate job creation, private-sector investment and transformational economic growth in keeping with the goals identified in each regional council”™s strategic plan.

The mid-Hudson strategic plan puts a priority on growth industries such as biotechnology, high-tech manufacturing and information technology, as well as more established industries such as health care, financial and professional services and the food and beverage sector.

CFA applicants with priority proposals should fill out the priority project worksheet available at nyworks.ny.gov/content/mid-hudson and submit it by 4 p.m. June 16. That is also the deadline for CFA project submissions, which are first reviewed and ranked by the applicant”™s regional council.

Consolidated Funding Application materials are available online at apps.cio.ny.gov/apps/cfa/index.cfm.