Region’s top projects off to Albany

The Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council is backing 21 public and private projects as regional priorities in this year”™s competitive round of state funding to spur economic activity and job growth across the state.

Though an unlikely scenario when state capital grants and employer tax credits are announced in December in Albany, more than $572 million in economic activity could be generated in the seven-county region if all of the council”™s priority projects are funded, according to Empire State Development officials. The projects potentially would create and retain more than 5,061 full-time jobs and employ an estimated 6,268 construction workers across Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, Orange, Ulster and Sullivan counties.

Competing with nine other economic development regions created in 2011 by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the Mid-Hudson region last year was awarded a total of $92.8 million from state agencies for 84 private and municipal projects. That was a nearly 39 percent increase from the region”™s share of state funding in the inaugural round of awards in the consolidated funding application system started by Cuomo.

The Mid-Hudson council”™s strategic plan for economic development last year was judged one of the best in the state, allowing it to tap up to $21.5 million in tax-exempt federal industrial development bonds and $43.5 million in Excelsior Jobs Program tax credits. Aimee Vargas, regional director of the Empire State Development Corp. Mid-Hudson office, said the council received 387 consolidated funding applications this year, the most of any region in the state and up from 251 in 2012. ESD staff culled through 101 priority project applications, a roughly 33 percent increase from 2012.

Meeting recently on the SUNY Rockland campus in Suffern, the council unanimously endorsed the following projects as priorities for the region:

White Plains Multimodal Transportation Center ”“ A city of White Plains project to redevelop its public transportation hub with the Metro-North Railroad and other public partners. The approximately $1.71 million project would create 4 permanent and 1,000 construction jobs.

Teutonia Buena Vista, Yonkers ”“ A 361-unit apartment tower to be built on Buena Vista Avenue at a cost of approximately $148.7 million. The private development would create 20 permanent and 1,020 construction jobs.

Yonkers Downtown ”“ SFC Yonkers, the city”™s downtown master developer, plans construction of a $6.8 million public waterfront esplanade on the Hudson River that would create 75 construction jobs and support 114 jobs in the downtown area.

Harbor Square, village of Ossining ”“A $65 million mixed-use redevelopment project on the Hudson planned by Ginsburg Development Companies includes a 188-unit apartment complex and a waterfront restaurant, park and promenade. The village seeks funding for a $3.4 million project to expand the ferry dock at the site and create a tourist destination.

Northern Dutchess Hospital ”“ The Rhinebeck hospital plans to build an approximately $45 million, 81,000-square-foot medical pavilion that will create 16 permanent and 100 construction jobs.

Putnam Hospital Center ”“ The Carmel hospital plans a $1.54 million project to build and equip a new surgical suite. It is expected to create 14 permanent and 15 construction jobs.

Nyack Hospital ”“ The Rockland County hospital plans an approximately $11.77 million project to expand and modernize its emergency department. It will create 150 construction jobs and add 143 hospital jobs.

Clear Solution Labs ”“ A turn-key contract manufacturer of health and beauty products and over-the-counter drugs proposes a $26 million project to retrofit a vacant 93,000-square-foot facility in Putnam County and create an incubator program for research and development companies and chemists. The project would create 150 manufacturing jobs and retain 50 along with 25 construction jobs.

Dutchess County Airport and Business Park ”“ A $7.1 million project by the county to extend municipal water service to the airport and business park. It would create 20 construction jobs and indirectly support 238 permanent jobs.

5 Scobie Partners and City of Newburgh ”“ Sewage, water and stormwater infrastructure projects are planned by the city and Orange County Hudson Valley Lighting, a family-owned manufacturer of high-tech lighting that plans to redevelop a 140,000-square-foot facility. The $12.8 million project will create 180 construction and 50 permanent jobs and retain 180 jobs.

Taylor Biomass Energy ”“ A $236 million project to construct a large-scale waste-to-energy manufacturing facility in Montgomery in Orange County. The project will create 384 construction jobs and 82 new full-time jobs and retain 35 jobs at Taylor.

3D Printing Initiative at SUNY New Paltz ”“ SUNY New Paltz is embarked on an approximately $14.26 million academic and business development project to establish the region as a national center for 3D printing technology, design, research and manufacturing.

EPT Concord Resort ”“ The planned $50 million redevelopment of the former Concord Resort property in the town of Thompson in Sullivan County as a destination resort community will employ 3,049 construction workers and create an estimated 1,475 permanent jobs.

Kolmar Laboratories Inc. ”“ The Port Jervis manufacturer of skin care and personal care products plans a $1.65 million expansion at its 264,000-square-foot facility that will create 54 full-time and part-time jobs.

Warwick Valley Local Development Corp. Business Park ”“ A $400,000 planning project to plan the redevelopment of the closed Mid-Orange Correctional Facility site as a 130 acre business and technology campus.

Echo Lake Corporate Park ”“A $1.66 million first-phase project to develop infrastructure and a shovel-ready site for construction of a 1.5 million-square-foot warehouse on the 200-acre tract in the town of Goshen. The project will create 100 construction jobs.

LTL Local Food Distribution Hub Network ”“ A $2.8 million project in Sullivan County to create a network for less than trailer load freight service to enable transactions between farmers and wholesalers locally and in the New York City, Hudson Valley and Northeast markets.

FITT to Grow New York and Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council Opportunity Area Feasibility Study, Westchester and Putnam counties ”“ A $310,000 training and technical assistance project to support economic and workforce development and a planning project to study commercial redevelopment in the city of Peekskill and village of Brewster.

Mid-Hudson Incubator Hot Spot ”“ Hudson Valley Research Park in Dutchess County plans to attract new companies and startup businesses in collaboration with the Kingston-based Center for Global Advanced Manufacturing, IBM Corp., Marist College, SUNY and members of the Dutchess County Economic Development Alliance.