“I was excited to be back in Albany today with many of my colleagues and community leaders from around St. Lawrence and Jefferson counties to hear the news that the North Country was awarded almost $65 million to help drive economic development and spur growth and innovation in today’s economy,” Assemblywoman Jenne said.
“As a member of the North Country REDC, I know how hard our representatives work to put forward a plan that will move our region’s economy forward. While it’s disheartening that we fell short of the “Top Performer” status, I look forward to seeing how this year’s awards will impact North Country communities,” she said.
The North Country has received $559.5 million over the past seven years for over 500 projects aimed at creating and maintaining jobs, training the workforce in new technologies, promoting the beautiful resources that the North Country has to offer and making critical infrastructure improvements.
"I'm very familiar with several of the projects that received funding this year. I was pleased to see funding included for the renovation of the downtown theater in Massena, for downtown revitalization in Potsdam and for work on a historic building in downtown Massena. We know the importance of vibrant downtowns in our communities," Assemblywoman Jenne said.
"I was also pleased to see funding included for the Thousand Islands Regional Tourism Development Corporation’s Reputation Recovery effort, a multi-media marketing effort aimed at helping local tourism-based businesses recover from the impact of this past summer's high water levels," she added.
The North Country REDC award also includes funding for significant infrastructure improvements around the North Country.
The projects funded include $1.1 million for infrastructure at the Watertown International Airport that will prepare the site for a planned business complex, $5 million for improvements to the wastewater treatment plant in the city of Ogdensburg, $750,000 for the renovation of the East Hydro Dam in Potsdam and $225,000 for the construction of a new salt storage shed in the village of Massena.
She said a $500,000 grant will allow the Development Authority of the North Country and the seven-county Cornell Cooperative Extensions to partner in outreach efforts to inform producers about the New York State Grown and Ceritfied Producer's grant program.
This effort will bolster the farm-to-school program, aid farm-to-table projects and benefit our tourism efforts as we promote increased use of locally grown products, according to the assemblywoman.
She noted several other awards will also benefit tourism efforts, including funding for improvements at the arena in Clayton and for the purchase and renovation of the historic Christ Episcopal Church in Sackets Harbor.
The Sackets Harbor Historical Society has expressed an interest in purchasing the 200-year-old church and using the building to host performances, classes and other events.
The building could also be used to display exhibits linked to the church's history and used for weddings and other religious events.
“The REDC program has been successful at driving economic development in the North Country and the rest of the state, but we know much work continues to need to be done since the North Country is still struggling to boost our economy,” Assemblywoman Jenne said.
“I also look forward to continue working with our REDC representatives and other local leaders to craft additional measures that will help attract new businesses and create more jobs,” she added.
IN THE PHOTOS:
Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne visits with R. Shawn Gray of the Massena Arts and Theatre Association during a visit to the theater in downtown Massena this past fall. The Business Development Corporation for a Greater Massena was awarded a $300,000 grant for renovation work at the downtown Massena.
