The Glens Falls area will receive more than
$5.3 million in economic and community development
funding awarded through Round IV of
the Regional Economic Development Council
(REDC) initiative.
State officials announced on Dec. 11 that
$709.2 million will be distributed statewide.
The largest for the area is $1 million to
Finch Paper LLC. Officials said the money will
go toward a $20-million modernization project
of the company’s Glens Falls mill to strengthen
its competitive position and help sustain jobs.
The key areas for modernization include the
wood processing operation, pulp mill facility
and No. 4 paper machine, officials said.
Finch Paper President and CEO Deba
Mukherjee said the investment in the modernization
project “is an investment in our
business, our 625 employees and our regional
economy, and we can’t wait to get started. With
the help of this investment, Finch Paper will
move forward with a more than $20-million
modernization of our mill that will strengthen
our competitive position and help sustain our
jobs and broad regional economic impact. ”
“The project will modernize key aspects of
our operations, improve our efficiencies and
product quality, and reduce our overall cost
structure,” he said. “Our modernization will
focus on three key areas of our manufacturing
process. We will completely redesign our
Woodyard for energy efficiency and better yield.
We will add a new computerized control system
and make other upgrades to our Pulp Mill,
where wood chips are converted into pulp. We
will also make significant efficiency and quality
improvements to our No. 4 Paper Machine,
which is the largest of our four machines and
accounts for 45 percent of our mill’s production.
These investments are in addition to the
regular capital spent yearly at our facility.”
The Regional Councils were established
in 2011 to transform the state’s approach
to economic development from a top-down
model to one that is community-based and performance-driven. The initiative empowers
community, business, and academic leaders, as
well as members of the public in each region
of the state, to develop strategic plans specifically
tailored to their region’s unique strengths
and resources in order to create jobs, improve
quality of life and grow the economy.
“Four years ago we decided to take a different
approach on economic development –
emphasizing cooperation and investing in local
assets instead of continuing the State’s old and
ineffective top-down mentality,” Gov. Andrew
Cuomo said. “That’s what the Regional Councils
are all about, and today is proof that they are
continuing to drive an economic renaissance
in every region of the state. Each council presented
bold ideas for how to create jobs and
new opportunities in their communities, and I
am proud to work with all of them to continue
moving New York forward.”
“The work taking place in each region across
the state is so important because it lays the
groundwork that will continue to drive the
economy – not just today and tomorrow, but
for years to come,” Lieutenant Governor Robert
J. Duffy, chairman of the Regional Economic
Development Councils, said.
Senate Co-Leader Dean Skelos said the
investments “will enable businesses to grow
and create new private sector jobs so young
people can stay here and enjoy the careers of
their choice. The best hope for a bright future
for every region of our great state begins and
ends with the ability to strengthen our economy
and give everyone the opportunity to succeed.”
The first three rounds of the Regional Council
process awarded more than $2 billion to
more than 2,200 job creation and community
development projects across the state, supporting
the creation or retention of more than
130,000 jobs, officials said.
On April 28, Cuomo kicked off Round IV and
introduced several new components to the initiative,
including developing regional Global NY strategies, promoting Veterans’ participation in
the workforce, and supporting NY Rising Community
Reconstruction plan projects.
During Round IV, members from the 10 Regional
Councils traveled to Albany to make inperson
presentations of their proposals to the
Strategic Implementation Assessment Team.
Over the course of two days, the SIAT, which is
composed of State agency commissioners and
policy experts, heard from each of the Regional
Councils directly, reviewed the progress being
made on projects that have previously received
state funding, and assessed the regions’ strategic
plan implementations and proposals for
funding in 2014.
Other projects in the Glens Falls area
include:
• Village of Lake George: Watershed Management
Priority Action Plan Implementation,
$535,250. The village will advance the Plan for
the Future of Lake George. Projects include
quantifying the value of Lake George as an
economic engine to the region and state and
studying the effectiveness of the West Brook
storm water management demonstration
project.
• Warren County will advance priorities from
the First Wilderness Heritage Corridor Action
Plan to promote regional tourism development
in the Upper Hudson River and Adirondack
Park, $410,450. Projects include a feasibility
study of extending scenic rail service; conceptual
plans for access improvements in Chester
and Corinth; replacement of water lines and
completion of a feasibility study of a sewer
district in North Creek; and design of the Stony
Creek community center.
• Glens Falls Clendon Avenue Storm Sewer,
$30,000. Glens Falls will complete an engineering
report to address storm sewer deficiencies
from Hudson Ave to the Lake Champlain
Feeder Canal.
• Town of Bolton Veterans Park Improvements
Phase 2 South Dock Replacement,
$117,000. The town will reconstruct the South
Dock in Veterans Memorial Park to prevent
ice damage.
• Town of Bolton Wastewater Treatment
Improvement Initiative, $30,000. The town will
complete an engineering report to evaluate its
wastewater treatment plant.
• The Village of Lake George will complete
an engineering report to evaluate the Village’s
wastewater treatment plant, $30,000.
• The Village of Lake George will complete
conceptual designs for streetscape enhancements
along Canada Street corridor from Mc-
Gillis Street south to the village line, building
on earlier phases of corridor enhancement
projects to the north along Canada Street,
$50,000.
• Argyle Cheese Factory LLC Production
Facility, Argyle, expansion, lease and renovation
of an existing building, and the purchase
and installation of machinery and equipment
to expand production of yogurt and cheese,
$310,000.
• The Town of Fort Edward will design and
construct improvements to Bradley Park on
Rogers Island, improving the only public access
along a 40 mile stretch of the Hudson River,
$45,000. The project will include restoration
of the beach and picnic area, a canoe/kayak
launch and a permeable parking lot.
• Morcon, Inc. in Cambridge, New Facility
Expansion, $300,000. Expansion including
construction of a new facility and purchase
and installation of equipment to increase paper
manufacturing.
• Morcon, Inc. in Cambridge, New Facility
Construction Expansion, including construction
of a new facility and purchase and
installation of equipment to increase paper
manufacturing, $775,000.
• The Village of Hudson Falls will use
$500,000 in state CDBG funds to replace deteriorated
neighborhood water distribution lines
in a low/mod income area. The total project
cost is $582,000 and includes $82,000 in local
funding.
• Village of Whitehall will use $600,000 in
state CDBG funds to make improvements to its
sanitary sewer collection system in a targeted
area on the east side of the village. The total
project cost is at $629,828 and includes $29,828
in local funds.
• Washington County, This project will
implement the integration of the County and
Village Police Records Management (RMS)
and Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) Systems,
$400,641, allowing for quicker dispatching of
officers, instantaneous sharing of information,
increased officer safety, and more efficient use
of staff time. The project will operationalize
the recommendations of a prior DOS LGE
study that identified options for increased efficiencies
by consolidating functions between
the County Sheriff’s office and local Police
agencies.
• Washington County Local Development
Corp. development of a SUNY Adirondack
Regional Education Center Strategic Development
Plan, $65,000. It will house non-credit and
credit programming, courses, and services to
support agriculture, health care, and trades
industries in Washington County.