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North Country assemblywoman pleased with economic development awards for St. Lawrence County

Posted 12/14/17

Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne, D-Theresa, says communities from Sackets Harbor to Massena will benefit from $64.9 million in economic and community development funding included in the annual …

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North Country assemblywoman pleased with economic development awards for St. Lawrence County

Posted

Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne, D-Theresa, says communities from Sackets Harbor to Massena will benefit from $64.9 million in economic and community development funding included in the annual Regional Economic Development Council award.

A list of St. Lawrence County awards can be found at http://northcountrynow.com/news/st-lawrence-county-projects-massena-potsdam-gouverneur-massena-and-elsewhere-receive-75-million

“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 Certified 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.