Hochul releases guidelines for $500 million investment fund that’s part of Micron’s deal with the state

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ALBANY, N.Y. — Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday released guidelines for pursuing funding in the $500 million Green CHIPS Community Investment Fund. The state created the fund as part of the Green CHIPS incentive agreement between Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU) and Empire State Development, New York’s economic-development agency, Hochul’s office said in its announcement. Boise, Idaho–based […]

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FuzeHub to use $1 million NSF award for program focused on advanced materials

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ALBANY, N.Y. — FuzeHub says it will use a $1 million award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to lead Upstate Makes. Upstate Makes is a collaborative initiative to build New York’s advanced materials ecosystem and “foster innovation-fueled economic growth,” FuzeHub said in its announcement. FuzeHub is an Albany–based nonprofit that works to help New

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ALBANY, N.Y. — FuzeHub says it will use a $1 million award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to lead Upstate Makes.

Upstate Makes is a collaborative initiative to build New York’s advanced materials ecosystem and “foster innovation-fueled economic growth,” FuzeHub said in its announcement.

FuzeHub is an Albany–based nonprofit that works to help New York state-based manufacturers and technology companies. NSF awarded the funding through its Regional Innovation Engines Development Awards.

“Upstate Makes will have the opportunity to demonstrate our region’s emergence as an internationally renowned advanced materials ecosystem. With a special focus on driving materials innovation in semiconductor manufacturing, it will add to the unique strength of Upstate New York’s vibrant and growing microelectronics sector,” Elena Garuc, executive director of FuzeHub, said. “FuzeHub is grateful to [U.S.] Senate Majority Leader [Charles] Schumer for his vision for American innovation and for relentlessly advocating for Upstate Makes. We also extend our gratitude to Governor Hochul and Empire State Development for their commitment to advanced manufacturing and their partnership in building New York’s innovation ecosystem.”

The Upstate Makes initiative led to the creation of the New York Advanced Materials Alliance, FuzeHub said. The Alliance brings together several industry, research, workforce development, commercialization, and community partners to serve as the driving force behind FuzeHub’s ecosystem-building efforts.

Working together, the partners involved will focus on fostering materials innovation for semiconductor and microelectronics manufacturing, “which has become a massive regional strength” for upstate New York, per the announcement. The region is home to multiple fabs, industry employment, patent activity, and shared research and development (R&D) facilities.

FuzeHub also says it will use a $200,000 grant from Empire State Development (ESD) to “deepen the impact” of NSF’s $1 million for Upstate Makes. The strategic grant funding “builds on the momentum” generated through Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Green CHIPS program, which has sparked economic development and attracted global enterprises to invest and build in New York State, the organization said.

FuzeHub is supported by ESD’s Division of Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR), which oversees and funds New York’s innovation infrastructure, a network of statewide resources.

Tompkins County seeks developer for emergency shelter

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ITHACA, N.Y. — Tompkins County is looking for help designing and building an emergency shelter to serve homeless people in the county. The county released a July 18 request for qualifications (RFQ) from development partners to design and develop an accessible, safe, and inclusive shelter to house about 100 adults. The RFQ is available on

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ITHACA, N.Y. — Tompkins County is looking for help designing and building an emergency shelter to serve homeless people in the county.

The county released a July 18 request for qualifications (RFQ) from development partners to design and develop an accessible, safe, and inclusive shelter to house about 100 adults. The RFQ is available on bidnetdirect.com and interested vendors are encouraged to visit that site for more information.

“Tompkins County is ready to invest in a bigger, better shelter with more beds and increased access to government and not-for-profit services for the people we serve,” Tompkins County Legislature Chair Dan Klein said in a release announcing the project. “The development of emergency shelter beds is one critical step toward addressing homelessness. I continue to believe that it will take an ongoing coordinated effort on the part of our entire community to help house people in need.”

The successful developer identified through the RFQ process will work closely with the county to ensure the shelter is designed and built to meet the needs of the community. The county expects the developer will pursue funding for the project from outside sources and agencies including state programs.

The shelter will be a New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) certified facility open 365 days a year. It will serve as a centralized hub for area service providers, giving access to direct services without the need for transportation to other facilities. It will also incorporate features to enhance security and provide safety for residents, staff, and the surrounding community.

The local homelessness response system, supported by Tompkins County, provided shelter to an average of 132 people per day between October 2022 and September 2023, according to the most recent data available.

“One of the first objectives identified in the county’s strategic operation plan was to implement more emergency shelter beds and other programs in a housing system that meets our community’s needs,” Tompkins County Administrator Lisa Holmes said. “We’re measuring progress on the percentage of individuals who find permanent housing after using emergency shelter. It will be crucial that the shelter we ultimately develop offers direct services and resources to people with as few barriers as possible.”

Seneca Foods’ net sales slip 7 percent in latest quarter

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FAIRPORT — Seneca Foods Corp. (NASDAQ: SENEA, SENEB) recently reported that its net sales for the quarter ending March 31 declined 7 percent to $308 million from $331.1 million in the same quarter a year prior. The company — a Finger Lakes–based provider of packaged fruits and vegetables, with facilities across the U.S., including Geneva

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Mower CEO Crockett named Chair of 2024 Walk to End Alzheimer’s

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SYRACUSE — The Central New York Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association recently named Stephanie Crockett as chair of the 2024 Syracuse Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Crockett is president and CEO of Mower, a full-service marketing, advertising, and public relations agency headquartered in Syracuse. The Syracuse Walk to End Alzheimer’s will be held on Sunday, Sept.

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Binghamton University’s Center for Civic Engagement announces grants for seven community projects

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BINGHAMTON — The Stephen David Ross University and Community Projects fund has awarded $28,300 in grants to support initiatives of local nonprofit organizations and university partners, Binghamton University announced. The fund is administered through the Center for Civic Engagement at Binghamton University. Grants were awarded to the following seven projects, according to a university news

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The fund is administered through the Center for Civic Engagement at Binghamton University.

Grants were awarded to the following seven projects, according to a university news release:

• Binghamton Food Rescue will receive $5,821 for a partnership between NoMa and Sustainable Communities to provide rescued food from farmers’ markets and stores at no cost to individuals and organizations in need.

• Black Art @ BAUM will be allocated $4,115 for a partnership between the Binghamton University Art Museum and the Binghamton Philharmonic for a project that aims to expose 3,000 school children and their chaperones and 900 philharmonic patrons to works of art Black creators.

• Empowering Caregiver and Child Connections Through the Power of Play and Storytime will receive $3,000 for a partnership between the Division of Speech and Language Pathology and the Mothers & Babies Perinatal Network to provide training to parents and caregivers in the Mothers & Babies Parents as Leaders program.

• Evidence-Based Emergent Literacy Instruction: Teacher and Speech-Language Pathology will get $4,809 for a partnership between the Division of Speech and Language Pathology and Mom’s House of Endicott, to implement emergent literacy intervention.

• Greenhouse Project for CCNY will receive $2,571 for a partnership between Compassionate Care of Central NY and the student group NuRhoPsi to help Compassionate Care expand its services for people with traumatic brain injuries through a partnership with Binghamton University and Broome County.

• Happy Health Lives will be allocated $3,000 for a partnership between the Department of Social Work and the Rural Health Network of SCNY, Inc., to promote holistic wellbeing among rural older adults in northern Broome County.

• Language Chef will receive $4,984 for a partnership between the Division of Speech Language Pathology and Gigi’s Playhouse of the Southern Tier for a project to provide motivational, real-life-applicable learning experience to adults with intellectual disabilities.

Ross Fund grants are awarded based on promotion of collaboration and cooperation between the university and community groups; innovative use of talents and resources; demonstrated commitment to the use of existing funds or obtaining matching funds; and significant, enduring, and positive difference in the quality of life of the community, Binghamton University stated.

Lockheed Martin awarded nearly $30M modication to Navy contract

Manufacturing & Engineering, Subscriber Only, Technology

SALINA — The Lockheed Martin Corp. (NASDAQ: LMT) plant in suburban Syracuse has won a more than $29.8 million modification to a previously awarded contract to exercise an option for U.S. Navy equipment. Work will be performed in the town of Salina (67 percent) and Millersville, Maryland (33 percent), and is expected to be completed

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Federal funding will target redevelopment of public-housing units near I-81

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SYRACUSE — Millions in federal-government funding will help pay for the redevelopment of more than 600 aging public-housing units into new, affordable, mixed-income housing units in the East Adams neighborhood near Interstate 81 (I-81) in the city’s 15th Ward. The Syracuse Housing Authority (SHA) and the City of Syracuse will use a $50 million federal

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The Syracuse Housing Authority (SHA) and the City of Syracuse will use a $50 million federal grant to improve the units.

This money comes through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Choice Neighborhoods Initiative program, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D–N.Y.) said in a joint announcement on July 12.

The lawmakers called the grant “one of the largest single federal housing investments in Syracuse’s history” resulting in what is referred to as the East Adams transformation plan.

The project also involves related community improvements, including enhancing green space, workforce training, the Children Rising Center, education opportunity, and business development.

“Today the federal government is making one of the single largest housing investments in Syracuse’s history. I am proud to deliver a whopping $50 million to create and preserve hundreds of units of much-needed affordable housing in Syracuse,” Schumer said in the announcement. “This isn’t just an investment in new affordable housing, it is a critical investment in our families via education, workforce training, and business development. An investment in building a vibrant Syracuse for when the walls of I-81 come down.”

Schumer’s office describes Syracuse’s East Adams neighborhood as bounded by I-81 to the east, East Adams Street to the north, Midland Avenue to the west, and Colvin Street to the south.

Project specifics

This federal funding will help increase the availability of quality housing by helping pay for the construction of a large, multi-generational, mixed-income community with “affordable, modern, accessible, high-quality, and energy-efficient housing,” per Schumer’s office.

More specifically, SHA will replace an estimated 672 units of distressed public housing at McKinney Manor and Pioneer Homes.

Additionally, SHA and partners will use the grant funding on services to ensure that all current residents of McKinney Manor and Pioneer Homes public-housing units will have first priority to return to the newly constructed units once complete.

In addition, the grant money will “enhance access to quality education” by helping pay for the Syracuse City School District’s efforts to improve student performance, building a pipeline of students for the new STEAM High School, and “fast-tracking” development of the Children’s Rising Center, an early learning and parental empowerment center that will address the lack of quality and affordable childcare in and around the East Adams neighborhood.

The grant funding will also help “accelerate economic opportunity” by expanding workforce training and small-business development in the East Adams neighborhood. More specifically, the plan aims to enhance workforce-development initiatives already underway at SUNY Educational Opportunity Centers with the creation of a new, SHA-managed East Adams Skill & Enrichment Academy, which will increase Section 3 job opportunities on major local projects like I-81.

Additionally, the plan seeks to create a new Black Indigenous People Of Color (BIPOC) real-estate development and entrepreneurship incubator in collaboration with CenterState CEO and other key workforce partners.

The grant funding also seeks to “expand neighborhood connectivity and visibility” by investing in new infrastructure along key travel corridors to make new connections between the East Adams neighborhood and opportunities across the city. The corridors include South Salina Street, East Adams Street, Montgomery Street, South Townsend Street, and I-81.

For example, the effort will include bolstering the Children Rising Center and plans for a new Linear Park connecting Wilson and Roesler parks, which will establish a neighborhood greenway and linkages to new amenities for SHA residents and visitors of the new East Adams neighborhood.

The initiative will also include placemaking efforts to celebrate the legacy of Syracuse’s 15th Ward neighborhood, including a new museum with exhibits honoring Pioneer Homes’ role in public housing.

Schumer and Gillibrand are also both currently pushing for further funding for the Children Rising Center and YMCA in the neighborhood, per the announcement.

N.Y. manufacturing index dips further into negative territory in July

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The Empire State Manufacturing Survey general business-conditions index slipped less than a point to -6.6 in July. The general business-conditions index is the monthly gauge on New York’s manufacturing sector. Based on firms responding to the survey, the July reading indicates business activity “declined modestly” in New York State, the Federal Reserve Bank of New

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The Empire State Manufacturing Survey general business-conditions index slipped less than a point to -6.6 in July.

The general business-conditions index is the monthly gauge on New York’s manufacturing sector.

Based on firms responding to the survey, the July reading indicates business activity “declined modestly” in New York State, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said in its July 15 report.

A negative reading on the index indicates a decline in the sector, while a positive index number points to expansion or growth in manufacturing activity.

The survey found “new orders remained steady, while shipments inched just slightly higher,” the New York Fed said. It also found firms were “fairly optimistic” that conditions would improve in the months ahead.

Survey details

The new-orders index was little changed at -0.6, suggesting that orders remained flat, and the shipments index ticked up to 3.9, pointing to a slight increase in shipments, the New York Fed said.

Unfilled orders declined. The inventories index fell to -6.1, indicating that inventories moved lower.

The delivery-times index remained below zero at -9.2, suggesting that delivery times shortened, while the supply availability index was zero, indicating that supply availability was “unchanged.”

The index for number of employees was measured at -7.9, pointing to another month of employment contraction, while the average-workweek index came in around zero, suggesting that hours worked “held steady.”

The prices-paid index edged up slightly to 26.5, indicating that input prices continued to rise modestly, while the prices-received index came in at 6.1, indicating that selling-price increases remained “quite minor,” the survey found.

Firms remained “fairly optimistic” about the outlook, the New York Fed said. After climbing sharply the prior month, the index for future business conditions was just slightly lower at 25.8, with 41 percent of respondents expecting conditions to improve over the next six months.

However, the outlook for employment growth “remained weak,” and capital-spending plans “remained sluggish.”

The New York Fed distributes the Empire State Manufacturing Survey on the first day of each month to the same pool of about 200 manufacturing executives in New York. On average, about 100 executives return responses.

New Syracuse men’s basketball general manager begins work

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SYRACUSE — Syracuse University’s new men’s basketball general manager has started his duties in the newly created role. Alex Kline, who graduated from Syracuse University in 2016, joined the Syracuse basketball staff after four years as a scout with the New York Knicks NBA team, per the university’s June 28 announcement. He started the new

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