Northern N.Y. economic-development projects get federal funding

ALBANY, N.Y. — Several local projects are among a dozen in New York’s 28-county northern border region to receive federal grants for economic and community development.

The Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) reviewed 55 applications with funding requests totaling more than $35 million before selecting the final 12 grant recipients, which received $5.8 million, according to a news release from the New York governor’s office.

The Town of Fayette in Seneca County will receive $1 million to install more than 11 miles of sewer force main to about 330 parcels, which will connect the town’s district to the Village of Waterloo sanitary sewer system. The new system will serve properties on Seneca Lake and reduce septic-system discharge to the lake.

Griffiss Local Development Corporation in Oneida County will receive $353,360 to expand rail-yard capacity within Griffiss Business & Technology Park by about 16 railcars. This will provide greater flexibility to serve existing park tenants, per the release.

The Village of Canton in St. Lawrence County was awarded $1 million to design and construct a new secondary water source to increase capacity and accommodate economic growth.

The St. Lawrence County Industrial Development Agency will receive $494,400 to rehabilitate the industrial track and bridge over the Oswegatchie River. The project will restore reliable, direct rail service to the Dunn Paper Mill in Natural Dam and allow for further industrial development of parcels in Gouverneur.

The NBRC evaluated the projects through a competitive process for their potential economic impact, regional need for the project, level of coordination with existing plans and regional activities, and their consistencies with the priorities of the program. The projects will leverage an additional $11.5 million in funding and support through private investment, the release stated.

Projects must fall within one of the following categories in order to be considered: transportation infrastructure; basic public infrastructure; telecommunications infrastructure; employment-related education, entrepreneurship, technology and business development; basic health care and other public services to assist economically-distressed areas; resource conservation, tourism, recreation, and preservation of open space for economic development; and development of renewable and alternative energy sources.

Projects are eligible for up to $1 million for infrastructure and $350,000 for other projects. NBRC grants awarded in distressed counties require a 20-percent local match while transitional counties necessitate a 50-percent local match.

The NBRC is a regional economic-development partnership between federal, state, and local government. The commission includes the governors of New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine, along with a federal co-chair appointed by the president.