State approves funding for projects in Syracuse, Jefferson County

Projects in Syracuse, Clayton, and Watertown are among 11 that will benefit from state funding, the office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Monday.

The board of directors of Empire State Development (ESD) approved more than $22 million in funding for the projects in seven regions of New York, including Central New York and the North Country, Cuomo’s office said in a news release.

The projects are creating nearly 300 new jobs and retaining more than 3,350 existing jobs.

The funding will also leverage more than $270 million in additional investments to support business growth and “lay the groundwork for future economic growth and job creation,” the governor’s office contended.

St. Joseph’s patient tower
In Syracuse, St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center will use a grant of up to $2.5 million to support the construction of its new $113 million patient tower and greenway corridor to North Side businesses.

The project is part of a $265 million facility expansion, which is one of the “largest green health-care construction projects in the Northeast,” according to Cuomo’s office.

St. Joseph’s provides acute inpatient, outpatient, primary care, emergency, psychiatric, clinic, home health and other services for residents of Central New York.

St. Joseph’s is finalizing the construction and equipping of a 104,000‐square‐foot patient tower that includes 110 private rooms, intensive-care units, a 73,000‐square‐foot surgical suite with 14 operating rooms, a 12,100‐square‐foot central sterile area, and a greenway corridor.

The tower will also contain space for support services, staff education, and family-waiting areas.

With the project, St. Joseph’s will retain 2,923 existing jobs at the project location and create 146 new jobs, according to Cuomo’s office.

Clayton Harbor Hotel
In Jefferson County, Clayton Harbor Hotel, LLC will use a grant of up to $3 million to support the construction of a new $23.5 million hotel and conference facility in Clayton.

The facility will cater to tourism in the Lake Ontario‐1000 Islands‐St. Lawrence Seaway Region.

The hotel requested ESD assistance to help develop its new hotel facility when limited local funding resulted in a financing gap.

The North Country regional economic-development council (NCREDC) designated Clayton Harbor Hotel LLC as a priority project and awarded $3 million, Cuomo’s office said.

Without ESD’s assistance, the project “would not have moved forward,” the office added.

NCREDC designated the hotel as a priority project because it will support new business development, job creation, tourism, recreation, and improve quality of life in the Watertown‐1000 Islands region, according to Cuomo’s offi

As a result of the project, Clayton Harbor Hotel will create 90 new jobs by January 2015, the office said.

Watertown airport hangar
ESD also approved funding that benefits a second project in Jefferson County.

The county will use a grant of up to $1.5 million to support the construction of a new 14,000‐square‐foot hangar building at the Watertown International Airport.

Jefferson County sought ESD assistance to finance the airport improvement project as it works to “modernize and expand” the airport and its buildings, Cuomo’s office said.

The county applied for funding assistance through the REDC initiative and the project is “consistent” with the North Country REDC strategic plan to support activity generating new business development, tourism‐travel, and improving “quality of life” in North Country communities, the office added.

Jefferson County has planned, designed, and constructed the new hangar building to expand private and commercial-aircraft operations.

The new hangar building allows the airport to provide security, safe storage, maintenance and fueling of the commercial aircraft that use the airport. The hangar will also provide “adequate and safe” space for passengers to connect with local transportation, according to Cuomo’s office.

Additionally, the facility is a new source of rental revenue to offset “costly” airport operations.

The new building represents an “initial step” of a larger plan to develop airport facilities that business travelers can use and to create “adequate” offices for airport-administrative operations, Cuomo’s office said.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com