Tag: regional economic development council

Regional Economic Development Council adds new members

The Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council (FLREDC) on Monday held a virtual public meeting to discuss its efforts to support and reimagine transformative projects designed to maximize the region’s future.

The council — which is tasked with implementing a focused, strategic plan that reflects the Finger Lakes region’s efforts to ensure sustainable and long-term growth in the nine-county region — also added two new members. Monroe Community College President DeAnna Burt-Nanna and ESL Federal Credit Union President and CEO Faheem Masood will replace Lisa Barnes and longtime member Augie Melendez, chief human resources and diversity officer at Hillside Family of Agencies, on the council.

“We want to thank Lisa and Augie for their tireless efforts in assisting with our mission. Augie has been with us since the beginning, dedicating himself to our mission and working tirelessly to improve the economic outlook of the Finger Lakes region. Lisa’s expertise in regional business and economic development has served our community well during her tenure. Their contributions and impact on this community cannot be overstated,” said FLREDC Co-Chairs Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Bob Duffy and SUNY Geneseo President Denise Battles in a statement. “While we are saying goodbye to two great leaders, we are excited to welcome Dr. DeAnna Burt-Nanna and Faheem Masood to the council. Together, we will continue to work toward our mission of ensuring a strong and prosperous future for our region. We remain steadfast in our commitment to move the Finger Lakes forward and are lucky to have them with us in that effort.”

The FLREDC is working to leverage the region’s advantages in key industry sectors, including agriculture and food production, healthcare and life sciences, optics, photonics and imaging, tourism, arts and skills and talent development. The FLREDC represents Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates counties.

In May this year, Gov. Andrew Cuomo launched Round XI of the Regional Economic Development Council initiative, kicking off a new decade of economic development in a post-pandemic recovery. The 2021 funding round includes more than $750 million in state economic development resources.

The Regional Councils will identify and recommend priority projects that will be eligible for up to $150 million in capital funds on a rolling basis; projects will be reviewed throughout the round. An emphasis will be placed on project readiness and alignment with each region’s strategic plan.

Additionally, projects within each region also will be eligible for a share of $75 million in Excelsior Tax Credits to help attract and grow business in the region. Projects from all 10 regions submitted through the CFA will be eligible for more than $525 million in other state agency funds, which are available on a set timeline. Regional Economic Development Councils will review the projects and provide scores that reflect how well a project aligns with a region’s goals and strategies, officials said.

To date, the Finger Lakes REDC has received $721 million for 950 projects.

“I’m excited to join the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council to realize a vision that will bring our economy back quickly and energize those who love to live, work and learn here. A highly motivated and educated workforce will make all the difference and MCC is ready to do its part,” said Burt-Nanna.

Masood added: “It is an honor to represent ESL and serve on the Finger Lakes Region Economic Development Council. The work conducted by this council in partnership with Empire State Development continues to be vital to the progress and resiliency of our regional economy. I look forward to collaborating with my fellow councilmembers in our collective efforts to develop a more prosperous Finger Lakes region.”

[email protected] / 585-653-4021
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Regional Economic Development Councils begin next decade of awards

The state of New York will continue its successful Regional Economic Development Council initiative and a more than $750 million Consolidated Funding Application.

The CFA opened on May 10, enabling businesses, municipalities, nonprofits and the public to begin applying for assistance from dozens of state programs for job-creation and community development projects.

“The COVID pandemic has taken a tremendous toll on our state, but now is our time to build back better and stronger than before and create a New York that serves our children and their children and their children,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement. “It’s going to be hard — it’s always hard to do what has never been done before — but after what New Yorkers have been through this past year, there is no challenge they can’t meet today.

“We’re announcing a new decade of the Regional Economic Development Councils so that regions all across the state can plan their own economic rebirth and come up with their own smart and daring plans to rebuild, and New York state will fund it,” he added. “We’ve done this before and it’s worked tremendously well, but it’s more important this year than ever before because the stakes are higher this year than ever before.”

Round XI of the REDC initiative includes core capital and tax-credit funding that will be combined with a wide range of existing agency programs totaling roughly $750 million. The core funding includes $225 million in grants and tax credits to fund high-value regional priority projects. The budget also makes more than $525 million in resources from state agencies available to support community revitalization and business growth consistent with the existing REDC plans through the CFA process.

In order to be responsive to the immediate needs of the development community and as the state is making crucial investments to generate economic activity, the $150 million in grant funds from Empire State Development will be made available to projects on a continuous and competitive basis this round, officials said.

“As we enter the 11th round of this initiative and as the state continues to move forward following the devastating effects of the pandemic, we are committed to this bottom-up approach to foster regional partnerships and make strategic investments,” said Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, chair of the statewide REDCs. “New York has seen tremendous growth in all 10 regions through the REDCs.”

Each of the state’s 10 Regional Councils will identify and recommend priority projects that will be eligible for up to $150 million in capital funds on a rolling basis, meaning projects will be reviewed throughout the round. An emphasis will be placed on project readiness and alignment with each region’s strategic plan.

In addition, projects within each region will also be eligible for a share of $75 million in Excelsior Tax Credits to help attract and grow business in the region. Projects from all 10 regions submitted through the CFA will be eligible for more than $525 million in other state agency funds, which are available on a set timeline. Regional Economic Development Councils will review these projects and provide scores that reflect how well a project aligns with a region’s goals and strategies.

To date, through the REDC competition:

• Western New York REDC has been awarded $620.4 million for 890 projects;
• Finger Lakes REDC has been awarded $721 million for 950 projects;
• Southern Tier REDC has been awarded $702.3 million for 764 projects;
• Central New York REDC has been awarded $789.8 million for 801 projects;
• Mohawk Valley REDC has been awarded $697.7 million for 721 projects;
• North Country REDC has been awarded $682.2 million for 690 projects;
• Capital Region REDC has been awarded $673 million for 933 projects;
• Mid-Hudson REDC has been awarded $713.6 million for 914 projects;
• New York City REDC has been awarded $615.9 million for 819 projects; and
• Long Island REDC has been awarded $727 million for 885 projects.

[email protected] / 585-653-4021
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SUNY Geneseo president named co-chair of regional economic development council

The Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council has tapped SUNY College at Geneseo president Denise Battles as its next co-chair. Battles succeeds former Monroe Community College president Anne Kress, who served in the role from 2016 until December 2019.

Denise Battles
Denise Battles

Battles shares the chairperson role with Robert Duffy, president and CEO of the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce Inc. The agency works to grow the economy in the nine-county Finger Lakes region.

“The statewide Regional Economic Development Councils have brought together local stakeholders in academia, business, education and nonprofits to spearhead economic development projects in their communities,” said state Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, chairwoman of the statewide REDCs. “The Finger Lakes REDC has worked to transform the region with new and expanded businesses, increased tourism opportunities and good-paying jobs.”

Hochul said Battles’ experience and knowledge will help to accelerate the Finger Lakes Forward development strategy and continue its growth momentum.

“I am deeply honored to have this opportunity to serve and advance the economic development and vitality of the Finger Lakes region,” Battles said in a statement. “It is humbling to follow Anne Kress’ exemplary record of leadership and join Bob Duffy in the role of co-chair. I look forward to partnering with Bob, whose contributions to our state are unparalleled, as well as other FLREDC team members, to grow the capacity of our region and beyond.”

Battles was named SUNY Geneseo president in 2015 and is the second woman to lead the college as permanent president since its opening in 1871. During her 25-year career, Battles has been a geologist, professor and higher education administrator and is a Colgate University alumna.

Prior to her arrival at SUNY Geneseo, she was provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and previously served as dean of the College of Natural and Health Sciences and professor of geology at the University of Northern Colorado.

“I can think of no one better to take over for Anne than Denise Battles, who will bring a new set of ideas to the table that will no doubt further our focused mission,” Duffy said. “Anne Kress’ leadership on the regional council was simply transformative for the Finger Lakes region. I am incredibly grateful for her tireless commitment to the council.”

Other members recently appointed to the council include Grant Malone, president, Rochester Building & Construction Trades; Steve Mowers, Claims Recovery Financial Services; and Lisa Burns, president, Finger Lakes Regional Tourism Council.

Ex-officio changes to the regional council include Monroe County Executive Adam Bello, Wayne County Board of Supervisors chairman Kenneth Miller and Seneca County Board of Supervisors chairman Robert Hayssen.

“In these unprecedented times it is more important than ever that the community continues to work together to support the council’s transformative efforts to move the regional economy forward,” Bello said. “I am proud to have the opportunity to serve on the council as it continues that important mission.”

REDCs were established by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2011 as a centerpiece of his strategy to jump-start the economy and create jobs. Through nine rounds of the REDC competition, FLREDC has delivered some $721 million for 950 projects.

[email protected] / 585-653-4021
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Cuomo makes good on $500 million promise to Finger Lakes region

The Finger Lakes Region has received $498 million of the $500 million promised by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2015 through the Upstate Revitalization Initiative. To date, 100 projects have received financial commitments from the state.

“These commitments are an important milestone in our efforts to invest in job creation and the economic turnaround of the Finger Lakes region,” said Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, chairwoman of the statewide Regional Economic Development Councils. “Thanks to an unprecedented focus on growing the upstate economy, we have seen record investments in Rochester and the Finger Lakes, with thousands of jobs created and retained as a result of the Upstate Revitalization Initiative. The REDC process continues to transform New York and build a brighter future in every region of our state.”

On Tuesday, the Finger Lakes REDC received a briefing on Cuomo’s recently enacted state budget, which Cuomo’s Senior Adviser John Maggiore said would continue to advance the region through a number of initiatives, including the 2 percent property tax cap and keeping state spending capped at 2 percent. Maggiore said the budget supports the momentum already underway due to the Finger Lakes Forward plan “which is reshaping the region thanks to focused investments in the photonics industry, agriculture and food endeavors and in next generation technologies.”

Implementation of the United for Success: Finger Lakes Forward plan is two years ahead of schedule, FLREDC officials noted. The 100 funded projects will leverage more than $1.77 billion in additional private, local and federal investment and will create some 4,000 new jobs.

More than 6,200 jobs have been retained in the region through the URI.

“The collaboratively designed Finger Lakes Forward plan represents our shared vision for the nine-county region,” said FLREDC co-chairs Anne Kress and Robert Duffy in a statement. “Thanks for Gov. Cuomo’s $500 million in Upstate Revitalization Initiative funding, we have been able to target our concrete, focused ideas that were developed to support the plan and are now laying the foundation for sustainable economic development throughout the region for many years to come.”

During Tuesday’s FLREDC meeting, Boston Consulting Group’s Matt Bosch presented a review the firm conducted on the Finger Lakes regional economy, commissioned by the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce, Greater Rochester Enterprise Inc. and the Rochester Downtown Development Corp. The study recommends new prioritization of the business-led economic development activities in the region, as well as two items approved by the FLREDC:

• Setting and reporting on specific targets for the region’s primary goals to grow jobs, increase regional wealth, reduce poverty and drive private investment; and
• A modified strategic framework that refines the foundational and enabling components of the region’s plan and adds two new industry pillars: healthcare and life sciences, and a concentrated focus on software and information technology.

Cuomo created the URI competition to focus on the economic development of Upstate New York as part of a long-term, regionally based plan for economic growth through the state’s 10 Regional Economic Development Councils.

As part of the recently passed budget, funding is being provided for Round IX of the competition. Since the initiative’s inception in 2011, the FLREDC has delivered $656.6 million for more than 850 projects in the region, officials said.

[email protected] / 585-653-4021
Follow Velvet Spicer on Twitter: @Velvet_Spicer