“Our council obviously went above and beyond with their work in bringing the top prize back to the North Country,” said Duprey. “Families and businesses across the region will benefit greatly from the investment in infrastructure and business that this funding will allow us to make.”
“This funding will be huge for the North Country. Our communities have been hit especially hard by the recent economic downturn. This funding will go a long way toward creating jobs and revitalizing our region with investment in industry, and a look toward the future with a focus on high-tech and research and development,” said Sayward. “I’d like to thank our council for all of their hard work bringing in this much-needed funding.”
The award-winning plan the North Country Council put forth included an emphasis on tourism, agriculture, small business, entrepreneurship, aerospace, biotech, and health care. Highlights of the award include:
- $900,000 to support improvements to the water distribution system in the village of Gouverneur, and the continued viability of the Kinney Drugs Distribution warehouse;
- $397,000 to restore the 1924 Strand Theatre to the Strand Performing Arts Center in downtown Plattsburgh;
- $2.5 million to support Bombardier's expansion of their main plant in Plattsburgh;
- Emergency housing repairs for elderly homeowners in Clinton County;
- $1.2 million will support the Trudeau Institute's Saranac Lake research campus to modernize laboratory medical facilities and hire scientists to explore disease protection techniques; and
- $472,000 will provide broadband access to communities throughout Hamilton County through a partnership with Frontier Communications.