Regional council endorses Yates projects

YATES COUNTY—The Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council (FLREDC) approved its 2014 progress report, endorsing several Yates County projects as priority objectives for 2014 funding. The FLREDC listed Keuka College, The Finger Lakes Museum Discovery Campus and the Keuka Lake Hampton Inn Hotel as priority projects for Round IV of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) process. In addition, the FLREDC also listed Yates County as a priority due to the damage suffered during May’s flash flooding.
The progress report, including the list of priority projects for the nine-county region will now be finalized and submitted to New York State ahead of the Friday, Aug. 15 deadline. For Round IV, the FLREDC is once again focusing on the implementation of the region’s strategic plan and identifying significant economic development projects to invest in. The governor directed up to $750 million in state resources to be made available in 2014 to support the economic development priorities of all 10 regions and spur job creation across the state, including $220 million in competitive funds from Empire State Development.  In the first three rounds of the regional council initiative, the Finger Lakes region was awarded $225 million in state support for 266 projects across the region.
“The support and leadership of New York State, as well as the strategic framework created by the council and the renewed optimism for our economic future, has been critical to our region’s progress to date,” said FLREDC Co-Chairs, University of Rochester President Joel Seligman and Wegmans Food Markets CEO Danny Wegman.  “As we move forward in Round IV of the Regional Council initiative, we are confident that the state will recognize our 2014 progress report and priority projects as representing a region-wide effort to address critical issues and advance projects with the potential for significant economic growth.”
The FLREDC has recommended these priority projects and identified a number of other projects it believes will advance important workforce training, community development, tourism and small business expansion objectives for 2014 funding. The council is again recommending the creation of a Finger Lakes Small Business Expansion Fund and the allocation of Excelsior Tax Credits to support the growth of several small businesses.