Welcome center will open in Geneva next spring

GENEVA--Gov. Andrew Cuomo unveiled the renderings of the new Finger Lakes Welcome Center in Geneva Friday, June 16. The Welcome Center, one of 10 being built throughout the state, advances the commitment to continue growing the tourism industry statewide by promoting local attractions, foods, craft beverages and other destinations. Work on the Finger Lakes Welcome Center is expected to begin after Labor Day and be open to visitors next spring. The governor unveiled the designs in a PowerPoint presentation.
"The Finger Lakes Welcome Center will be a fantastic gateway to the region, introducing visitors to the natural beauty and vibrant towns and cities of the Finger Lakes," Cuomo said. "Our investments in tourism allow us to showcase our finest assets, attract residents and visitors alike, and drive local economies."
The facility will be built at the site where the current Geneva Visitors Center now stands at 35 Lakefront Dr. Funding for the regional welcome centers was included in the FY 2018 New York State budget.
The Finger Lakes Welcome Center will feature:
• I Love NY Kiosks with videos and directions to the Finger Lakes renowned tourism destinations.
• A Taste NY market showcasing local food, wine, beer, cider and spirits sourced from across the Finger Lakes.
• Children's playground, electric vehicle charging stations and a farmers' market.
The state has partnered with the New York Wine & Culinary Center, an attraction in the Finger Lakes that showcases New York's agriculture, food and beverage industries through its classes, events, and farm-to-table restaurant, to help design the Finger Lakes Welcome Center. The NYWCC's quality standards in the agriculture, food and hospitality industries will ensure the new Welcome Center celebrates New York's best locally sourced craft beverages and foods and is an engaging and exciting destination for visitors. More information about NYWCC is available at www.nywcc.com.
State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, "The Finger Lakes is one of our largest agricultural regions in the state, growing a wide array of crops and specializing in the production of wine, yogurt, cheese and many other food and beverages. The governor's vision for the Finger Lakes Welcome Center and the Taste NY market will highlight the area's strengths in agriculture and promote its many unique agribusinesses and agritourism destinations."
Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb said, "It is important that we continue to make investments that promote the unmatched beauty, natural resources and world-class attractions of the Finger Lakes Region. The new welcome center will highlight the area's unique natural landscape and encourage more visitors to experience all that the Finger Lakes has to offer. I look forward to the new welcome center's construction and am eager to watch our region continue to thrive."
Last October, Cuomo announced the grand opening of the Long Island Welcome Center in Dix Hills, Suffolk County. Since then, the New York City Welcome Center has opened in the Javits Center in Manhattan, and the Mohawk Valley Welcome Center is also open for business at Lock E-13, between Fultonville and Canajoharie along the New York State Thruway.
The announcement complements "Finger Lakes Forward," the region's comprehensive blueprint to generate economic growth and community development. The State has already invested more than $3.4 billion in the region since 2012 to lay the groundwork for the plan--investing in key industries including photonics, agriculture and food production, and advanced manufacturing. Today, unemployment is down to the lowest levels since before the Great Recession; personal and corporate income taxes are down; and businesses are choosing places in the Finger Lakes region to grow.