Columbia County gets $1.4M for economic development
ALBANY — Columbia County received a $1.4 million award Tuesday at the eighth annual Regional Economic Development Council awards ceremony, including Hudson, which won $263,736 to mitigate sewer overflows.
The Capital Region was awarded $67 million in the Consolidated Funding Awards at a ceremony led by Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul at Albany Capital Center, 55 Eagle St. Of the region’s award, $28 million is slated for nonspecific projects.
Columbia County was awarded more than $1.29 million for 11 different projects, including $263,736 for Hudson to upgrade and reconstruct its Power Avenue and Mill Street pump stations to decrease untreated water overflows to a Hudson River wetland during storm events.
“Today’s REDC Awards show that New York continues to support the arts, local infrastructure and the creative economy in the Capital Region and Hudson Valley,” said state Assemblywoman Didi Barrett, D-106. “I am especially pleased to see grants that will help protect the environment, including funds toward the prevention of combined sewage overflows in Hudson.”
The city applied for a grant for the sewer project the past two rounds.
“I am excited that we have been awarded this money after a couple of previous attempts,” Hudson Mayor Rick Rector said. “The other grants will also be great for the community and will help the economy of the city immensely.”
Ten other Columbia County projects that received state funding include:
• The Ancram Opera House was awarded $30,000 to hire an artistic director.
“I am delighted that the opera house was awarded this money,” Ancram Town Supervisor Arthur Bassin said. “The opera house has become an important part of the community and has established an enormous amount of credibility. I am thrilled and proud of what they have done.”
• Basilica Hudson was awarded $58,500 to host and promote over 35 additional cultural programs and events.
“This is a fantastic opportunity and a first for Basilica Hudson in the competitive Market NY category,” said Basilica Hudson Co-Founder and Director Melissa Auf der Maur. “This will enable us to enhance Basilica’s public outreach ahead of our 10-year anniversary in 2020, culminating in expanded free and year-round programming.”
• Bindlestiff Family Variety Arts Inc., also known as the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus, was awarded $35,000 to hire a development coordinator to oversee and coordinate the organization’s fundraising activities.
• Columbia-Greene Community College was awarded $56,528 to provide education for Class A and Class B commercial drivers licenses.
• Kite’s Nest Inc. was awarded $100,000 for its proposed North Bay ReGeneration project to turn a former industrial site in Hudson into a public park and community garden space, and a center for educational programs and youth workforce development.
• PS/21 Inc.: Performance Spaces for the 21st Century, based in Chatham, was awarded $68,800 to hire a new executive director.
• The Mount Lebanon Shaker Museum and Library in New Lebanon was awarded $47,671 to bring in Brooklyn-based artist Amie Cunat to create a site-specific installation and curate a group exhibition with other resident artists at the site.
• South Front Street Holdings LLC. was awarded $420,860 for its Red Barn Hudson project create a year round farm and flea marketplace and a full-service restaurant and grab-and-go cafe in downtown Hudson.
• The Phoenix Project of Eastern New York Inc. was awarded $12,350 to create design plans for the Abner Perry House in New Lebanon.
• The village of Chatham was awarded $200,000 to restore and repair the roof and cupola of the Tracy Memorial Village Hall, 77 Main St.
“We continue to do very well with these awards,” said Columbia Economic Development Corp. President F. Michael Tucker. “CFAs in particular provide broad-base support for numerous types of projects. This year, the funding was more broadly distributed than in the past when a lot of money went to single projects.”
Greene County received more than $184,240 in state Consolidated Funding Awards spread across three projects this year.
“We’ve done fairly well with these awards,” Greene County Administrator Shaun Groden said. “This is made possible because of our consistency in meeting the requirements of the awards and the hard work we put into these applications. We continue to do well with this funding source.”
New York City-based Stephen Petronio Dance Company Inc. was awarded $54,240 to hire Marcus McGregor as a resident artist to research and build an education and outreach program for the Petronio Residency Center in upstate New York.
The village of Coxsackie was awarded $100,000 to take an inventory and analyze existing conditions for the waterfront, as well as analyze local laws, create a land and water use plan and identify revitalization projects.
Tannersville was awarded $30,000 to complete an engineering report to evaluate the connection of the wastewater stream from its drinking water treatment facility to the New York City Department of Environmental Protection-owned and operated wastewater collection and treatment system in the village.
