Senator William Stachowski (D 58th), along with four other upstate New York senators and Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith, have sent a letter to Governor David Paterson urging him to release the $120 million that had been approved last year for upstate New York.
The 120 million dollars had been approved in 2008 for upstate by the Legislature as part of the “Upstate Regional Blueprint Fund” and has remained “dormant” thus far. In a letter dated April 13, 2009, the senators urged Paterson to "act immediately and clearly" so that the Upstate Regional Blueprint Fund can be used for investments in development projects.
”It is critical that the funds that have already been approved for the region be released by Governor Paterson and used for development projects that have already been planned,” said Senator Stachowski. “The Upstate Regional Blueprint Fund is a great first step to a long-term, strategic approach to creating a more business friendly environment for Upstate NY and will result in more jobs, attract new families, and stem the flight of our children to other states,” added Senator Stachowski.
The letter to Governor Paterson:
Dear Governor Paterson,
We are writing in the interest of preserving a focused economic development program for Upstate New York through preservation and programming of the $120 million Upstate Regional Blueprint Fund.
The Upstate Fund was designed to address a clear set of needs that have been repeatedly articulated since its inception in the 2008-09 Enacted Budget.
Despite an overwhelming need for an Upstate-focused economic development strategy, the Upstate Fund has continued to lie dormant.
Hundreds of Upstate stakeholders from labor to agriculture to business provided the input that was the genesis for the Upstate Fund. These stakeholders articulated the need for a focus on Upstate’s metropolitan cores and the significant lack of infrastructure needed to spur economic development.
Specifically, Upstate communities struggle with an inadequate number of “development-ready” sites, insufficient shovel-ready industrial parks, and stand-alone business locations are scarce. Urban centers do not provide quality buildings or sites that are ready for adaptive reuse or new construction.
The Upstate Regional Blueprint Fund must remain dedicated to Upstate New York as the first step in reversing the downward economic trend that Upstate has experienced for decades. We urge you to act immediately and clearly to protect the Upstate fund, and to move this valuable funding into investments quickly.
While preserving jobs is of the utmost importance, a strategic initiative to ensure continued and long term job growth is of equal importance and is sorely missing in our economic development strategy. We hope you will move quickly to issue these much needed funds in the form of grants.
“We need to put these funds to use. These funds represent a strategic approach to stimulating the Upstate economy. Investments in our downtowns and the creation of shovel ready sites will provide a long term approach to economic recovery by providing for business reinvestment, attraction and relocation from other states” added Senator Stachowski. “We must move quickly to release these funds.”
The letter was signed by Senator Stachowski (D 58th), Senator Antoine Thompson of Buffalo, Senator David Valesky of Syracuse, Senator Neil Breslin of Albany and Senator Darryl Aubertine of Watertown. Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith signed the letter as well.
Details on the Upstate Regional Blueprint Fund:
The $120M Upstate Regional Blueprint Fund (RBF) is proposed to support the following two initiatives:
Infrastructure Development - To drive investment in infrastructure where the marketplace cannot or will not do it and where the public sector investments will stimulate regional economies. Facilitate the construction of infrastructure to specific sites and/or buildings. Create shovel-ready
business parks and sites “on spec” where this capability has been lacking.
Downtown Strategic Redevelopment - This fund is to provide access to capital to real estate projects located in Central Business Districts or downtown gateways within Upstate, New York. Investments will focus on projects with significant private investment in targeted areas that support the goals of commercial district revitalization and/or historic architectural preservation. Program is intended to encourage private-sector investment in center-city revitalization efforts by concentrating development, building density and reducing the infrastructure costs associated with sprawl.
