New York Construction Report staff writer
Long Island, the Mohawk Valley and the North Country will each receive $10 million for projects that address the housing crisis and bolster workforce development efforts.
“New York’s REDC Challenge Competition is just one of the ways that our state is empowering local leaders to transform their communities and unlock their economic potential,” Governor Kathy Hochul said. “This year’s winners crafted proposals to create housing, grow our workforce, and strengthen the talent pipeline, and thanks to state investment, REDCs in Long Island, the Mohawk Valley, and the North Country will get the resources they need to put those plans into action.”
Winning proposals include:
Long Island Regional Economic Development Council – to address a significant shortage of residential housing on Long Island. The proposed Long Island Forward program will encourage local municipalities to create “shovel ready” sites through targeted incentives to address this issue in a measurable way.
Mohawk Valley Regional Economic Development Council – to meet the region’s growing demand for tourism, agribusiness, and STEM-intensive industries, while prioritizing efforts to eliminate barriers to employment.
North Country Regional Economic Development Council – Through Next Move NY, the North Country REDC plans to fill the region’s anticipated workforce gap over the next 10 years by retaining transitioning soldiers and their spouses.
Ten proposals were evaluated by the Strategic Implementation Assessment Team, led by the Secretary of State.
“The 2023 REDC Challenge Competition seeks to catalyze economic development and growth within the State of New York,” said New York State Secretary of State Robert J. Rodriguez. “Three regions of our great and geographically diverse state have been selected to tackle the most pressing challenges within their communities.
“With a focus on housing, workforce development, and tourism, these strategic investments will strengthen the communities’ economic vision.”
The REDC Initiative has awarded over $7.9 billion to more than 9,900 projects since its inception in 2011. Through the ten REDCs, communities, businesses, academic leaders, and members of the public put their unique knowledge and understanding of local priorities and assets to work to deliver collaborative, community-driven economic development across New York State.
