State funds museum, waterfront development

    TRI-COUNTY AREA—Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the second round of funding, Wednesday, Dec. 19, for several area projects as part of the Regional Economic Development Councils initiative.
    Cuomo and the state legislature established New York’s 10 regional economic development councils as part of the 2011-12 state budget. The councils are aimed at putting in place a more locally based approach for distributing state economic development aid and guide the development of local economic development strategies that will compete for state assistance. The first round of funding was awarded last December.
    The Finger Lakes region, which includes Yates, Seneca, Ontario, Livingston, Wyoming, Wayne, Monroe, Orleans and Genesee Counties, received a total of $96.2 million for 76 projects. The largest in Yates County is $578,000 for the Finger Lakes Cultural & Natural History Museum to build a new aquarium destination, enhance its history of winemaking presentation, and offer a range of additional, regionally unique educational programming. Plans for the museum facility at Keuka Lake State Park include an exhibit-based museum and the aquarium. The project also includes a Discovery Campus at the former Branchport elementary school.
    The village of Penn Yan gets $490,000 for Keuka Lake Waterfront Development. Steve Griffin, Finger Lakes Economic Development Center director, said this will be used for infrastructure enhancement.
    A $200,000 grant goes to the Keuka Housing Council’s Dundee Revitalization Program to renovate homes.
     The town of Jerusalem was awarded $57,500 for a Wastewater Engineering Study and Waterfront Revitalization Strategy.
     Overall, $2 million in support was earmarked for a small business revolving loan fund for the nine Finger Lakes counties. The Pathstone Finger Lakes Enterprise Fund will provide essential credit to microenterprise and small businesses, particularly in underserved rural and urban communities, accelerating economic growth and community development.
    The Finger Lakes Wine Country Tourism Marketing Association gets $125,000 for promotion.
The Southern Tier Regional Council was awarded a total of $91.1 million for 62 projects. The council covers Schuyler, Steuben, Chemung, Tompkins, Tioga, Broome, Chenango, and Delaware Counties.
    The town of Wayne was awarded $134,600 to work on the Keuka Lake Watershed Land Use Planning Guide. The guide was established by the inter-municipal work and commitment of the six towns and two villages surrounding Keuka Lake, through their participation in the Keuka Lake.
    Land Use Leadership Alliance Training Program (LULA). This program is offered through the Land Use Law Center at Pace University with the assistance of the Genesee Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council, Cornell Cooperative Extension and through the benefit of the State of New York and the Keuka Lake Association.
    Another $150,000 for the Schuyler County Partnership for Economic Development to undertake Franklin Street redevelopment in the village of Watkins Glen.