Published: October 18, 2009 12:56 am      

MONEY: Upstate dollars bypass Niagara County

DEVELOPMENT: State says Niagara still in running

for future funds.

By Mark Scheer

mark.scheer@lockportjournal.com

A spokesperson for Gov. David Paterson said this week that Niagara County’s failure to qualify for the initial round of funding under a new upstate revitalization program should not be viewed as an indication that local efforts to secure some of those dollars have been ignored.

Earlier this week, Paterson announced the delivery of $17.5 million as part of the initial round of grants under the Upstate Regional Blueprint Fund. The money will be used to support a total of 15 projects upstate, including three in Western New York. None of the authorized projects are located in Niagara County.

A total of $4.6 million was allocated for the area, including: $500,000 for K-Technologies, Inc., a Massachusetts high-tech manufacturer that is looking to relocate to Blasdell; $400,000 for a rehabilitation effort at the old AM&A’s warehouse in Buffalo; and $2.4 million to support site improvements and road construction at Buffalo’s Lakeside Commerce Park.

Morgan Hook, a spokesperson for Paterson, said projects announced by the governor this week represent the first of four rounds of funding associated with the program which includes a total of about $120 million for upstate revitalization projects. Hook said Niagara County remains in the running for upstate funds in future rounds.

“There are several projects in Niagara County that remain in consideration for round two,” Hook said.

Niagara County economic development officials were aggressive last year in efforts to secure money for capital projects through the Regional Blueprint program, which was originally announced by former Gov. Eliot Spitzer as part of a plan to stimulate growth in Western New York and surrounding areas.

In preparation for the release of funds back in March 2008, county officials developed a “wish list” containing nearly $64 million in projects they felt were worthy of consideration by the state. The county was among the first in the state to submit a formal request for funding which it hoped to use to support various infrastructure improvements, Wi-Fi development, marketing efforts and other local projects. County lawmakers also lobbied Paterson for continued support of the program following Spitzer’s departure from office.

Specific projects identified by the county as part of its package to the state include:

n $15.3 million in countywide infrastructure improvements, including $1.5 million for the former Roblin Steel site in North Tonawanda, $2.2 million to build a 30,000 square-foot building for distribution and manufacturing companies at the Town of Lockport Industrial Park, and $1.4 million to demolish abandoned buildings at the former Lockport Air Force Station, Nike site on Routes 31 and 425 in Cambria.

n $300,000 in assistance for ongoing county marketing campaigns aimed at drawing investors to the area from Canada and water-starved states to the south.

n $9 million in brownfields redevelopment funding, including up to 75 percent, or $9 million, of the total anticipated cleanup cost for landfill No. 1 in Lockport.

n $1 million to support the Niagara County Agribusiness Fund.

n $20,000 for the development of Wi-Fi at the Town of Lockport’s industrial park and in Newfane and Royalton.

n $24.3 million for priority road and highway improvement projects, including $9.8 million for the proposed West Somerset Road reconstruction in Somerset.

n $2.25 million for environmental projects, including the Olcott Harbor breakwater and the Cayuga Creek watershed plan.

Contact reporter Mark Scheer

at 282-2311, ext. 2250.