Upstate Hunger Games: The Districts
REDC CO-CHAIRS
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JOEL SELIGMAN |
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DANNY WEGMAN |
| Rochester fiscal stress score: 14.2% | ||||
| Building off of the state and federal government’s initial investment in photonics in Rochester, the Finger Lake region’s plan focuses on other specific areas of optics, imaging and laser technology. Because the region produces about a quarter of the state’s agricultural output, the plan also focuses on food production, sustainable farming and agri-tourism. The plan touts progress with the Eastman Business Park, the Rochester Downtown Innovation Zone and the Western New York Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park and argues the funding would expand growth in these hubs and support other emerging centers over the next five years. | ||||
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ROB SIMPSON |
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KENT SYVERUD |
| Syracuse fiscal stress score: 25.8% | ||||
| The CNY Rising plan aims to capitalize on growing global market opportunities, particularly in unmanned systems, with an initial focus on the testing, development and manufacturing of unmanned aerialsystems. To expand on the state’s agriculture business, the region’s plan would create a “Grown in NY” certification and global brand for state products and would launch an effort to build an aseptic food packaging facility to extend the shelf life of state products. To help the area’s economygrow, the plan proposes enhancing the availability of seed capital and will focus on job creation for veterans and minorities. | ||||
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HARVEY STENGER |
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TOM TRANTER |
| Binghamton fiscal stress score: 20.8% | ||||
| The Southern Tier’s plan aims to promote advanced manufacturing, health care, culture and high-tech development. Revitalized urban centers, such as Binghamton, Johnson City and Endicott, will capitalize on public-private collaborations and the growing presence of Binghamton University and become “innovation districts.” It proposes a mix of projects to develop agriculture technology to grow and transform agriculture and food production, processing and distribution across the region while strengthening links to tourism and manufacturing. A program to promote the region’s quality of life and capacity for innovation would be developed and implemented. | ||||
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JAMES BARBA |
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ROBERT JONES |
| Albany fiscal stress score: 67.5% | ||||
| The Capital 20.20 plan aims to invest in the health-tech and clean-tech industries, arguing New York’s modern high-tech growth was largely written in the Capital Region. Leveraging the 20-plus universities and colleges in the region, the plan calls for an investment in education to remedy skills shortages. The plan focuses on investment in six urban areas – Albany, Glens Falls, Hudson, Saratoga, Schenectady and Troy– tosupportsmall businesses and tackle blight in challenged neighborhoods, while connecting workers to jobs and improving transportation equity. | ||||
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ANTHONY COLLINS |
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GARRY DOUGLAS |
| Plattsburgh fiscal stress score: 41.3% | ||||
| The North Country’s plan aims to install cutting-edge automated food production systems in greenhouses to transform the way food is grown in the United States, which would help create 175 jobs and focus on hiring veterans. Because of Lake Placid’s Olympic heritage, the plan aims to position the region to be the only location in the world to host a third Winter Olympic Games to attract other international sporting events. Additionally, the proposed Laurentian Aerospace project would be the first in the U.S. to utilize an automated docking system for the maintenance of wide-bodied aircraft. | ||||
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ROBERT GEER |
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LAWRENCE GILROY III |
| Utica fiscal stress score: 51.3% | ||||
| Mohawk Valley’s plan aims to build new regional wealth through technological and STEM-related industries, such as nanotechnology, cybersecurity and unmanned aerial systems, with the goal of doubling the number of STEM jobs by 2030. The region’s industrial base has kept pace with dairy processing and so the plan seeks to invest in next-generation farmers and close the skills gap between hard-to-place workers and agricultural, craft brewing and food processing opportunities. The expansion in craft food and beverage would lead to increased tourism, with the goal of adding 50 new tourism firms by 2020. | ||||
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DENNIS MURRAY |
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LEONARD SCHLEIFER |
| Yonkers fiscal stress score: 60.4% | ||||
| To stimulate job creation and prevent youth flight, the Mid-Hudson region’s plan calls for downtown revitalization at many river, hilltop and cross-roads urban centers. Because of its proximity to New York City, the plan aims to make the region a premier tourist destination by investing in Stewart International Airport and to market the Culinary Institute of America as a tourist destination similar to Napa Valley. To increase job creation, the plan aims to develop requirements for paid internships and hard-to-place workers while fostering an innovative culture and boosting private-sector investment. | ||||