Albany, NY – April 1, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — State Senator Joseph A. Griffo of Rome and Assemblyman Anthony Brindisi of Utica say the state’s approximately $142 billion budget for 2015-2016 includes $300 Million in funding for a new health care facility designed to serve residents of the Mohawk Valley for decades to come. The budget also increases funding for regional transit services, as well as funding vital economic development projects for the area.
“The Mohawk Valley currently has an aging health care infrastructure. This funding promotes a cooperative approach where officials at Faxton-St. Luke’s Hospital and St. Elizabeth Medical Center will work together to design a facility that will save money, and provide the best state-of-the-art services in one central location. This plan will help eliminate duplication, with the goal of providing efficient, quality health care,” Brindisi said.
“The delivery of quality acute health care is paramount to the welfare of our communities. Our local medical centers have already made difficult decisions in challenging financial times to improve how they provide their services, and so we are doing what we can through this funding to help them better meet the needs of the 21st century. While new facilities may be constructed, we should not overlook ways to still reuse the older buildings to provide valuable services,” Griffo said.
The two state legislators also pointed to several other items in the new budget they say will move the region’s economy forward:
- $1.5 Billion for the Upstate Revitalization Fund, a new competitive grant program that will provide funding for regional economic development projects.
- $500 Million to improve Broadband service to rural areas, such as the North Country.
- The budget includes $25 Million more for upstate transit services–$15 million to fund capital projects, and $10 million for operations. It includes an additional $25,000 requested by CENTRO.
- $3 Million in the new budget will fund economic development projects at the Griffiss Business and Technology Park, and at other former military facilities. This is additional money that was not included in the proposed Executive Budget for 2015-2016. Funding can be used for capital projects and other improvements at Griffiss and other former bases.
- $1 Million will help support the NUAIR Alliance’s Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) test site at the Griffiss International Airport in Rome. The test site became operational last year, and projections are that the testing operation will lead to several hundred new jobs in the Mohawk Valley region in the coming years. The appropriation will help fund data collection and other important functions at the test site.
“This budget is the result of the combined work and effort to find common ground that is sensitive to the needs of our communities, like better transportation and efficient health care, and that fosters real opportunities for better jobs and a better economic outlook,” Griffo said.
“The new state budget clearly provides the resources the Mohawk Valley needs to continue its economic growth. Improving transportation, developing an excellent health care system, and providing new, good-paying jobs will help the region move forward,” Brindisi said.
