Details emerge about spending priorities for North Country’s $103 million development fund

State officials have released this partial list of which projects will get immediate funding through the North Country Regional Economic Development grant process award, unveiled yesterday:

  • Rehabilitation of 46.25 miles of the rail line serving the Newton Fall Fine Paper, Benson Mines and Slack Chemical — $9.97 Million (St. Lawrence County)
  • Expansion of the Bombardier Mass Transit Corporation’s production facility and extension of the railcar test track to increase efficiency, flexibility and capacity for new contracts — $2.5 Million (Clinton County)
  • Development of a destination boutique hotel along the south shore of the St. Lawrence River in Clayton — $2.25 Million (Jefferson County)
  • Modernize laboratory medical facilities and hire additional scientists to explore disease protection techniques at Trudeau Institute — $1.2 Million (Franklin County)
  • Redevelopment of the former Lyons Falls Paper Mill site to make it shovel-ready for mixed use as a business park — $330,000 (Lewis County)
  • Expansion of broadband access throughout Hamilton County — $4 Million (Hamilton County)
  • Rehabilitation of a combined wastewater and stormwater sewer system in the Town of Ticonderoga — $598,575 (Essex County)

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3 Comments on “Details emerge about spending priorities for North Country’s $103 million development fund”

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  1. Paul says:

    “Rehabilitation of 46.25 miles of the rail line serving the Newton Fall Fine Paper, Benson Mines and Slack Chemical — $9.97 Million (St. Lawrence County)”

    What is this? I thought that Benson Mines was an abandoned mine. Are these other two going entities? Or is this our “bridge” to nowhere?

    If there are broadband customers in Hamilton county why doesn’t a broadband company pay for this?

  2. Pete Klein says:

    Paul, your question about broadband in Hamilton County could just as easily be asked about roads, electricity and telephone service in Hamilton County. When it comes to sparsely populated areas, the cost of the service is high on a per person (customer) ratio without some help from the government.
    Businesses like to say they provide a service and in deed the do. The problem is that business is in business to make money and the services provided is just a means to an end. They really don’t care about you, me or anyone else. This is one of the main reasons why we have governments.
    If you look at the cell phone situation nationwide and not just in the Adirondacks, it is clear the cell phone companies are in no hurry to provide service in rural, low population areas until they are forced to do so.

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