Assemblyman Billy Jones (D-Chateaugay) announced that the North Country will receive $64.9 million through awards provided by the North Country Regional Economic Development Council (REDC).

“This state funding will help us continue moving forward as a region by strengthening our burgeoning tourism industry and improving our infrastructure,” said Jones. “The North Country will be able to draw new visitors and businesses while helping our local industries thrive.”

The funding will support a range of projects throughout the North Country, including:

• a museum residency training pilot program at the Wild Center in Tupper Lake to provide invaluable work experience for young adults;
• the renovation of the former Dew Drop Inn in Saranac Lake to create a culinary destination, including a restaurant, cooking school, event space and short-stay apartments;
• Elevate Plattsburgh, a smart growth project to develop a strategic revitalization plan along NYS Route 3; and
• the development of a hydrodynamic sediment transport model of the Salmon River in the town of Malone, which will help identify options for improving river flows to and over the dam, reduce sediment deposits and improve storage capacity.

“The North Country REDC has helped revitalize and reinvigorate our region,” said Jones. “The council’s hard work, including the tireless efforts of North Country Chamber of Commerce President Gary Douglas and Clarkson University President Anthony Collins, is bringing the North Country into a future full of opportunity.”