While neither the governor, nor his representatives provided any specifics about the proposals, such as the amount of investment the state plans to make in the Westchester and New York City Centers of Excellence and where those centers would be housed, local officials were heartened by the news.

The governor said in his speech that he is proposing moving forward with a Center of Excellence in Westchester with "leading institutions like New York Presbyterian Hospital, Cornell and Columbia universities, New York Medical College and companies like IBM and General Electric."

In discussing his proposed Center of Excellence in New York City, the governor said the state would partner with Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Columbia University and New York University and other medical research institutions.

To date, New York State has five Centers of Excellence in Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Long Island. Thus far, according to Joe Conway, a spokesman for Governor Pataki, the state has invested a total of $250 million in its Centers of Excellence that have reaped more than $1 billion in public and private investment.

When asked by GlobeSt.com to provide some specifics regarding the proposed Westchester and New York City centers, Conway said, "Additional details will be forthcoming in the days ahead." He did note that the state's funding of the centers also looks to leverage commitment from the federal government as well as private sources.

In Westchester, New York Presbyterian Hospital has proposed a biomedical research center on its White Plains campus. The first phase of that project would cost approximately $260 million, according to Dr. William Polf, senior vice president of external relations for the hospital. The hospital plans to include the participation of Columbia and Cornell medical schools as well as with IBM and General Electric in a 380,000-square-foot new building. The project has been approved by the City of White Plains.

Commenting on the governor's proposal, Dr. Polf says, "Westchester is such a strategic location and it is amazing that it hadn't been included as yet. His statement today is a clear recognition of that." He adds that the hospital is not aware as yet how much funding its project will receive, but notes that the governor's statement "shows he is interested in us." Dr. Polf notes that the hospital is in discussions with various partners and hopes to obtain all the necessary funding to break ground on the venture sometime this year.

The governor also mentioned New York Medical College as a possible participant in the Center for Excellence in Westchester. The college is located on the grounds of the Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla where Westchester County is looking to develop a biotech complex that could total as much as one million sf on 60 vacant acres of land.

According to a spokesman for Westchester County's Office of Economic Development, the county is holding talks with several interested developers on the project and hopes to make a final selection of the lead developer on the venture in the near future.