NYC: Loser, Long Island: Winner in State Funding Contest

ALBANY-Long Island was among the winning regional councils to secure top funding from Gov. Andrew Cuomo's Regional Economic Development Council funding initiative, while New York City and the Mid-Hudson Valley regions did not fare as well.

Gov. Cuomo and a host of dignitaries from across the state were on hand on Wednesday at a ceremony in Albany to announce the third round funding awards of the state's regional councils. New York City was awarded $57.4 million, the Mid-Hudson was granted $59.6 million, while Long Island landed $83 million in economic development funding. In total, Gov. Cuomo announced $715.9 million in funding through the state's Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) process.

Among the New York City projects to receive funding include $3.5 million to support infrastructure improvements near the St. George's Ferry Terminal to encourage new mixed-use development there. The project will consist of the construction of a multi-purpose retail outlet center, hotel, restaurants, event space, parking, and state-of-the-art outdoor features, such as green roofs, waterfront plazas and esplanade. Other funded projects were: $1.5 million for construction improvements at Lighthouse Point, which will consist of the construction of waterfront esplanade including retail shops, restaurants, a hotel, and nearly 100 residential units housed in historic buildings along a waterfront esplanade. The state is also granting $500,000 to the New York Botanical Gardens in the Bronx for program expansion and improved accessibility for visitors and residents; $225,000 to the Alliance for Coney Island, for improvements to its tourism initiative “The One and Only Coney,” and $250,000 to establish the Queens Tech Incubator at the Schutzman Center for Entrepreneurship at Queens College.