SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND REVEAL CAPITAL REGION TO RECEIVE NEARLY $12 MILLION FOR LOCAL PROJECTS IN SOON-TO-PASS BIPARTISAN FUNDING PACKAGE; INCLUDES FUNDING FOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, BATTLING FOOD INSECURITY, SUPPORTING VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, INTERNET UPGRADES AND MORE

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand revealed that the Capital Region will receive nearly $12 million in funding from the omnibus funding package for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 for critical local projects.

“From Albany to Glens Falls these projects will revitalize our neighborhoods, spur economic growth, and build the future of the Capital Region,” said Senator Schumer. “This funding means jobs, new childcare programs, feeding the hungry, bridging the digital divide, cutting edge research, and so much more. I am proud to have secured this nearly $12 million investment and I will always fight to ensure the Capital Region gets the federal support it needs.”

“From supporting work to combat food insecurity to upgrading and strengthening local infrastructure to investing in health care, education and economic opportunities, this funding will lay the groundwork for the Capital Region’s future,” said Senator Gillibrand. “I am proud to have worked to secure these millions in funding to address some of the Capital Region’s most pressing problems and I’ll keep fighting to bring federal dollars back home.”

The senators said that these projects include:

$500,000 for Hunter Foundation Inc. in Tannersville. Funding will be used for a shovel-ready development of an incubator kitchen, the Food & Agriculture Culinary Hub, primarily in the build-out of the physical space the kitchen and classrooms will require to launch: capital improvements of an existing building, commercial grade kitchen equipment, and audio-visual equipment to be used for educational purposes.

$439,000 for the City of Glens Falls. Funding will be used to undertake a number of structural renovations and energy upgrades to its historic City Hall building, which houses not only the offices of city government, but also the Glens Falls Police Department, and the City Court system on the third floor.

$750,000 for Capital Roots, Inc., in Troy. Funding will be used for construction of Capital Roots’ Urban Grow Center Expansion. The project's multi-faceted features will provide facilities that will support an array of public services at the nexus of food access, environmental justice, urban development and economic revitalization.

$1,687,500 for the Town of Westerlo. Funding will be used to extend existing fiber routes to make fiber-delivered internet fast, reliable, and available to all residents of and businesses in Westerlo.

$1,000,000 for the University at Albany. Funding will be used to purchase a Next Generation RNA Technology Package which includes an Illumina NextSeq2000 sequencing platform and the Zeiss LSM 980 with Airyscan 2 technology confocal microscope system. The requested equipment will advance The RNA Institute's critical research, aid in the battle against SARS-CoV-2 variants, and support the efforts of hundreds of scientists throughout the region who depend on the Institute for its facilities, expertise, and leadership.

$3,000,000 for the City of Amsterdam. Funding will be used to design and engineer a pedestrian connector and multimodal transport station, increasing mobility and ease of access for residents.

$500,000 for the Albany County Sheriff Office. Funds will be used to expand the SHIP program from the current size of 50 beds to a 100 bed facility. This expansion will include remodeling of 50 old jail cells into 50 mini housing units for the residents, remodeling of the old jail wing and dayroom space to be less of a correctional space and more of a welcoming residential space.

$2,000,000 for the City of Amsterdam. Funding will be used for the rehabilitation of 149 East Main Street for use as a community center to be operated by the Boys and Girls Club of the Capital Area in partnership with Centro Civico. The Community Center will serve as a communal hub for arts, education and recreation activities.

$205,000 for Warren County Employment & Training Administration. Warren and Saratoga County partners will recruit, train, and open child care provider businesses to address child care gaps that are keeping parents out of the workforce and impacting businesses.

$800,000 for the City of Mechanicville. This funding will be used to repair and replace several miles of old and undersized water mains.

$960,000 for the Town of Rotterdam. Funding will be used for a capital improvement project at the Town of Rotterdam's wastewater treatment plant, which is over 70 years old and in need of rehabilitation.

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