SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND SECURE OVER $26 MILLION FOR CENTRAL NY IN FY24 APPROPRIATIONS BILLS TO BOOST STEM PROGRAMS FOR KIDS, UPGRADE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE, IMPROVE SYRACUSE AIRPORT, ENHANCE PUBLIC SAFETY & OTHER CRITICAL COMMUNITY PROJECTS
Schumer, Gillibrand: Fed $$$ Will Help Central NY Soar!
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced they have secured $26,134,857 for Central New York in Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations bills for to bolster childcare, upgrade water systems and other vital infrastructure improvements, and to invest in STEAM learning for underserved students in Syracuse.
The funding will be used for a number of vital and impactful projects including: constructing a 4-mile corridor to connect communities between the villages of Solvay and Geddes, classroom development at Syracuse’s Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science and Technology, making valuable improvements to Syracuse Hancock International Airport, and building a new ambulance station in Marathon.
“From helping the Syracuse airport grow to improving our aging water infrastructure to giving our first responders the tools they need to keep our communities safe, these projects will boost Central New York. I am proud to help deliver this $26-plus million in federal funding to increase quality of life for families across Central New York,” said Senator Schumer. “This funding will supercharge all corners of Central New York from Marathon to Oswego and Skaneateles to Morrisville, enhancing connectivity on the ground and in the skies, teaching our children the STEAM skills they need to build a thriving future, accelerating innovative technologies for 21st century agriculture, and so much more. I never stopped fighting for these projects because they will benefit all Central New Yorkers including businesses and families, cities and rural areas, nonprofit community groups and economic development projects.”
“Today, we are committing to putting millions toward bettering the lives of countless Central New York families. From bolstering youth engagement to growing STEM education to expanding access to clean drinking water, this $26 million will fund long-desired projects and help the area grow,” said Senator Gillibrand. “I’m proud to have fought to secure this funding, and I’ll continue to work tirelessly to make sure Central New York families, workers, and businesses have what they need to thrive.”
These projects include:
$5 million for the Town of Geddes to Create a Solvay-Geddes Connective Corridor
The Town of Geddes will use this funding to construct a 4.1-mile corridor along Charles Avenue in Solvay, Fay Road and Grand Avenue in Geddes, and connect historically disadvantaged communities like the Village of Solvay, West Onondaga Street, and Skunk City in Syracuse. Establishing the corridor will ease multimodal transit between the two locations and increase access to popular destinations like the New York State Fairgrounds, the Empire State Trail, and Lakeview Amphitheater.
$3 million for Syracuse Airport to Conduct Comprehensive De-Icing Rehabilitation
The Syracuse Airport will use this funding to improve and expand the de-icing pad used by commercial and private aircraft during the winter. The project will enable the airport to accommodate higher travel, tourism, and business demand and ensure aircraft depart on time consistently. More efficient de-icing operations will also allow the airport to improve its carbon footprint, met state and federal environmental regulations, and attract new air service.
$3 million for Syracuse Airport to Expand its Security Checkpoint
The Syracuse Airport will use this funding to expand its security checkpoint to accommodate peak traffic volume. Upgrading the security checkpoint’s capacity is critical given expected demand increases following investments from the CHIPS and Science Act in the surrounding area, and will expedite passenger visits to the airport. Security renovations will allow passengers more room to move about and wait with their luggage without possible safety concerns, while also providing the airport with the additional capacity to handle passenger growth over the next five years.
$2,806,857 million for Classrooms at the Discovery Center of Science and Technology
The Milton J. Rubenstein Museum’s Discovery Center of Science and Technology will use this funding to rehabilitate space in the eastern part of the museum for new STEM/STEAM educational programming for underprivileged students around Syracuse. The project will enable the museum to bring new classrooms and teaching resources to a wider variety of local students, including those from low-income communities.
$1,858,000 for the Town of Skaneateles Andrews Road Elevated Water Storage Tank and Pump System
The funding will be used for extending the water supply system to supply potable water to residents in the rural areas of Andrews Road and County Line Road in order to provide a reliable water supply to a growing residential area where people live and work. This will promote economic development by allowing for residential and commercial growth to support the region’s residential neighborhoods, agriculture sector, hotels and restaurants, and virtually all sectors of the economy which rely on water.
$1,360,000 to support SUNY Morrisville’s Robotic Dairy Milker project
The funding will be used to educate the future dairy workforce on the latest technology, increase the comfort of cows and the quality of milk produced from our commercial dairy farm, and provide solutions to labor costs and availability. The faculty partner directly with local dairy farmers so they can benefit from utilizing this equipment, learning about the technology, and incorporating this option as part of sustainable dairy plan for the future. By giving local farmers access to the latest modern technology, the project will bolster the regional dairy producers, which the Central NY economy depends on, strengthening the economy and allowing farmers to thrive in an increasingly competitive industry.
In addition to the above projects, Schumer and Gillibrand also highlighted the below community-led initiatives they secured funding for:
- $1.75 million for the Town of Constantia Northshore Sewer Project to construct a low-pressure sewer collection system to eliminate existing on-site private septic systems that are failing along the north shore of Oneida Lake and are contributing to the impairment of Oneida Lake.
- $1 million for the Onondaga County Department of Water Environment Protection to provide sanitary sewer service to the White Pines Industrial Park, supporting Micron's needs for early-phase project build-out.
- $1 million for the City of Syracuse Police Department to repair, maintain, and upgrade the current network of cameras and fund the installation of approximately 30 additional neighborhood locations.
- $1 million for the Town of Sullivan to create the Whitelaw Water District, serving residents who currently experience water quantity and quality issues from residential wells.
- $1 million for the Village of Hamilton to pay for part of the cost to replace the Village's aged public water mains located beneath NYS Route 12B concurrently with the NYS DOT's planned reconstruction of Route 12B through the Village.
- $1 million for the City of Oneida for process and electrical improvements within the Lake Street Pump Station to continue to reliably provide water to customers during high demand periods.
- $975,000 for the Marathon Area Volunteer Ambulance Corps New Ambulance Station and Community Pharmacy Project to build a much-needed new ambulance station to meet the demands of their rapidly expanding EMS operation and featuring adjacent retail space for a pharmacy chain that will eliminate the need for local residents to travel 15-18 miles for pharmacy access.
- $750,000 for the Town of Oswego Lakeshore Commercial Sewer District to construct a sewer collection system to serve businesses and residents along Lake Ontario, adjacent to SUNY Oswego and the City of Oswego, to eliminate failing onsite treatment systems, protect natural resources, promote business development and provide resiliency for this lakeshore commercial corridor.
- $415,000 for the Syracuse Police Athletic/Activities League, in partnership with the Syracuse City School District, to launch Phase 2 of the PAL Teen Program Expansion II with a focus on teens between the ages of 13-18.
- $220,000 for the Town of Geddes Police Department to purchase technology and equipment.
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