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North Country wins $61.4M at REDC awards, including for Tupper hotel

A contingent from the North Country accepts a $61.4 million package of Regional Economic Development Council grants from state officials including Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul today at the Egg in Albany. At left center, North Country REDC co-Chairman Garry Douglas accepts a trophy from broadcast journalist Maria Bartiromo, who announced each of the award winners. (Photo provided by the governor's office)

A proposed hotel in downtown Tupper Lake, new wastewater disinfection systems in Saranac Lake and Bloomingdale, and restoration of a historic former Girl Scout camp on Upper Saranac Lake are among the projects awarded funding today in the sixth annual round of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Regional Economic Development Council competition.

The North Country was named an “awardee” and will take home $61.4 million in economic development funding for 77 projects. For the third consecutive year, the region came up short in its bid for “top performer” status, which is awarded each year to five of the 10 geographic regions in the state.

Tupper Lake

The Tupper Lake Crossroads Hotel was awarded $2 million. It had sought $3.5 million from the state.

The proposed 40-room, $10.2 million boutique hotel would be located at the corner of state Routes 3 and 30 in the heart of the Park Street business district. It would also include a restaurant, conference and meeting space, a pool, a fitness center and other amenities. The project is the brainchild of Betsy Lowe, the primary founder of the Wild Center nature museum, and Nancy Howard, a former owner of the Wawbeek resort on Upper Saranac Lake.

Tupper Lake Crossroads was one of 27 priority projects the North Country Regional Economic Development Council selected for potential funding earlier this year.

A proposed community-wide wood pellet heating system in Tupper Lake was also named a priority by the council, but the state didn’t fund it. The village had sought $1.4 million for the project.

The Wild Center was awarded $300,000 for a multi-media marketing campaign to bring more millenials to vacation in the region and to visit the natural history museum.

Friends of Eagle Island Inc. was awarded $498,825 to rehabilitate Eagle Island Camp, an Adirondack great camp and National Historic Landmark on Upper Saranac Lake between Tupper Lake and Saranac Lake. Electrical, water and sewer system upgrades are planned, allowing the property to operate as an “environmentally responsible camp for youth and a rustic retreat for families and small groups,” according to the REDC awards booklet.

Saranac Lake

This village will receive $2.5 million to install a new disinfection system for its water pollution control plan. The system will fully treat the plant’s effluent water, reducing environmental contamination, according to the REDC awards booklet. The village was separately awarded $30,000 for project engineering.

The village won $49,500 to complete an arts master plan and $75,000 to put toward hosting the World Snowshoe Federation Championships in February.

The state did not fund a $500,000 village request for facade renovation and related construction of a restaurant and bar at the former Dew Drop Inn. However, a regional downtown revitalization grant will help pay to extend the River Walk through the Dew Drop’s future deck over the Saranac River.

“We did pretty good,” village Community Development Director Jeremy Evans said. “It looks like we got five out of six of our submissions. It’s really disappointing about the Dew Drop, but all things considered, when you look at the big picture as a village, we can’t be disappointed.”

Cycle Adirondacks, a program of the Saranac Lake-based chapter of the Wildlife Conservation Society, was awarded $75,000 for a marketing campaign to promote the event.

BluSeed Studios was awarded $54,500 for a professional arts educator development program.

Lake Placid

The town of North Elba will use $420,000 it was awarded today for drainage improvements on Mount Whitney Road and Mirror Lake Drive.

Among other Lake Placid-area projects, Lake Placid-Essex County Quality Destination, a subsidiary of the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism, was awarded $50,000 to help host the new Ironman 70.3-mile triathlon in September of next year.

Cascade Cross Country Ski Center, owned by the Jubin family, won two grants, for $42,000 and $40,000, to be used for snowmaking and tourism infrastructure improvements. In addition, Forever Wild Beverage Company, owned by Cascade manager Jennifer Jubin, was awarded $18,000 to construct a new production facility in downtown Lake Placid.

Elsewhere

The town of St. Armand will receive $642,913 to install a disinfection system for the town’s wastewater treatment plant, which serves the Bloomingdale area. It also was awarded a $19,200 engineering grant for the project.

The Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake was awarded two grants. The museum was awarded $125,000 to develop, market and launch a new Halloween-inspired festival in October 2017, and it plans to use $49,500 for a new Native American Art Fair, slated to launch in 2018.

The museum did not get a $1 million grant it sought to convert an existing building into a dedicated space for Adirondack art.

Mid-Hudson Region — top performer, $83.3 million

Capital Region — top performer, $83.1 million

Mohawk Valley — top performer, $81.9 million

Finger Lakes — top performer, $80.5 million

New York City — top performer, $80.2 million

Central New York — awardee, $62.2 million

Long Island — awardee, $62 million

Western New York — awardee, $62 million

North Country — awardee, $61.4 million

Southern Tier — awardee, $60.4 million

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