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Saranac brewery in Saranac Lake?

SARANAC LAKE — Though brief, village Mayor Clyde Rabideau mentioned the idea of the Saranac beer brand, based in Utica, setting up shop in Saranac Lake, during an economic development meeting Tuesday.

The North Country Regional Economic Development Council presented a proposal and progress report to the Strategic Implementation Assessment Team in Rome, near Utica in New York.

The SIAT, which is a group led by Empire State Development, reports on how state grant money would be best spent in each of New York’s 10 economic districts.

The NCREDC presenters included North Country Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Garry Douglas, Clarkson University President Anthony Collins, Rabideau, Wild Center Executive Director Stephanie Ratcliffe and Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism President and CEO Jim McKenna.

The group separated North Country top priorities, achievements and goals into eight sections: the natural beauty of the Adirondacks and the surrounding area, the military importance of Fort Drum, tourism, partnerships and relations with Canada, global sporting events, infrastructure and broadband, downtown economies and revitalization, and manufacturing bases with strategic clustering.

In short, the presentation boiled down to this: The state of New York gives us money, this is what we’ve done with it, and this is why we want more.

The NCREDC spent plenty of time highlighting important achievements in the last few years, such as Lake Placid winning the World Winter University Games for 2023, Saranac Lake winning a 2018 Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant from Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office, phase 1 completion of the Frontier Town tourism hub in North Hudson, the North Country’s multiple airports such as Plattsburgh and Watertown, medical advancements at Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, the success of manufacturing plants that specialize in train and aerospace equipment, and the reopening of the Hotel Saranac in Saranac Lake.

The Hotel Saranac “is an incredible gem in the North Country region,” Douglas said, “supporting tourism and economic development.”

“It has given the downtown back its heart,” Rabideau added, “and attracted a new generation of younger investors.” After several years of being closed and then several years of renovation, the hotel reopened in January with help from a $5 million REDC grant pledge.

As far as the Tri-Lakes go, Saranac Lake was the big topic of discussion.

“My kids always say, ‘It’s so nice here,'” Rabideau said. “There are a lot of family businesses. Saranac Lake is almost like a throwback to downtowns from decades ago.”

Other projects that Rabideau said are in the works for the village are new thoroughfares, an expected resort on Lake Flower, a new Pendragon Theatre on Woodruff Street and a satellite location of Saranac brewing.

Saranac is the most popular beer brand made by the F.X. Matt Brewing Company of Utica. It’s common for Saranac Lakers to have to explain to visitors that the Saranac brewery isn’t located in the village, nor is it in Saranac, a town about 40 minutes northeast. The brewery visitors are looking for is nearly three hours’ drive southwest.

Rabideau didn’t immediately responded to questions from the Enterprise.

In previous interviews, McKenna has spoken about how major sporting events are not only exciting, but can garner funding and grant monies for non-sports-related aspects. As Lake Placid and surrounding communities gear up for the 2023 Winter World University Games among other sporting events, top concerns are improved infrastructure, broadband internet and updated sports facilities.

“It has the footprint of an Olympic Games,” McKenna said of the Universiade, as the World University Games are called. “New York has been growing rapidly in world of global sports. Events like the University Games expose not only the North Country but New York state globally on a regular basis.”

For Tupper Lake, Ratcliffe highlighted the importance of the Wild Center museum and its Wild Walk, which opened in 2016 with REDC funding aid.

“Since then, attendances has tripled, and staffing has increased by one-third,” she said. “We’ve also seen a $22 million economic impact on the region in that time.”

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