The village of Tupper Lake, seen here in May, is one of several villages and towns to receive funding from the state's Regional Economic Development Council awards. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Cerbone)

Millions of dollars in state funding was awarded to Tri-Lakes area towns on Tuesday in the latest round of the state’s Regional Economic Development Council awards.

Among the projects getting state money are several museum expansions — Historic Saranac Lake, The Wild Center in Tupper Lake, Six Nations Iroquois Cultural Center in Onchiota. The villages of Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake, the towns of Tupper Lake and St. Armand, and the private developers of the former Oval Wood Dish factory, were also awarded funding for projects.

The state awarded a total of $196 million to 488 projects throughout the state in its 11th round of REDC awards. The REDC awards were created in 2011. Every year, regional councils established by the state meet and piece together “priority projects” to submit to the state for possible funding. Since 2011, the state has doled out hundreds of millions of dollars in grants and tax credits through the REDC awards to projects throughout the state.

“The economic toll of the pandemic has been felt in every corner of the state, which is why we must ensure that our equitable economic recovery does the same,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement. “This new round of funding, rooted in a bottom up approach that partners with local leaders and utilizes unique regional strengths, will be another important tool as we work to transform communities across New York State into places where people will want to live, work and visit for generations to come.”

State Assemblyman Billy Jones, D-Chateaugay Lake, said his district, Assembly District 115, got $8,233,130 altogether.

“This is a great news for our region, and I look forward to seeing these projects come to fruition,” Jones said in a statement.

The Adirondack Mountain Club in Lake Placid, which is not in Jones’ district, also won $500,000 toward its purchase of the Cascade Cross Country Ski Center.

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Museums

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Historic Saranac Lake was awarded $500,000 to put toward rehabilitating its Trudeau Building into a museum.

The building was the former home and medical practice of Dr. Edward Livingston Trudeau — the man who made Saranac Lake a go-to place for tuberculosis treatment in the late 19th century.

The money comes from the New York Main Street program through the state Homes and Community Renewal office.

The Wild Center, a natural history museum in Tupper Lake, got $650,475 to market new exhibits, special programs and events aimed at increasing tourism in Tupper Lake. The Wild Center’s “More to Explore: Build Back Better” marketing plan is a two-year plan seeking to “rebuild” audiences lost during the pandemic while attracting new visitors. The museum is planning to expand its year-round indoor and outdoor exhibits and programs. The money comes from Empire State Development’s Market NY project.

The Six Nations Iroquois Cultural Center in Onchiota got $150,000 to use on Phase II of construction on a new building for its museum and exhibits, which showcase the history and stories of native residents of the Adirondacks. The center is seeking to draw in more visitors and offer an enhanced visitor experience. The grant for this museum will also come from Empire State Development’s Market NY project.

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Local government projects

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The village of Tupper Lake was awarded $337,492 to put toward improvements to the Municipal Park and waterfront on the shore of Raquette Pond, including the baseball field where the Riverpigs baseball team plays.

The village is planning to install new floating docks on the shore to provide boaters easier access to downtown restaurants and shops.

It is also planning to enhance the 1930s-era baseball grandstand by painting the exterior, installing a historic sign and erecting an outfield scoreboard.

This money comes from the Department of State’s Local Waterfront Revitalization Program.

The village of Saranac Lake got $30,000 to improve its wastewater collection system by evaluating where water and debris may be entering water lines.

The money will fund an engineering report to identify sources of inflow and infiltration in the Margaret Street and Ampersand Avenue areas and evaluate alternatives.

This money comes from the state Environmental Facilities Corporation’s Engineering Planning Grant.

The town of Tupper Lake got $346,050 to map out highways and public works infrastructure in the region. The town and “partner local governments” will have access to these funds.

“This will assist with asset management, budgeting and planning,” according to the state’s REDC awards booklet.

This money comes from Department of State’s Local Government Efficiency Program.

The town of St. Armand got $34,719 to spend on its first comprehensive plan, which will guide future development within the community.

According to the state’s announcement, this plan, aided by the state’s Smart Growth program, will “address current opportunities for growth, evaluate existing assets and local resources and outline priorities for future development.”

This money comes from the Department of State’s Smart Growth program.

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OWD

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The developers of the Oval Wood Dish factory got $2.5 million to redevelop the 110,000-square-foot, eight-building complex into a site for mixed-income apartments, market-rate apartments, offices and businesses — housing up front, business in the back.

This money, already announced last month, will come from Empire State Development.