Empire State Development news and press releases

View report

New York is First State to lead a Statewide Pavilion at the 2023 Game Developers Conference State's Presence Will Help to Attract the Growing Digital Game Development Industry to New York Empire State Development (ESD) today announced that New York State has opened its first-ever pavilion at the Game Developers Conference, happening March 20-24 in San Francisco, California. The Game Developers Conference (GDC) is the preeminent conference for video game developers in the United States. New York is the first state in the nation to lead a statewide pavilion at the Game Developers Conference, which will include organizations representing government, higher education, and the gaming industry. Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “ESD is proud to lead the New York State pavilion at the Game Developers Conference as we work towards growing the video game industry in the Empire State.  With the new Digital Game Development Tax Credit Program currently underway and accepting applications, we encourage developers and this booming industry to discover what many industries already know – New York State not only open for business, it’s the best place to do business.” New York State is home to nearly 100 digital game development studios, supporting more than 11,000 jobs. As the world's largest game industry showcase, the Game Developers Conference offers the state and its partners an opportunity to meet and engage with industry stakeholders, introduce new audiences to the state's gaming assets, and encourage new gaming growth and connections. This event follows on the heels of the recently-launched the $25 million New York State Digital Game Development Tax Credit Program – one of the only dedicated digital game tax credit programs in the United States. The program is intended to attract and grow the digital game development industry and is designed to accelerate and attract economic development by offsetting some production costs associated with producing digital games in New York. Approved applicants receive tax credits of up to 25% of qualified production costs in New York City and 35% outside of the New York City metropolitan commuter transportation district. A minimum of 75% of the total production costs must be incurred and paid by the Applicant for work performed and/or services rendered in New York State. New York State Pavilion partners include: 1st Playable Geopipe NYC EDC New York City Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment New York University Polyhedron Productions Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rochester Institute of Technology Rushdown Studios SUNY Polytechnic Velan Studios Wolfjaw Mayor Adams’s administration is committed to growing NYC’s burgeoning Digital Games Industry. Under his leadership, the City has invested $2 million in The City University of New York (CUNY) to create the first-ever Bachelor's Degree program in Digital Game Design at City College of New York, which aims to drive inclusive growth by providing college students a public and affordable option for careers in the rapidly growing digital games industry and related fields. In addition, he created the first-ever Game Development Industry Council to advise the City's policies and programs in the digital games sector, and launched the NYC Minecraft Education Battle of the Boroughs for K-12 students, which will culminate in a Mayor's Cup tournament this summer. "We are thrilled to join NYS Empire State Development for a first in the nation, statewide-coordinated presence at this year’s Game Developers Conference to showcase all that New York has to offer to the digital games industry," said the NYC Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment Commissioner, Anne del Castillo. "As we work to transform New York into a global hub for digital games, we look forward to making our inaugural presence at the NYS Pavilion with our colleagues at NYC Economic Development Corporation to introduce new incentives, connect with innovative leaders in the industry, and spotlight the city's diverse indie game community through our 'Made in NY' arcade." “We are proud to support and participate in the first-of-its-kind New York State Pavilion at the 2023 Game Developers Conference. New York City is the epicenter of innovation, and now is the time to take the necessary steps to become a leader in the digital gaming space,” said New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) President and CEO Andrew Kimball. “We believe our physical assets, deep bench of creative talent, business attraction services, and policy offerings are unmatched for the gaming industry. We look forward to sparking new economic opportunities in this rapidly growing sector.” Chief of Staff and Director of Games Industry Relations at Rochester Institute of Technology MAGIC Center/MAGIC Spell Studios, Jenn Hinton said, “We are so excited to be back at GDC! The opportunity to participate in the NYS Pavilion is something that we have been looking forward to since before the pandemic. RIT is proud to be a founding partner of the NYS Pavilion and we are eager to demonstrate, along with our university and industry partners why now is the right time and why New York is the right place to be making games.” Administrative Coordinator of the Center of Excellence in Digital Game Development at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), Darian Shump said,  "RPI is extremely privileged to support the inaugural year of the NYS Pavilion at GDC. The Pavilion's been a long time in the making and its launch this year provides our students, the next generation of game development professionals in the State, with the opportunity to showcase their games on the (inter)national stage. For most of them, it'll be their first time attending -- and were it not for the support of ESD, as well as our fellow founding partners at NYU and RIT, none of it would've been possible." Assemblymember John T. McDonald III, RPh said, "It is welcome news that Empire State Development is opening its first-ever pavilion at the Game Developers Conference, building on the work that New York State has done to be a leader in the digital gaming industry. The New York State Pavilion partners include our local Capital Region gaming industry leaders who will bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to this event." About Empire State Development Empire State Development (ESD) is New York's chief economic development agency. The mission of ESD is to promote a vigorous and growing economy, encourage the creation of new job and economic opportunities, increase revenues to the State and its municipalities, and achieve stable and diversified local economies. Through the use of loans, grants, tax credits and other forms of financial assistance, ESD strives to enhance private business investment and growth to spur job creation and support prosperous communities across New York State. ESD is also the primary administrative agency overseeing the New York State Regional Economic Development Councils and the marketing of "I LOVE NY," the State's iconic tourism brand. For more information on Regional Councils and Empire State Development, please visit www.regionalcouncils.ny.gov and www.esd.ny.gov. Contact: Kristin Devoe | 518-414-1087 | [email protected] ESD Press Office | 800-260-7313 | [email protected]

Community Services for Every1 Named Preferred Developer for First Street Property USAN will Partner with State Parks to Stabilize Schoellkopf Hall USA Niagara Development Corporation (USAN) Board of Directors met today and approved items that will improve the quality of life and experience in Niagara Falls for both visitors and residents.  One item will help meet the city’s need for local housing and commercial spaces that will boost pedestrian activity.  A second item will help to structurally stabilize a historic property at a state park for future use. “We are very pleased to be working to expand opportunities for quality housing in Downtown Niagara Falls,” said USAN President Anthony Vilardo. “Rebuilding and revitalizing the city’s South End requires a diverse mix of places and spaces that will accommodate a range of residential, commercial and recreational uses. Community Services for Every1’s project on First Street is a strong signal that there is room for additional growth in a rebounding residential market, and we’re happy that it also supports Governor Hochul’s broader housing goals for New York State.” The USAN Board designated Community Services for Every1 (CSE1) as the preferred developer to undertake the First Street Apartment Building Redevelopment Project. The project, estimated to cost $35.8 million, involves the construction of a six-story, mixed-use building located on a portion of a USAN-owned property on the corner of First Street and Old Falls Street. The proposed building will have approximately 78 apartments and 4,700 square feet of commercial space occupied by the preferred developer. The proposed unit mix includes studio, one and two-bedroom units targeted to households earning up to 50-60% or 80-90% of the area median income. The proposed units will help meet the local need for new housing, while street-level commercial and community spaces will contribute to pedestrian activity and street life. CSE1 will use the ground-floor commercial space for job readiness and workforce development services that will benefit Niagara County residents with disabilities and their families. CSE1 will partner with Edgemere Development on the project. USAN and CSE1 will now negotiate the principal terms and conditions of a development agreement. These terms and conditions, as well as a General Project Plan (GPP), will be presented to the directors for their approval at a later date. “The commitment of USA Niagara to commercial and residential development in our downtown continues to expand the possibilities for growth,” said City of Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino.  “The new housing development on First Street will continue efforts to bring local residents into the downtown corridor, helping to spur further commercial development.” The USAN Board also authorized a Memorandum of Understanding with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) for the Schoellkopf Hall Stabilization Project.  Schoellkopf Hall at DeVeaux Woods State Park is on the State Register of Historic Places, and has also been nominated to the National Register of Historic Places.  Dedicated in 1930 as a dormitory for the now-defunct DeVeaux School and situated within the bounds of DeVeaux Woods State Park on the edge of the Niagara River, this stone and concrete building is an  example of 20th-century Collegiate Gothic institutional design that combines traditional Gothic design motifs with contemporary fireproofing and rational planning principles. Designed by prominent Rochester-based architect C. Storrs Barrows (who was a graduate of the DeVeaux School), its construction was funded by area philanthropist Paul A. Schoellkopf of the Buffalo, Niagara & Eastern Power Co. The building has been vacant since 1998 but the overall physical integrity of the building is considered to be relatively sound. Recognizing the historical and cultural significance of the project site and to expand the available recreational and tourism focused offerings, USAN and State Parks will partner in an effort to preserve and stabilize the site, as well as prepare it for future potential adaptive reuse. USAN’s portion of the project, in an amount not to exceed $1.5 million, will be provided to State Parks through New York State’s Regional Economic and Community Assistance Program (RECAP) with parks contributing $1 million toward the $2.5 million project. No USAN Corporate funds will be used for the project. “While DeVeaux Woods State Park is a state park it is more so a neighborhood park with an historic past so it is important that we preserve its stories so stabilizing this building for future use is a key component of those efforts,” said Mark V. Mistretta, Niagara Region Director for the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. “We are grateful to our partners at USAN for their support of this project.” The USAN Board of Directors also approved the Corporation’s operating and capital budgets for the fiscal year 2023-2024, as well as the proposed operating and capital budget requests for the Niagara Falls Convention Center and Old Falls Street for 2023.  2022 was the first year the Niagara Falls Convention Center was under the management of Destination Niagara and was the first time the NFCC generated an operation surplus in the facility’s existence.  This is significant, as only a few Convention Centers in the country generate an operation at surplus.  About USA Niagara Development Corporation USAN, a subsidiary of Empire State Development, is solely dedicated to the support and promotion of economic development initiatives in Niagara Falls by leveraging private investment and encouraging growth and renewal of the tourism industry in the City of Niagara Falls.  For more information, visit https://esd.ny.gov/usa-niagara-development-corporation-6. Contact: Laura Magee (USAN) | [email protected] | (716) 846-8239 | (800) 260-7313 Press Office | [email protected] | (800) 260-7313

Campaign Celebrates What Makes NYC Great and Empowers New Yorkers to Show their Love by Getting Involved Traducción al español Governor Kathy Hochul, Mayor Eric Adams, and the Partnership for New York City today launched "We ♥ NYC," a civic campaign to showcase the city's strengths and mobilize New Yorkers in every community to help ensure that New York remains the greatest city in the world and inspire New York City's post-pandemic resurgence. The citywide campaign will kick-off with a celebration of New Yorkers who are making a difference through community service and will identify volunteer opportunities that everyone can contribute to. "From its iconic views and vibrant arts and culture to its thriving businesses and world-class cuisine, New York City represents some of the best that our state has to offer," Governor Hochul said. "This We ♥ NYC campaign will help to capture that energy and preserve the city's spirit by encouraging New Yorkers of every background to come together, get involved, and make a positive change in their community." New York City Mayor Adams said, "This city overcame the darkest days of the pandemic because of the selfless work of everyday New Yorkers, and if each of us gives just one hour a week in an act of service, the result will be transformative. That is why I am proud to announce the launch of 'We ♥ NYC,' in partnership with Governor Hochul and the Partnership for New York City. The 'We ♥ NYC' campaign asks everyone who loves the greatest city in the world to show it by lending a helping hand and spreading that love to every block across all five boroughs." Read the full press release here.