Empire State Development news and press releases

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.

Award Comes from The New York Entertainment Workforce Diversity Grant Program Funded through New York State’s Film and Television Tax Credit Empire State Development (ESD) today announced that the LaGuardia Community College Film Training Program has been awarded $205,000 through the New York Entertainment Workforce Diversity Grant Program which was developed to incentivize job creation and training programs that support efforts to recruit, hire, promote, retain, develop, and train a diverse and inclusive workforce for New York’s motion picture and television industry. The funding comes from a 0.5% portion of the Film and Television tax credit. Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “The film and television industry is an important sector of New York’s economy that provides good jobs to tens of thousands of residents throughout the state. We are committed to ensuring that all New Yorkers, especially those who traditionally have been left behind, are able to get sought after skills and training and excel in New York.” LaGuardia Community College President Kenneth Adams said, “LaGuardia Community College is located in Western Queens, a hub for film and entertainment production since the silent movie era. Our new relationship with Empire State Development will enable us create workforce development opportunities for students who are interested in the film and television industry and allow us to build a strong partnership with IATSE Local 52.” The LaGuardia Community College Film Training Program will serve 40 unemployed and underemployed individuals offering a three-pronged training program that will match participants’ skill set to existing job opportunities, align training to the needs of local regional employers, and embed counseling and advisement throughout the program. The program will run two cohorts of 20 students each focusing on training for entry level employment film production assistance in electrical, grip, or prop design. The training will take place across approximately 112 hours per cohort and will be in partnership with IATSE Local 52. The LaGuardia Community College Film Training program is based off the successful Bronx Community College (BCC) Film Production Training Program and was the inspiration for the New York Entertainment Diversity Grant program. The BCC program demonstrated that universities, unions, and studios could successfully partner to increase the diversity of the entertainment workforce. The BCC program focused on training students form under-represented backgrounds in the film and television industry in IATSE Local 52 trade crafts and provide a path to employment in the industry. The BCC program is resuming in the Spring with the original cohort of students returning to train with the Local 52 instructors in the grip and electrical fields. The New York Entertainment Workforce Diversity Grant Program is designed to incentivize job creation and training programs that support efforts to develop and train a diverse and inclusive workforce in the motion picture and television industry. The program makes 1:1 matching grants from $25,000 to $500,000 available to eligible programs in film and television development and editing. Proposed programs must address the grant program’s goals of providing opportunities for diverse workers and/or those located in economically distressed areas of New York State. Applications are being accepted at esd.ny.gov/new-york-entertainment-workforce-diversity-grant-program. John Ford, IATSE Local 52, said, “Local 52 looks forward to assisting BCC and LaGuardia in providing quality candidates to the New York production crew database. Special thanks to the Governor and Legislature in addressing these important programs.” 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. About LaGuardia Community College LaGuardia Community College (LAGCC), located in Long Island City, Queens offers more than 50 degrees and certificates, and more than 65 continuing education programs to educate New Yorkers seeking new skills and careers. As an institution of the City University of New York (CUNY), the College reflects the legacy of our namesake, Fiorello H. LaGuardia, the former NYC mayor beloved for his advocacy of underserved populations. Since 1971, LaGuardia’s academic programs and support services have advanced the socioeconomic mobility of students while providing them with access to a high quality, affordable college education. Contact: Kristin Devoe | [email protected] | 518-414-1087 ESD Press Office | [email protected] | 800-260-7313

The Empire State Jobs Retention Program was created to provide financial incentives to retain strategic businesses and jobs that are at risk of leaving the state due to the impact on business operations from a natural disaster. Below please find charts A & B of the quarterly program report detailing businesses admitted to the program and credits issued for the third quarter, ending 12/31/2022. Empire State Jobs Retention Program Quarterly Report - Chart A: Businesses Admitted To Program Empire State Jobs Retention Program Quarterly Report- Chart B: Credits Issued