IAED Attends NYSEDC Summer IDA Academy

IAED’s Heather McDaniel, Kellea Bauda, and Ina Arthur joined over 40 attendees at the NYS Economic Development Council (NYSEDC) Summer IDA Academy in Binghamton. Heather presented the Workforce Housing Policy on a panel of case studies, and then the trio attended sessions on legislative and policy updates, public relations, downtown revitalization, and regional site preparation. Heather has been a member of NYSEDC’s Board of Directors since 2019.

Ithaca Downtown Conference Center Hosts Ribbon Cutting

The Ithaca Downtown Conference Center and the Asteri apartment complex is open for business! The $100 million, state-of-the-art venture includes a fully electric conference center and affordable housing complex with 181 units, 40 of which support people who have experienced homelessness. The facility expects to draw 63,000 visitors annually with wide-ranging benefits to downtown retail, restaurants, and hotels. The Tompkins County IDA supported this project in 2020.

At a recent ribbon-cutting attended by federal, state, and local officials and partners, IAED’s president, Heather McDaniel, delivered remarks focused on “PC: Partnership and Collaboration.” Other distinguished speakers at the event were Robert Cantelmo from the City of Ithaca, Antonio Delgado (NYS Lieutenant Governor), RuthAnne Visnaukis (Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner), Lea Webb (NYS Senate), Anna Kelles (NYS Assembly), Jennifer Tavares (Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce), and Rick Manzardo (Vecino Group).

MIP Broadband Winners Announced, Include Dryden and Caroline

Winners of the first tranche of money from the state’s recently minted ConnectALL Office to connect all New Yorkers to high-speed broadband internet were announced recently. Approximately $70 million will be awarded through the Municipal Infrastructure Program (MIP) to construct 800 miles of infrastructure and connect 25,000 homes and businesses. The MIP was based on successful pilots of publicly owned, open access fiber, including the Towns of Dryden and Caroline and Southern Tier Network.

Governor Hochul’s press release >>

$200 Million Available for Downtown Revitalization Initiative / NY Forward Program

Governor Hochul recently announced the launch of the eighth round of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) and the third round of its sister program, NY Forward, aimed at smaller, more rural communities. This year, DRI will invest $100 million in 10 communities selected by the Regional Economic Development Councils, bringing the total amount of funding allocated for all rounds of DRI and NY Forward to $1.2 billion since their inception. Municipalities designated as Pro-Housing Communities are eligible to apply; applications are due Friday, October 18^th at 4 pm.

More information:

• DRI Round 8 >>
• NY Forward Round 3 >>