Hauppauge, NY - December 10, 2015 - Today , the Long Island region was awarded $30.1 million in Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) Awards .  New York State’s Regional Councils were created by Governor Cuomo in 2011 in an effort to jumpstart the economy and create jobs.  This initiative has redesigned the state's approach to economic development from a top-down model to a community-based, performance-driven approach where community, business and academic leaders develop strategic plans tailored to their region’s unique strengths and resources in order to spur economic development.

“This is great news for several critical projects to create jobs in Suffolk County, including several that are part of the Innovation Zone,”  stated County Executive Bellone.  “I would like to thank Governor Cuomo for his leadership and the members of the Long Island Regional Economic Development Council for their steadfast commitment to supporting projects that will grow and strengthen our economy.” 

Notable Suffolk County projects which were awarded funding by the REDC:

$1.8M—BNL Discovery Park- Brookhaven Science Associates-will create a public-private research campus and regional hub for scientific innovation, economic development and STEM education

$1.5M—Nicolls Rd Multimodal -Suffolk County will design and engineer a Hiking Biking Trail to compliment the Nicholls Road Multi-Modal Corridor

$350K—Welcome Center at the Farm in Yaphank-Suffolk County will build an Agricultural Tourist Center in the county owned farm in Yaphank to be used as a “Welcome Center” and administrative offices for the Cornell Cooperative Extension

$1M—Decentralized wastewater treatment-Suffolk County  Department of Economic Development and Planning –Suffolk County will construct a decentralized wastewater treatment facility to treat waste from five mobile home parks.  The facility will eliminate failing on-site septic systems and reduce nitrogen loads to the Peconic Estuary

$200K—Route 110 BRT-Suffolk County Department of Economic  Development and Planning-Suffolk County will plan and design a Bus Rapid Transit System on Route 110 in Suffolk County

$27,500—Suffolk County Landbank Corporation will create a remedial action plan an site assessment of four environmentally challenged commercial sites located in two economically distressed communities within Suffolk County

$20,000—Suffolk County Landbank Corporation-will conduct feasibility studies for infrastructure development

$3M—Long Island McArthur Airport-The Town of Islip will renovate and existing building on its McArthur Airport Property to accommodate a Federal Inspection Station that will allow international flights from Europe and the Western Hemisphere to fly directly into McArthur Airport.