Thursday, March 13, 2008

SUPERFUND GRANTS DOWNTOWN


The City of Kingston is getting grant money to help clean up our old brownfields to the order of $400 thousand. Regardless of the continual progress in our downtown revitalization, areas of our waterfront are still contaminated. Until this issue is addressed, serious development will continue its crawling pace. This grant will help.

Hats off to Steve Finkle, Amanda Bruck and the rest of the Economic Development Department for a job well done!

The Freeman reported that over $7 Million in grants was distributed from the state's Brownfield Opportunity Area program which raises the eligibility for additional development investments.

This would be one of the last actions made by Gov. Eliot Spitzer, state Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, and state Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno together! Mind you, this was in the making for over two years, so Kathy Maloney would have plenty to do with it as well.


My conversation with Steve this week included the possible development plans of Rob Iannucci, Who has acquired a great deal of the Rondout Waterfront property. Rob has yet to offer any significant plans for the future use of the land, but this soil reclamation in contaminated areas will surely speed things along.


At some point, this gem of a city will be discovered in a bigger, more accelerated way, bringing new jobs and stronger tax base, but most of all, a renewed sense of pride in Kingston. We all hope to see this happen before we have to sell and move.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Economic Development would be easing the tax burden on business property. The dual tax code is chasing business out of Kingston.

That is where this office should focus it's efforts.

I have to point out, Finkle and his staff have brought in a heap of federal and state money to Kingston, but we need jobs.

Anonymous said...

Who are you kidding? Ianucci has become the new land barron of Kingston and you Aldermen let it happen.

Without any development plans to show anyone, one man ends up controlling most of the Kingston waterfront, ushered in by the Mayor as our best hope.

Explain how this is benefitial to the city? Im a bit worried that we have created a monster.

Tipper