U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer visited Glens Falls today to announce $2 million in funding for the city and surrounding region, included in the recent federal omnibus spending plan.
“Our friend, Senator Chuck Schumer…”
First-term Glens Falls mayor Bill Collins welcomed Schumer, a fellow Democrat, to the small Warren County city on Thursday.
Schumer announced federal funding to benefit projects in Warren, Washington, and Essex Counties, as well as the City of Glens Falls.
“As Majority Leader, I’ve worked hard to bring back the money. And in fact, here’s a bigger fact: Senator Moynihan was my mentor. You may remember him. And he would always compile these statistics and complain that New York was what we called a donor state – we always sent more to Washington than we got back. Well, Senator, my dear mentor and friend, you would be smiling. Because this is the first time in history that New York will get more money back than was sent in. That’s what a majority leader can do!”
Almost half of the funding of the awards announced Thursday, $950,000 will help upgrade the former General Electric de-watering plant in Fort Edward into the so-called Canalside Energy Park. The funding will be used by the Warren/Washington Counties Industrial Development Agency to upgrade infrastructure at the site.
The Warren County Employment & Training Administration will receive $205,000 to recruit and train childcare workers and license childcare businesses to address shortages exacerbated by the pandemic.
The nearly 250-year-old Fort Ticonderoga in Essex County will receive a half-million dollars for restoration and preservation of the fort’s walls.
And Glens Falls will receive $439,000 to support renovations at city hall.
Again, Senator Schumer.
“These are the $2 million, they’re interesting, I think, and they’re varied. They’re all going to help the region continue prosper and grow, as it has been . So it’s my honor to be here,” said Schumer.
City Hall, built in 1900, is currently getting a new roof. The Cool Insuring Arena a few blocks away – long known as the Glens Falls Civic Center – also received a roof upgrade.
Mayor Collins said the expenses caused the city to push back a planned upgrade of the building’s HVAC system.
“Until now. With your help, Senator, we expect to replace our very old boiler and heating system with a state-of-the-art energy-efficient heat pump system. It will be designed and built so the city will be net-zero ready. Carbon emissions will not be coming from this city hall anymore.”
Schumer last came to Glens Falls in April 2021 to celebrate the passage of the American Rescue Plan Act.
The City of Glens Falls, Warren County, and Washington County each received about $12 million as part of the ARPA funding.
