SUNY Canton Receives $2.6 Million For Midtown Plaza Redevelopment Project
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced that the SUNY Canton College Foundation, Inc., will receive $2,641,000 for the Canton Midtown Redevelopment Project.
The project was designed to transform an underutilized and derelict shopping center in the heart of downtown Canton into three floors of much-needed commercial and residential space, including 44 residential units. The anchor of the project will be the SUNY Canton Entrepreneurship Center.
“The redevelopment of Midtown Plaza will be truly transformational for Canton and the entire region,” said SUNY Canton President Zvi Szafran. “We appreciate our partnership with Majority Leader Schumer and Senator Gillibrand to bring the Entrepreneurship Center and the entire live-work-play project to fruition.”
Three pressing needs for the North Country are addressed in this project: increased economic development; commercial revitalization of Canton’s downtown area; and access to quality housing.
“The college’s plans to create an entrepreneurial center will offer business development and support to help drive long-term regional economic prosperity,” said Lenore VanderZee, Executive Director of University Relations.
The latest funding was announced as part of the omnibus end-of-year spending package for Fiscal Year 2023. It also included $2,100,000 to the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority for their Childcare Center Project.
“From helping directly address childcare deserts in Ogdensburg to breathing new life into our Main Streets in downtown Canton, these projects get to the heart of issues facing the North Country today,” said Senator Schumer. “This over $4.6 million in funding means good-paying jobs, affordable housing, attracting new businesses and giving North Country families the support they need. I am proud to have secured these significant investments to build up the future of the region and I will always fight to bring home federal dollars to the North Country.”
“This is a critical investment that will help revitalize the North Country,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Today, we are committing to putting millions toward building affordable housing, supporting local businesses, strengthening the healthcare infrastructure, and helping parents afford child care. I’m proud to have fought to secure this funding and I’ll work tirelessly to make sure North Country families, workers, and businesses have what they need to thrive.”
Both senators personally secured funding for these projects as congressionally directed spending requests. The announcement was released Dec. 22, 2022.
As Northern New York's premier college for career-driven bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and professional certificate programs, SUNY Canton delivers quality hands-on programs in engineering technology, management, and healthcare fields. It is home to the Center for Criminal Justice, Intelligence and Cybersecurity. Faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to outstanding academic credentials. As SUNY's leader in online education, SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses as well as 23 online degree programs. The SUNY Canton Kangaroos 15 traditional athletic teams compete at the NCAA Division III level as part of the North Atlantic Conference. SUNY Canton also features varsity esports and cheerleading.