SPONSOR
In support of the goal of the Hudson Fulton Champlain Quadricentennial Commission to advance a vision and practical agenda for the Hudson Valley, this project is sponsored by the Hudson River Watershed Alliance, a regional coalition of stakeholders working to protect, restore, and conserve the water resources of the Hudson and its tributaries, through information sharing and collaborative networking.
Print This Page
TASK FORCE CHAIRS:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
PARTICIPANTS:
Marissa Brett (Vice President, Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation), Anthony Campagiorni (Assistant Vice-President, Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation), Vincent Cozzalino (President & CEO, The Solar Energy Consortium), Bob Dandrew (Director, Local Economies Project, New World Foundation), David J. Dell (Executive Vice President, Advanced Energy Conversion, LLC), Jonathan Drapkin (Pattern for Progress), Simon Gruber (Hudson Valley Regional Council), Todd Erling (Executive Director, Hudson Valley AgriBusiness Dev. Corp.), Melissa Everett, Ph.D. (Executive Director, Sustainable Hudson Valley), Daniel Hernandez (Director, Planning Practice, Jonathan Rose Companies), Tom Martinelli (President, Martinelli Consulting & Martinelli-Slocum Publishing), Bernard Molloy (Managing Director, Historic Hudson River Towns), Michael Oates (President and CEO, Hudson River Valley Economic Development Corporation), Sarah Olson (Superintendent, Roosevelt-Vanderbilt National Historic Sites), Alma Rodriguez (Regional Director, Workforce Development Institute), Carol Stevens (Dean, Office of Community Services and Special Programs, Dutchess Community College).
FULL REPORT:
The following Vision statement and Proposition is based upon a full report (available by clicking HERE), that provides additional background and context.
PLEASE NOTE:
The future of the Hudson Valley is important to many constituents and stakeholders. This document is a compendium of ideas from many different individuals and organizations. It should not be construed that each participant supports each and every one of the ideas; no formal votes have been taken. It is the intention of the report, like all the reports from the six task forces, to stimulate further discussion and to contribute to the balanced growth of a region we all cherish. In addition there are economic development issues that remain to be discussed and will be added to this report in the future.
VISION:
Our vision for economic development in the Hudson Valley includes a region where towns and cities are open for business twenty-four hours a day to create more vibrant, multi-dimensional local economies. The River is used to its full capacity as a corridor for commerce, transportation, recreation, open space, and habitat protection. A “Green Corps” (like the Civilian Conservation Corps) thrives, and high school students spend a year working in green volunteer jobs. The majority of the population either lives within 10 miles of work or takes public transportation to work; and improved Valley towns attract businesses and jobs to the region.
The practice of economic development has aided this revitalization by working systemically to overcome barriers and build on our assets, taking advantage of clusters of opportunity in geography, infrastructure, industries and talent.
The Hudson Valley will do this by focusing on expanding tourism, strengthening connections to New York City, establishing Waterfront Redevelopment Zones, creating agribusiness opportunity zones, growing the region’s knowledge economy and advocating for tax and regulatory reform in Albany that supports economic development. These topics were chosen for their economic development potential and because they are socially relevant. Furthermore, they are possible to accomplish as private/public initiatives. The enactment of these policies will require local policy leaders to overcome political hurdles and the dysfunctional policy making process in Albany.
PROPOSITIONS: (Click on each proposition below to read more and comment.)
1. PROMOTE TOURISM TO VISITORS AROUND THE WORLD BY SHOWCASING THE HUDSON RIVER VALLEY AS A WORLD CLASS DESTINATION
2. STRENGTHEN THE ACCESS OF VALLEY BUSINESSES TO NEW YORK CITY MARKETS
3. ESTABLISH A NEW PROGRAM OF “WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT ZONES” TO REVITALIZE FORMER WATERFRONT INDUSTRIAL SITES
4. CREATE AGRIBUSINESS OPPORTUNITY ZONES
5. ADVOCATE FOR A STABLE, UNDERSTANDABLE STATE TAX STRUCTURE AND A REGULATORY PROCESS THAT IS NOT UNNECESSARILY ARDUOUS
6. CONNECT EDUCATION, RESEARCH, TECHNOLOGY COMMERCIALIZATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, TO GROW THE REGION’S KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY