The Events Center in Geneva along Seneca Lake is set to become one of the Finger Lakes Welcome Center’s being planned.
On Friday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo visited Geneva to unveil plans for the Welcome Center. Last year, the Governor was in Geneva announcing the City’s win in the $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative.
The unveiling of this plan was part of that initiative.
“Get the economy running. That is the single-best thing government can do,” explained Cuomo during an address to local dignitaries and representatives.
“It’s a relatively simple equation,” he continued. Adding that implementation can be a challenge when it comes to saving money or lowering taxes.
While Geneva stands to gain significantly from the $10 million, the Welcome Center along Seneca Lake is expected to be the epicenter of what the Finger Lakes embodies.
“You have an incredible place here,” the Governor added as he began his address to the packed room. It’s not the first time Gov. Cuomo has addressed the sheer scope and location of the Geneva Events Center.
According to Cuomo, this Upstate focus has been a long time coming. The Governor says the days of Downstate New York winning out at the expense of Upstate are gone. He said that private sector jobs are at all-time highs.
While there are plenty of individuals who will challenge the numbers, the Governor also said that taxes are lower than they were 7-years-ago when he took office.
“Our government has had the lowest increase in state spending in recorded history,” said Cuomo of overall state spending. “The legislature loves to spend money. And there’s lots of things you can spend money on. We have to spend less.”
There has been spending in Upstate, though.
“We’ve invested over $30 billion in Upstate New York,” Cuomo continued. Adding that unemployment had also been significantly reduced.
All of these things were part of a plan, according to the Governor, to get regions working together. “We asked localities to compete,” he explained — as the state accepted more than 120 applications — with just 10 winners coming out. “Competition makes people work. And we got some great plans.”
“You came up with a plan. 12 projects that are innovative, feasible, and are going to transform Geneva,” the Governor explained. “The water is the asset. Improve access to the water because that’s the magnet that’s driving people to Geneva.”
“It’s the perfect location for a full-service Geneva Welcome Center,” the Governor said. “We’re going to convert this into a 5,500 square foot state of the art, Finger Lakes Tourism hub.”
That hub will feature New York-centric products, which will be a one-stop guide for those coming to the region to shop, stay, or play.
Check out all of Gov. Cuomo’s announcement in the video window above.
