upstate economy

Destiny USA tries to make it a comfortable destination for tour bus drivers

Ellen Abbott — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:32:08 +0000

Bus drivers who bring customers to Destiny USA in Syracuse won't be waiting in their buses for passengers to finish shopping anymore. The mall has created a new bus drivers lounge and the idea is to expand on what is already a big source of shoppers at the Syracuse mall.

Proposed line would move natural gas from Binghamton to Syracuse

Ryan Delaney — Tue, 21 May 2013 10:24:00 +0000

An energy company is looking into building a natural gas pipeline from near Binghamton to the Syracuse area. Millennium Pipeline Company is currently soliciting feedback from natural gas suppliers about their proposal to connect three supply lines running east-west across upstate New York, with a north-south line.

Popular Syracuse ice cream shop sets up permanent shop downtown

Ellen Abbott — Tue, 14 May 2013 19:51:00 +0000

An ice cream icon in Syracuse has become the latest business to join in the revitalization of downtown Syracuse. Gannon's Isle has opened up a permanent store in the Dey's building, on the corner of South Salina and Jefferson Streets.

Program aims to promote manufacturing careers to students

Ashley Hassett — Fri, 10 May 2013 21:11:25 +0000

A new program aims to promote high-tech manufacturing careers in high schools across Western New York. Dream it, Do it WNY educates high school students about the broad range of careers available in the industry.

Cuomo details his plan for upstate casinos

Karen Dewitt — Fri, 10 May 2013 13:05:30 +0000

Gov. Andrew Cuomo outlined the details of his plan to site three gambling casinos upstate Thursday. Cuomo, joined by union and business leaders, and representatives from county governments, offered more details of his plan to build three new gambling casinos. Cuomo says he wants to limit the locations to upstate regions for now, to prop up the failing economy. The governor says upstate needs jobs like it needs oxygen. And he says having a downstate location would devalue the upstate centers.

Kodak could exit bankruptcy as early as July

Kate O'Connell — Thu, 02 May 2013 17:07:00 +0000

Kodak expects to emerge from bankruptcy as early as July, according to the company’s reorganization plan filed late Tuesday.

Advanced video processing could help law enforcement

Kate O'Connell — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 13:31:59 +0000

Investigators in Boston this week quickly began sifting through more than two thousand videos and still images of the marathon route looking for potential suspects in bombing, with crowd sourcing becoming the newest tool in the arsenal of law enforcement agencies.

BP to push forward with Cape Vincent wind project, pending possible sale of renewables division

Joanna Richards — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 09:18:00 +0000

Earlier this month, energy company BP announced its entire renewables division was up for sale. At a recent public meeting on the proposed Cape Vincent Wind Farm, a BP official confirmed the company will push ahead with the development anyway, and local leaders vowed to hire experts to help them fight the project.

Finger Lakes tops the class for business friendliness in New York

Kate O'Connell — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 20:44:40 +0000

The grades are in and the Finger Lakes region is top-of-the-class for business friendliness in New York state. That’s the conclusion of a new small businesses survey conducted by Thumbtack.com. But the survey also shows that the state still lags in a national comparison.

Upstate economic group calls for constant reinvention

Ryan Delaney — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 20:23:07 +0000

Upstate New York's economy will need to be in a near-constant state of reinvention if it wants to survive in the current environment, according to CenterState CEO, an economic booster organization based in Syracuse.

State pension funds invests in central New York business

Ellen Abbott — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 13:30:06 +0000

Money from a state pension fund is flooding into an Auburn company that manufactures, distributes and services electrical products. It's one way the state is trying to encourage economic growth in upstate New York.

IDAs retain right to give out state tax breaks in budget win

Ryan Delaney — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 09:46:00 +0000

New York's numerous economic development bodies will still have the ability to give out state-level tax breaks in a deal struck with Gov. Andrew Cuomo in state budget negotiations.

New window coating allows sunlight but filters heat

Ashley Hassett — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 20:41:17 +0000

It’s a creation expected to reduce the cost of heating and cooling for homes and businesses. It took five years for University at Buffalo Professor Sarbajit Banerjee and his students to invent a window film that repels heat from the sun.

Advisory group looks to rejuvinate NY legacy cities

Ashley Hassett — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 12:30:00 +0000

An advisory group looking at strategies for rejuvenating New York state's "legacy cities" says collaboration and coordination with the governor's Regional Economic Development Councils are crucial for upstate cities dealing with declining populations and job opportunities.

RIT students invent new luggage tracking device

Kate O'Connell — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 13:59:19 +0000

A team of Rochester Institute of Technology students has created a system that allows travelers to get real-time updates on the location of their luggage by way of an embedded device in their suitcase.

Private-sector jobs up statewide, but it's not all good news

Kate O'Connell — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 13:32:58 +0000

Job figures are on the rise across New York state, however private-sector jobs in some upstate areas have declined according to the state Department of Labor’s latest jobs report.

Cuomo's one stop shop for beverage industry

Kate O'Connell — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 21:04:10 +0000

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has launched a service to streamline regulatory processes for New York’s $22 billion alcoholic beverage industry. The one-stop-shop initiative is designed to give producers a single point of government contact for licensing, regulatory, and incentives issues.

$25 million goes to expand broadband access in New York

Matt Richmond — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 14:01:07 +0000

The state's Connect NY Broadband Grant program awarded $25 million to 18 projects on Tuesday.

Library funding is focus of Library Advocacy Day

Ellen Abbott — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 14:59:27 +0000

The library lobby is heading to Albany today to ask lawmakers to restore funding that has been lost for five years now.

Startups awaiting permission to "crowdfund" for new investors

Ryan Delaney — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 15:54:38 +0000

Startup businesses in upstate New York, a region that sometimes struggles to attract big investors, are anxiously awaiting permission to begin soliciting funding from a new type of investor.

Area ski resorts enjoy benefits of snowstorm

Durrie Lawrence — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 14:10:14 +0000

This season's snowfall has brought back revenue for many winter sports industries in central and northern New York, after last year's winter with lower than normal snow levels. Friday's snowstorm that blanketed the East Coast was beneficial to area ski resorts, including Greek Peak in Cortland County.

Local company wants American steel used in public projects

Durrie Lawrence — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 21:19:17 +0000

Nucor Steel employs about 300 people in Auburn, New York. Company officials asked for Rep. Dan Maffei's support of infrastructure projects that use American steel, when he paid a visit recently.

NY Farm Bureau hopeful on immigration reform

Ryan Delaney — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 21:09:33 +0000

The New York Farm Bureau is optimistic following news that Congress is working to pass new immigration reforms. The bureau, a lobbying group, says it was very excited to hear the proposals made by a bipartisan group of senators and by President Barack Obama this week.

Penn Yan downtown sees resurgence

Sidsel Overgaard — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 13:58:00 +0000

Despite the sluggish economy, at least one small town in the Finger Lakes has been seeing some promising signs of life in its downtown corridor.

Upstate tourism industry welcomes promotional funding in proposed state budget

Kate O'Connell — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 21:18:20 +0000

Tourism professionals in upstate New York are applauding Gov. Andrews Cuomo’s commitment to the region. In order to augment upstate economic growth, the governor has set aside $7 million in the budget for promotion and marketing initiatives.

Attendance at annual gun show up; organizers cite recent gun control laws

Marie Cusick — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 16:35:45 +0000

Organizers of an annual gun show in Albany say they are seeing bigger crowds this year, due to the recent changes to New York's gun control laws and potential changes at the federal level.

Maffei listening tour focuses on area businesses

Ellen Abbott — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 20:20:18 +0000

Syracuse-area Rep. Dan Maffei is getting reacquainted with central New York voters. The first of a series of listening tours this week focused on business in the new 24th Congressional District.

Governor proposes creating "innovation hot spots"

Kate O'Connell — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 14:12:42 +0000

In his third State of the State address, Gov. Andrew Cuomo outlined a new initiative to create ten "Innovation Hot Spots" - areas where startup businesses can receive support, access venture capital and possibly tax breaks.

Central New York's 2013 economy may be "instant replay" of 2012

Ryan Delaney — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 16:52:03 +0000

The main economic booster engine for central New York is predicting economic growth in the region in 2013 will look a lot like last year.

What's Landmark Theatre's economic impact on Syracuse

Ryan Delaney — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 12:00:00 +0000

Most major centers for the arts, like an old theater downtown, usually don't turn a profit. They're not really expected to. But last month at a forum at downtown Syracuse's Landmark Theatre, the argument was made that grandiose theaters shouldn't be viewed as charities.