Regional Council Delivers 2 Grants to Farmingdale

The second round of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's Regional Economic Development Council initiative will fund two projects in Farmingdale.

The grants are part of a $738 million statewide spending package announced Wednesday. Cuomo's program was first put in place in 2011, designed as a way of stimulating regional economies. The two local projects are:

• A $500,00 grant  to support a 30,000 square-foot expansion of the Broad Hollow Bioscience Park on 38.5 acres at Farmingdale State College. The project is designed to expand incubator space to accommodate spin-offs from Long Island research facilities. That, says the governor's office, will help retain and create life sciences jobs in the region.
• A grant of $250,000 for the continuation of the EngINE initiative implemented in 2012 as a result of the first round of funding. The state says their is a critical need for engineers on Long Island, and the project undertaken by Farmingdale State College and NYIT will raise the engineering graduation rates at these institutions by 15 percent.

Regional Councils encourage community, business, and academic leaders to develop local strategic plans in order create jobs and support economic growth, according to Cuomo's office.

"For the second year in a row, the Regional Councils have been on the forefront of rebuilding New York State's economy," Cuomo said in a statement.