A local business leader says if the state wants to add another billion dollars to the Governor's proposed Upstate Revitalization Fund, that's fine by him. But Mark Peterson, President of Greater Rochester Enterprise is just happy the Governor has put a focus on the upstate economy.
Peterson is reacting to the report that there will be an Op-Ed piece sent to newspapers across the state this week signed by about 50 business leaders including U of R President Joel Seligman, Wegmans' CEO Danny Wegman and Rochester Business Alliance President Bob Duffy.
According to Gannett, the group urges the Governor and the legislature to add a billion dollars to the $1.5 billion upstate revitalization fund that Cuomo has already proposed.
The one and a half billion proposed by Cuomo would be doled out as competitive grants, to be split among three regions. Seven regions would be eligible.
Peterson is ok with the way the fund is proposed now, even if it doesn't go above the $1.5 billion. He thinks the Rochester-Finger Lakes region has a good chance of getting some of that money.
"I do think we have a good shot, I think it's because we've done a great job in the last four years of the planning already and so now taking it to this deeper dive, this next level...I'm not going to tell you it's going to be easy, but it's not impossible and it's something we can do."
Answering a question about the Op-Ed piece from WXXI News during his Rochester stop Wednesday Cuomo said that “my proposal is 1.5 billion, I understand that the Rochester community wants more money for economic development, I say 'great'. If they can get the Senate to put in more money, I'm 100 percent supportive. I'm trying to get them just to do the 1.5 billion."
