Hospital facility among proposals for state funding

PHOTOGRAPHER: Edward Munger Jr.

A new facility at the Memorial campus of St. Mary’s Healthcare in the town of Amsterdam could lead to 20 new jobs at one of the region’s largest employers.

The hospital’s goal to build an outpatient facility is among dozens of projects the Mohawk Valley Regional Economic Development Council included in its Preliminary Action Plan for 2012.

More than 1,000 jobs and $216 million in business investment are being pursued by the local council representing Fulton, Herkimer, Montgomery, Oneida, Otsego and Schoharie counties, according to a news release issued this week by Empire State Development, the state’s economic development agency.

The council coordinated the development of 70 funding applications that will compete with others statewide for a piece of about $760 million in state funding available for economic and community development, according to the release.

St. Mary’s Healthcare CEO Victor Giulianelli on Wednesday said there is about 45 acres available on the Memorial campus off state Route 30 in the town of Amsterdam.

A new building would further the hospital’s transition to improved outpatient services in line with trends in the health care industry, he said. The project being considered could cost between $15 million and $20 million, with $2 million being sought from the state.

The facility as envisioned would include medical imaging, comprehensive cancer care and laboratory services and is part of a longer-range plan. “We see multiple phases in the future,” Giulianelli said.

St. Mary’s Healthcare employs approximately 1,600 people, making it one of the largest employers in Fulton and Montgomery counties.

Also applying for assistance are ProZone Lockers, operating out of Amsterdam’s Edson Street Industrial Park, and Mohawk Fabric on Guy Park Avenue in Amsterdam.

Mohawk Fabric last year completed a 14,000-square-foot addition and the company is seeking to purchase additional equipment to boost production and job numbers, company president Dominic Wade said Wednesday. He declined further comment.

Project funding is also being sought for efforts in Schoharie County where residents, businesses and local governments are still pulling things back together following last year’s flooding.

The regional economic development council is submitting applications to support continued expansion at Howe Caverns, considered the second-biggest tourist draw of the state’s natural attractions behind Niagara Falls.

Another application seeks to bolster assistance for the county’s agricultural community, hit hard by the flooding.

The regional council last year was able to pull approximately $60 million in state funding to the region to support 59 projects, according to Empire State Development.