Putnam Pushes for 3,000 Shovel-Ready Jobs
Local officials and business leaders throughout Putnam County met outside of the Brewster Metro-North station this Monday to encourage municipalities to move forward with nine “shovel-ready” projects that would produce nearly 4,500 jobs within the area.
These projects represent agricultural, technology, commercial, real estate, energy and manufacturing industries throughout Putnam County. According to officials, the projects would bring about 3,000 permanent jobs as well as 1,500 temporary construction jobs—fostering economic development via job creation, local sales and school and property tax revenues.
“Despite these tough economic times, there is a lot of good news out there and people have to know about it because people have to be engaged,” state Sen. Greg Ball said.
Even though the state is ripe with regulations and lengthy processes for businesses to set up shop in New York, businesses are still willing to break ground in places like Putnam and Westchester counties, Ball said.
“Most of these projects are located on the eastern side of Putnam County, and that’s 3,000 jobs—and that’s a low estimate,” Ball said. “So when folks talk about the economy or how we’re going to get out this great recession, we have that capability right now in our hands.”
Burt Houseworth, executive chairman of the Putnam County Industrial Development Agency, cited nine projects that are “shovel-ready” in the county, ranging from a homeland security training facility in the former Guideposts building on Seminary Hill Road in Carmel to a hydroponic farm that would be able to grow vegetables year round.
“This is a great example of what can happen when we work together as a team, building a true public-private partnership to bring businesses, jobs and revenue to lower taxes for the people of Putnam County,” state Assemblyman Steve Katz said.
Paladin Capital Group, a private company that would provide homeland security training to first responders within one-hour radius of Carmel, would pressure the county to start construction the highly-anticipated hotel that would be needed to house those traveling to Putnam.
According to Houseworth, Patterson Crossing and Union Place are among the nine projects that need to move forward within the county. Houseworth said Ball must put pressure on Albany to raise some venture capital to initiate these projects, and that Putnam County is more than ready to start receiving revenue from these companies’ presence.
County Executive Paul Eldridge, who experienced firsthand the shortfalls of revenue the county faced within this year’s budget in light of the state-mandated 2 percent tax cap, said the area has the potential to see some serious growth if it can encourage businesses to break ground within its borders.
“Putnam County is a great place to live, work, raise a family and to grow a business,” Paul Eldridge said. “Putnam County’s slogan is ‘Come to where the country begins.’ My slogan for Putnam is ‘We are the secret of the Hudson Valley.’”
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.