Gov. Kathy Hochul announced last week that New York State will award more than $463 million statewide through the 2025 round of Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) funding, including over $53 million for projects in the Mid-Hudson Valley. The awards (full list here) are intended to support job creation, housing, tourism, cultural programming, and infrastructure improvements identified through regional planning efforts.
The funding was distributed through the state’s Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) process, which coordinates grants and tax credits from multiple state agencies into a single competitive application. Projects are evaluated by New York’s ten Regional Economic Development Councils, public-private partnerships that develop long-term strategic plans tailored to each region’s economic priorities.
“The Regional Economic Development Councils continue to be one of our most effective tools for investing in communities from the ground up,” Hochul said in a statement announcing the awards. “These investments will help create jobs, strengthen local economies, and support projects that make our regions better places to live, work, and visit.”
Statewide Overview
Across the state, nearly 400 projects received funding through the REDC initiative this year. The awards include approximately $313 million in direct project funding and an additional $150 million through the ACHIEVE competition, a separate but related program that supports large-scale, region-defining initiatives.
The Mid-Hudson Valley—which includes Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester counties—received funding for 53 projects spanning housing development, creative industries, tourism, environmental restoration, and small business growth.
Empire State Development officials said the REDC process is designed to align state investment with local needs while leveraging additional private and philanthropic capital.
Mid-Hudson Project Highlights
Among the projects receiving funding in the Mid-Hudson Valley are several that focus on cultural programming, tourism, and place-based economic development.
In Orange County, Kraftify was awarded $500,000 to support the expansion of Drowned Lands Brewery, located at the former Orange County Correctional Facility. The funding will allow the brewery to transform its outdoor space into an event and festival destination, creating a new tourist and community hub in the region. Plans include hosting craft beverage festivals, corporate retreats, music festivals, and family-oriented community events, broadening the site’s role beyond beer production and positioning it as a year-round gathering place.
Also receiving support tied to tourism and the creative economy is the Hoot Music Festival, which was awarded $100,000 through the Market New York program. Organized by the Ashokan Center, the Winter and Summer Hoot festivals are family-friendly, “pay-what-you-can” music and arts events that celebrate the cultural and natural heritage of the Catskills. The funding will support event-related expenses and targeted marketing aimed at increasing overnight stays, boosting tourism spending, and strengthening the regional economy during both peak and shoulder seasons.
Environmental and maritime heritage projects were also represented among the awardees. Hudson River Sloop Clearwater received $675,000 to support a multi-year restoration of the historic sloop Clearwater. The project will focus on restoring the vessel’s topsides and transom, completing a full rehabilitation of the iconic boat. Restoration work will take place at Clearwater’s home port at the Hudson River Maritime Museum in Kingston. The organization said the project will help preserve the vessel’s role in environmental education, advocacy, and public programming on the Hudson River.
Additional Mid-Hudson projects funded through this year’s REDC awards include Choice Films, which received support for film production infrastructure in Orange County; the One Lafayette mixed-use development in Newburgh, aimed at expanding housing and commercial space downtown and including 127 affordable housing units; and a proposed Science Park at the Mid-Hudson Discovery Museum, intended to expand hands-on STEM learning opportunities for families and school groups.
Regional Impact
State officials emphasized that the Mid-Hudson awards reflect the region’s diverse economic base, which includes tourism, arts and culture, education, advanced manufacturing, and small business development. By supporting projects at different scales—from major real estate developments to nonprofit cultural organizations—the REDC strategy aims to create long-term, sustainable growth rather than short-term stimulus.
Hochul said the latest round of awards builds on more than a decade of regional investment through the REDC program, which has directed billions of dollars statewide since its launch in 2011.
Project recipients are expected to begin implementation over the coming year, with many using state funds to unlock additional private investment. Regional leaders say the combination of cultural, environmental, and economic development projects reflects the Mid-Hudson Valley’s evolving identity—and the continued role of state funding in shaping its future.
