When Governor Cuomo took office, many Upstate communities were still confronting decades of population loss, industrial decline and underinvestment.
Governor Cuomo made reversing that trajectory a central priority of his administration.
Rather than treating Upstate New York as a single economy, his administration developed regional strategies built around the strengths of individual communities — universities, advanced manufacturing, technology, health care, agriculture, tourism and quality of life.
Billions of dollars in state investment were deployed to attract private capital, modernize infrastructure, revitalize downtowns, strengthen colleges and universities, develop new industries and give communities the tools to shape their own economic futures.
The objective was not merely economic development. It was regional renewal.
Rebuilding Buffalo and Western New York
The Buffalo Billion, launched in 2012, represented a major state commitment to Western New York after decades of economic decline.
The initiative helped catalyze redevelopment throughout Buffalo and the surrounding region, supporting advanced manufacturing, life sciences, medical research, workforce development, neighborhood revitalization and the transformation of Buffalo’s waterfront.
State investment strengthened the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, supported partnerships with the University at Buffalo and helped create new economic-development and innovation hubs designed to attract employers and emerging industries.
The transformation extended beyond individual projects.
Buffalo’s waterfront came back to life. Long-underused properties were redeveloped. New investments were made in neighborhoods and public spaces. And the state made a significant long-term bet on Western New York’s capacity for renewed growth.
Making Universities Engines of Regional Growth
Governor Cuomo viewed Upstate’s universities not simply as educational institutions, but as anchors for regional economic development and the industries of the future.
His administration invested in campuses, laboratories, research facilities and public-private partnerships designed to connect higher education directly to innovation and job creation.
At Binghamton University, state investment helped create a new Health Sciences Campus in Johnson City and supported the redevelopment of the surrounding community.
In Buffalo, investments strengthened the connection among the University at Buffalo, the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus and the region’s growing health-care, life-sciences and technology sectors. During Governor Cuomo’s tenure the Buffalo State College, the largest SUNY school entirely located in a city underwent its largest construction boom in 30 years.
In Rochester and the Finger Lakes, the administration made major investments in photonics and advanced manufacturing, including building a new facility for AIM Photonics that provides companies, researchers and government users with access to advanced equipment and expertise for connecting photonic chips to optical fibers and electronics, assembling them into usable devices, and testing them.
Across Upstate New York, Governor Cuomo’s objective was consistent: modernize campuses, strengthen research and workforce programs and use New York’s higher-education system as a magnet for talent, innovation and private-sector investment.
Bringing New Industry to Upstate New York
Governor Cuomo’s administration made a deliberate effort to rebuild Upstate’s industrial base around emerging technologies and the industries of the future.
State economic-development initiatives supported advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, photonics, unmanned aerial systems, clean energy, life sciences and other growing sectors.
In the Mohawk Valley, state investment helped create the conditions for major semiconductor and advanced-manufacturing investments.
In Rochester, New York invested in photonics and advanced manufacturing.
In Central New York and the Mohawk Valley, the state developed a drone-testing corridor and built infrastructure intended to position the region at the forefront of unmanned aerial technology.
Governor Cuomo also launched the Upstate Revitalization Initiative, directing major state resources toward long-term growth in the Finger Lakes, Central New York and Southern Tier.
The strategy was based on leveraging state investment to attract private capital and creating clusters of expertise capable of sustaining regional economies over the long term.
Rebuilding Upstate’s Gateways
Governor Cuomo believed airports were more than transportation facilities. They were gateways that shaped how businesses, residents and visitors experienced a region.
His administration launched a major competition to transform aging Upstate airports.
Investments modernized airports in communities including Syracuse, Rochester, Ithaca, Plattsburgh, Elmira-Corning and Albany, creating modern terminals, improved passenger facilities and stronger regional gateways.
The effort reflected the same governing philosophy behind the transformation of LaGuardia: infrastructure matters not only because it moves people, but because it communicates confidence in a community’s future.
Revitalizing Downtowns and Communities
Governor Cuomo also sought to change the way Albany approached regional economic development.
Through the Regional Economic Development Councils, the Upstate Revitalization Initiative and the Downtown Revitalization Initiative, communities were encouraged to identify their own strengths and build locally driven strategies around them.
State investment helped transform waterfronts, downtown districts, hospitals, university campuses, research centers, public spaces and emerging business districts throughout Upstate New York.
From Buffalo’s waterfront to Rochester’s ROC the Riverway, from Utica’s resurgence to Johnson City’s transformation around Binghamton University, the objective was not simply to finance isolated projects.
It was to generate enough investment and momentum to change the trajectory of entire communities.
Rejuvenating Tourism
Governor Cuomo also made tourism an important component of Upstate economic development.
His administration substantially increased support for tourism and reinvigorated the I LOVE NY campaign, promoting the Adirondacks, Catskills, Finger Lakes, wineries, State Parks, historic sites, outdoor recreation and cultural destinations to visitors from across the country and around the world.
The state invested in tourism infrastructure and regional attractions while aggressively promoting skiing, hiking, fishing, wine and craft beverages, agricultural tourism, heritage tourism and outdoor recreation.
Through the creation of NY Parks 2020, $1.2 billion was leveraged to support more than 900 projects at more than 200 parks and historic sites. The creation of the 750-mile Empire State Trail complemented those efforts, helping connect communities while expanding Upstate’s tourism and recreation economy.
