LIBERTY – Congressman Marc Molinaro announced a one million dollar federal grant that will be used to complete the Old Route 17 Business Corridor Infrastructure Project. Funds will be directed to both the Town of Liberty and the Town of Thompson for water infrastructure upgrades.
The funds are part of a 2024 federal appropriations bill that was passed earlier in the year totaling $27,625,000.
“If you’re going to spur economic development, the most effective way to do that is to get in and do the infrastructure with a developer ahead of time,” said Molinaro. “You can then guide the development where you want it and you can drive down the cost which streamlines the process to get projects moving.”
Town of Liberty Supervisor Frank DeMayo was optimistic about how the funding would make the final phase of the project a reality.
”We’ve worked really hard to try to get us to this point and we’re we’re near the finish line right now,” he said. “And right now the finish line is getting distribution of water and sewer up to this site.”
Mark Baez, President and CEO of the Sullivan County Partnership said the infrastructure upgrades, repairs, and expansion would be an attractant to businesses looking to locate in the area.
”I think we’re on our way to something really big here in Sullivan County,” said Baez. “We need the rateables, the Town of Liberty needs the rateables and the jobs. So this is the first step and we’re getting really close and we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.”
