U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced that the Department of Defense appropriations bill includes $3 million for Arsenal Business & Technology Partnership’s Arsenal Support Initiative (ASPI) in Watervliet. The project will support infrastructure development and planning initiatives to the underused Army arsenal in Watervliet.
“This funding is a win-win because it will help attract new businesses to the area and deliver good paying, family sustaining jobs,” Schumer said. “This project is a proven winner for the military and the Capital Region. Since 2001 it’s contributed $813 million to our region’s economy and supported over 1,000 jobs and this funding will be another step forward.”
“This is a great investment for the Capital Region,” Senator Gillibrand said. “These federal dollars will help redevelop unused military arsenal facilities to attract new businesses to the Capital Region, create new jobs and help rebuild our economy.”
“The ASPI program is a proven economic multiplier and our work at the Arsenal leveraging these funds has allowed us to reduce costs, modernize facilities, and attract global companies that have created hundreds of new high tech jobs,” said Peter Gannon, President of the Arsenal Business & Technology Partnership. “The Arsenal has tremendous champions in Senator Schumer and Senator Gillibrand and their efforts to fight for the ASPI program have paid a dividend of over $100 million annually for the regional economy over the past several years.”
The Arsenal Business & Technology Partnership is set to receive $3 million for its Arsenal Support Program Initiative. The federal investment will help support building renovations, site planning, job training and marketing programs to help attract new businesses to the underused Army arsenal in Watervliet.
Last week, the appropriations bill for the Department of Defense passed the Defense subcommittee. The legislation will be voted on by the full committee before heading to the floor for a full vote before the Senate. The bill will then proceed to the House-Senate Conference Committee, before final passage in both chambers, and sent to the President to become law.