VIEWPOINT: The Keys to the Mohawk Valley’s Resurgence

I'm often asked what happened that transformed the Mohawk Valley or more specifically what was Oneida County’s role in its resurgence. While there are many factors that have impacted our growth over the past several years, there are some significant projects and actions that played a major role in our growth. The one area that I constantly point to is the financial strength of our government. The ability to borrow only when necessary and to build up a solid fund balance allows flexibility and investment in community improvement. Without a strong credit rating no government or business can properly move forward. Our financial vigor, as well as our economic effectiveness, received a huge lift when we completed the historic agreement with the Oneida Indian Nation. The 2013 agreement set the stage for wide-ranging economic development and established a new revenue source to provide relief to our property taxpayers. This pact allowed us to hold the tax levy at the same amount for the last 12 years. Coupled with spending restrictions and improved management efficiencies, our county’s financial health improved substantially. In the same time frame, working with Robert Esche and his investors we were able to attract an AHL (American Hockey League) franchise to locate in Utica at the historic Memorial Auditorium (now Adirondack Bank Center) that immediately charged the area with new energy. Hockey had taken on a resurgence in our area because of Utica University’s team that was attracting great crowds and made the move even more exciting. The two complemented each other and showed the community that we could compete in this marketplace across larger metropolitan areas such as Syracuse and Albany and injected a new vibe into the county. It is amazing what a successful sports/entertainment enterprise can do to stimulate not just overall enjoyment but also the belief that more is possible. We began a venture into uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), better known as drones, with one of the seven approved FAA test sites in the United States at Griffiss International Airport. We built the largest indoor testing center by converting one former hangar, helping our area become a leader in UAS research and testing. We achieved the long-held dream of expanding in the world of nanotechnology, building with Wolfspeed the largest silicon-carbide chip manufacturing facility in the U.S. in the town of Marcy. Another transformational project was the construction of a new state-of-the-art hospital, Wynn Hospital, which opened in downtown Utica in the fall of 2023. Wynn Hospital was the first new hospital facility built in New York state in over a quarter century. By building it in downtown Utica we were able to remove blocks of blight and address a serious health-care need in the community. Oneida County also built a 1,300-space parking garage attached to the hospital for public and hospital use. The expansion of our sports facilities grew with the building of the Utica University Nexus Center; three additional rinks of ice attached to the Adirondack Bank Center that can be converted to soccer and lacrosse and can be used for numerous events. Already Nexus has exceeded expectations with tournament play nearly every weekend of the year. During the emergence of our hockey revival, we have hosted two AHL All Star games (broadcast across the world) with sponsorship from the Oneida Indian Nation’s Turning Stone Enterprises; and the IIHF Women’s World Hockey Championship with 10 national teams from across the globe, including the United States. The 2024 men’s and women’s World Lacrosse Box Championships were also held in the Utica region with a total of 38 international teams participating. More signature events are also planned for the immediate future. Our most current success story is the acceptance of Chobani to build a 1.4 million-square-foot production facility at Griffiss Business and Technology Park (Triangle site). Chobani’s announcement of adding more than 1,000 jobs to the existing economy, coupled with investment of well over $1.2 billion to build the largest natural-food facility in the nation, is still reverberating throughout Central New York. During this same period, Turning Stone Resort Casino is undergoing yet another major expansion, called the Turning Stone Evolution, a $370 million initiative. The project includes the new 258-room Crescent Hotel, as well as a new conference center that will be largest convention space in all of upstate New York. Further investment at Griffiss includes the conversion of our largest hangar into a multi-faceted sports facility. A portion of the building will be transformed for a variety of indoor sports, like basketball, softball, volleyball, pickleball and so much more. In addition, other amenities for food, drink, and other areas of entertainment will be built to complement the site for families and all individuals to enjoy. The bottom line is Oneida County looks significantly different today than it did several years ago. The reason is we began to believe in ourselves and after years of economic downturn, we turned the page from negativity and focused on possibility. By doing, that we were able to join in partnership with others — private investors, state and local governments, regional economic-development agencies, and more — who believed in our potential and saw a county that was growing. Much of this renaissance was built during the pandemic, further showing the world and our residents that we could accomplish anything. The future of the Mohawk Valley is bright, and a big piece has been the light that is shining here in Oneida County where we believe in the possible. Stay tuned because there is much more to come.      

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Anthony J. Picente, Jr. is the 13th Oneida County Executive. He is the longest-serving county executive in Oneida County history. Picente was appointed to the position in January 2007 and subsequently won five straight elections to four-year terms in 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2023.