North Country Welcome Center slated for fall 2018 opening in Jefferson County

The state says construction crews will be building a North Country Welcome Center near the Thousand Islands Bridge in Collins Landing in Jefferson County. 

The North County center is one of 11 planned around New York, designed to promote local attractions, foods, craft beverages, and other destinations, according to a news release issued Nov. 30 by Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office.

The office expects the North Country Welcome Center to open in the fall of 2018. It will include regionally specific elements linked to the history and natural beauty of the St. Lawrence River and the history of the area, Cuomo’s office said. 

That history includes such attractions as Boldt Castle on Heart Island in Alexandria Bay and the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton. 

The welcome center will include a Taste NY market showcasing locally grown and sourced products from across the North Country. 

State lawmakers approved funding for the regional welcome centers as part of the fiscal year 2018 New York State budget, according to the release.

Cuomo last October announced the grand opening of the Long Island Welcome Center in Dix Hills in Suffolk County. Since then, the New York City Welcome Center opened in the Javits Center in Manhattan; the Mohawk Valley Welcome Center opened at Lock E-13, between Fultonville and Canajoharie along the New York State Thruway; and the Southern Tier Welcome Center opened in Kirkwood, Broome County.

New York in 2016 attracted a record 239 million visitors who spent nearly $65 billion, generating a total economic impact of more than $100 billion for the third straight year, according to Cuomo’s release. Tourism remains the state’s fourth largest employer, supporting more than 914,000 jobs annually. 

The state says construction crews will be building a North Country Welcome Center near the Thousand Islands Bridge in Collins Landing in Jefferson County. 

The North County center is one of 11 planned around New York, designed to promote local attractions, foods, craft beverages, and other destinations, according to a news release issued Nov. 30 by Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office.

The office expects the North Country Welcome Center to open in the fall of 2018. It will include regionally specific elements linked to the history and natural beauty of the St. Lawrence River and the history of the area, Cuomo’s office said. 

That history includes such attractions as Boldt Castle on Heart Island in Alexandria Bay and the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton. 

The welcome center will include a Taste NY market showcasing locally grown and sourced products from across the North Country. 

State lawmakers approved funding for the regional welcome centers as part of the fiscal year 2018 New York State budget, according to the release.

Cuomo last October announced the grand opening of the Long Island Welcome Center in Dix Hills in Suffolk County. Since then, the New York City Welcome Center opened in the Javits Center in Manhattan; the Mohawk Valley Welcome Center opened at Lock E-13, between Fultonville and Canajoharie along the New York State Thruway; and the Southern Tier Welcome Center opened in Kirkwood, Broome County.

New York in 2016 attracted a record 239 million visitors who spent nearly $65 billion, generating a total economic impact of more than $100 billion for the third straight year, according to Cuomo’s release. Tourism remains the state’s fourth largest employer, supporting more than 914,000 jobs annually.