By Doug La Rocque
An article in last week’s Eastwick Press focused on some of the economic misfortune that has befallen the Hoosick Falls and Route 22 corridor, and the glut of home foreclourses it has helped to spawn. Now we ask, “what can local communities do to reverse the deterioration?”
[private]Central to Hoosick’s effort is a group called Hoosick Rising, which seeks to bring together municipal leaders, business leaders, and civic-minded community leaders to reinvigorate the built environment and the cultural environment to attract new businesses, new residents, and more visitors to the area. It meets regularly, seeking to create strategies to spark civic revitalization.
A sentiment shared by both Hoosick Falls Mayor David Borge and Rensselaer County Industrial Development Agency Chair Bob Pasinella is that for any of these efforts to be successful, the communities must position themselves for success. Pasinella said that communities have to get old industrial and business sites as well as new construction shovel ready. “It is imperative that the local community response is predictable and ready to help.”
Across the state line, the Southern Vermont community has experienced many of the same loss of jobs and housing blight. The Town of Bennington’s Economic and Community Development Director Michael Harrington points to their Work Bennington program. It highlights seven reasons why the town is great for business. One of which also emphasizes the need for existing and potential work sites to be shovel ready. This shared focus on preparation for new business is also highlighted by another of Hoosick Rising’s key points that calls for semiannual meetings of all involved on a regional basis to coordinate efforts.
When U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy visited Bennington this past week, he seemed, according to various municipal leaders, genuinely impressed with their efforts toward economic recovery, and promised to bring to bear all the help his office and position can generate.
Back on the New York side of the border, Rensselaer County IDA Chair Pasinella was asked if his office has had any success in attracting new business concerns to the Hoosick area. He responded that his office is in discussion with a number of potential employers but that at this time he is reluctant to identify them. His concern being that if they were made public it might only serve to scare them off. Pasinella is optimistic for the Hoosick area and indeed all of Eastern Rensselaer County. He sees the macro economy undergoing a resurgence, especially in technological fields. He also feels the recent and predicted continual drop in oil prices as something that will spur further economic growth.
Mayor Borge is also optimistic. He points with pride to some renovations of businesses and homes, and continues to be enthusiastic about the Hoosick Rising program. He is quick to point out however, that the community cannot rely on just government to kick start a recovery. It has to be a grass roots effort, with active participation from business partners and as many residents as possible. The shared ideas, commitment and energy of the community as a whole is the key to success. To that end, he invites all to visit the website, hoosickrising.org, or to attend their next meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, September 22 at 6 pm at the Senior Center on Church St. in Hoosick Falls.[/private]