The North Country Regional Economic Development Council is asking for just over $2 million toward three priority projects in St. Lawrence County.

The council on Tuesday released their 2018 progress report, which details 17 priority projects in the eight-county North Country region.

The Regional Economic Development Council program divides New York into 10 regions tasked with coming up with “long-term strategic plans for economic growth for their regions.”

St. Lawrence County is in the eight-county North Country council, made up of representatives from businesses, academia, government officials and non-governmental agencies.

The NCREDC is co-chaired by Clarkson University Pres. Tony Collins and Garry Douglas, president of the Plattsburgh-based North Country Chamber of Commerce.

Each council finds or takes applications from projects within its respective area, ranks them and forwards them to the state for final approval.

Some projects are considered “transformative and transformational” for a region and are granted priority status, which are labeled as priority projects.

The council is asking for $940,000 toward $21,265,952 worth of Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority improvements.

“OBPA will expand the Port’s dock, dredge a portion of the existing channel, and expand the dock wall by 100 feet. These improvements will allow two major cargo vessels to use the Port simultaneously. It will allow larger vessels to moor and result in the more efficient handling of cargo,” the NCREDC report says, adding that 100 construction jobs will be created.

The council is asking for $140,000 for a$740,000 project at Arconic in Massena.

“Arconic Inc. will install a water chilling system to cool its metal excursions, improve production quality, and reduce treatment of wastewater. Arconic’s Aluminum Rod and Bar facility makes high quality cold finish rod and bar for transportation, aerospace, military and industrial applications,” according to the progress report.

The report says there will be 145 “jobs retained” plus four construction jobs.

Finally, the council is asking for $1,117,526 toward a $5,587,634 project to renovate behavioral health and OBGYN space at Canton-Potsdam Hospital.

“The Canton-Potsdam Hospital Primary Care, Behavioral Health, and OBGYN Integration Project will renovate space in an existing medical facility to provide coordinated healthcare in rural St. Lawrence County. Improved healthcare access will result in care being provided more effectively and efficiently,” the progress report reads.

The council said there will be 23 jobs created, 56 “jobs retained” and five construction jobs associated with the project.

St. Lawrence County has a spotty history with seeing priority projects to completion.

Through 2016, St. Lawrence County was awarded 26.3 percent of North Country Regional Economic Development Council “priority” projects, but had the highest rate of projects canceled or “with concerns,” 41.7 percent. Our county through that year had only 18.8 percent of completed projects.

There were no North Country region priority projects awarded in St. Lawrence County in 2017, according to the 2018 progress report.

For more information on the county’s history with priority projects, see stories here and here.