Directs the department of economic development to move the central New York welcome center to the equal rights heritage center in the city of Auburn; directs the department of economic development to enter into a contract with the city of Auburn for the operation of such welcome center.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A8900
SPONSOR: Lemondes
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to direct the department of economic development to move the
central New York welcome center to the equal rights heritage center in
the city of Auburn
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To establish the Equal Rights Heritage Center as the Central New York
Welcome Center.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 directs the department to designate the Equal Rights Heritage
Center as the CNY Welcome Center upon the completion of any existing
contracts for such center elsewhere.
Section 2 sets the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
In 2016, then-Governor Cuomo announced an initiative to build 10 welcome
centers across the state. The City of Auburn was announced as the home
of one of those sites, for the Central New York welcome center. These
welcome centers would pinpoint important historic, cultural, and recre-
ational sites for visitors to the Empire State. Each would house a
Taste NY market, to celebrate local food products, and would help visi-
tors to plan their trips and connect with the region. The Auburn Citizen
reports that, while the "initial plan for the site in Auburn was that it
would be one of the state's welcome centers," circumstances changed and
"within months of that announcement... Destiny USA was selected as the
site of central New York's welcome center."' While the welcome center
did not manifest, the state funded the construction of the Equal Rights
Heritage Center, which the city of Auburn now pays more than $300,000 a
year to operate. The Equal Rights Heritage Center is a beautiful and
inviting space that welcomes thousands of visitors, residents, and local
students each year. It serves as a hub for the city and surrounding
area, hosting makers' markets and fairs, supporting community events,
and serving as a key partner for local tourism efforts. This bill will
help give the Equal Rights Heritage Center the recognition it deserves
and fulfill a commitment made in 2016 by designating it the official
Central New York visitors center and extending a contract to support
that work upon completion of any existing contracts with other facili-
ties.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New Bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
To be determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.
1 https://auburnpub.cominews/local/nys-equal-rights-center-5-auburn
/article_2fde4Oca-8553-11ee-bf11-fb13957c58f0.html
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8900
IN ASSEMBLY
January 26, 2024
___________
Introduced by M. of A. LEMONDES -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Economic Development
AN ACT to direct the department of economic development to move the
central New York welcome center to the equal rights heritage center in
the city of Auburn
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The department of economic development shall designate the
2 equal rights heritage center located in the city of Auburn, county of
3 Cayuga, as the central New York welcome center, upon the completion of
4 any existing contracts for the operation of the central New York welcome
5 center existing upon the effective date of this act. The department of
6 economic development shall establish a contract with the city of Auburn,
7 county of Cayuga, for the operation of such new central New York welcome
8 center upon the expiration of any such existing contracts.
9 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13950-02-4