CHENANGO COUNTY — While the Southern Tier regional council was not one of the top winners in last Thursday's annual economic-development competition, industries were able to take home a $60.4 million slice of grants, tax breaks, and other incentives for projects within the region.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration hosted the 2016 Regional Economic Development Council awards show, in which 10 regions of the state vied for more than $700 million in state-funded subsidies.

Locally, the County of Chenango Industrial Development Agency (CCIDA) is pleased to announce that it has received a $12,500 Empire State Development grant through the annual Regional Economic Development Council Awards. CCIDA is a public benefit corporation of the State of New York, established to provide financial and other incentives to firms expanding or locating in Chenango County, an is an integral part of the comprehensive economic growth and organizational structure of Chenango County. The grant will allow the CCIDA to develop a strategic plan for the Lieutenant Warren Eaton Airport Business Incubator.

With the allocated funding, the completed strategic plan will assess the potential uses for the site and suggest a path forward for the use that stands to benefit the airport and community most. The feasibility of attracting manufacturers, developing workforce training programs, building partnerships with educational institutions, and other creative uses for the property will be measured, and strategies proposed for the optimal course of action. The CCIDA will proceed with the plan in 2017.