Drive Change was given $700,000 to establish a $3.5 million commissary for social justice. The program will include skills training, permanent job placement and support services. Drive Change will build a facility for food truck owners to prep and store food, clean and park their trucks and purchase items wholesale. Participating food truck owners will agree to hire and train Drive Change clients. The facility will also include an urban farm.

Long Island received $84.3 million to support 98 projects. Below are descriptions of two of the award recipients.

The Center for Science Teaching and Learning was granted $540,000 to create community STEM centers in nine economically depressed communities, including Hempstead, Wyandanch and Central Islip. With high-tech tools, such as 3-D printers and robotics equipment, trained staff will teach STEM skills, mentoring and guiding youth to professional careers.

Stony Brook University received $2 million to support its Center for Wide Bandage Crystal Growth. This project will explore new applications in silicon wafer and power electronics. Stony Brook and a major Chinese silicon carbide manufacturer, SICC Materials Limited, will collaborate in establishing the center.

This competitive process for allocating state funds began in 2011, when Gov. Cuomo created 10 REDCs. Each council is tasked with developing long-term strategic plans for economic growth, in each of their regions. Local experts from the corporate, academic, government and non-profit sectors serve on the councils, which share a mission to create jobs and build communities.

The council members are familiar with the local companies in their regions, which apply for the awards. Thus, the projects are consistent with and streamlined with each council's strategic development plans.

In 2017, all 10 REDCs competed to be “Top Performers.” The five councils selected for that designation receive additional Empire State Development grant funds to support projects. The “Top Performer” winners were Central New York, Mohawk Valley, Capital Region, Mid-Hudson and Long Island. The other “Regional Council” awardees included Western New York, Finger Lakes, Southern Tier, North County and New York City.

“Over the past seven years, the Regional Economic Development Councils have successfully brought together the most innovative minds in economic development, fostering collaboration between state and local leaders to invest in New York's regional resources from the ground up,” said Gov. Cuomo.

His office reports that since the REDC program began, more than $5.4 billion has been awarded to more than 6,300 projects, that are anticipated to create and retain more than 220,000 jobs across the state.