On the bicentennial of the Erie Canal, Governor Cuomo has launched what the state calls a “global competition” to reimagine the New York State Canal System for the 21st Century.
The governor’s office says Cuomo wants the Erie and New York’s connecting canals to be an engine for Upstate economic growth and a world-class tourist destination that boaters from around the world will want to cruise.
The competition will be run by the New York State Canals Corporation and there’s a $2.5 million prize to develop and implement the best ideas. The contest was unveiled at the World Canals Conference, now underway in Syracuse.