Schenectady is a city rich in history and accomplishment. It was here where Thomas Edison founded what would become the General Electric Company, where George Westinghouse invented the rotary engine and air brakes, where the American Locomotive Works once made virtually every steam and diesel locomotive to pull passengers and move freight across our country, and where New York State's first historic district, the Stockade, was named.

Once known as the City that Lights and Hauls the World, Schenectady today is poised for a new generation of growth and opportunity. Since 2004, more than $150 million in new investment has been made in our downtown. In the coming months, we will welcome the completion of a new hotel, cinema, restaurants, high technology companies, a YMCA, cafes and loft housing in our resurging downtown, joining our magnificent and historic Proctor's Theatre. Throughout its 300 year history, Schenectady has proved to be a city of remarkable resiliency and renewal.