The purpose of this project is to give a financial boost to the Amsterdam, Johnstown, and Gloversville areas as well as surrounding smaller villages and countryside with employment. The project is to build a single site of such interest as to employ the region but is relatively inexpensive to build. By the site being rustic in nature it would require a minimal expense for a large facility. Land de
signated at this time as commercial and farm land would be perfect. This land is currently being farmed and there is more than one site available in similar circumstance. The purpose of this facility will be to educate the public demonstrating the past life of the Mohawk Valley area, the situations through which people lived historically, and the results of choices people made. There would be a heavy emphasis with education on the necessity of natural land, open spaces, living with wildlife, conservation efforts, environmental issues like invasive species, types of energy, geologic circumstances that made this valley possible, the historic populations and events of the Mohawk Valley, etc. The placement of the facility is crucial with easy access to the NY State Thruway and as the passage through the mountains historically for travelers headed west. Much of what is needed for this to work is to utilize historic sites which already stand but seldom open their doors through lack of parking space and lack of volunteers willing to spend day after day at a site when noone shows up. We would need not only the central site but would like to utilize existing facilities coordinated with a shuttle bus system in a way as to not compete for their already existing events but to enhance those events if they desire or to enhance times opposite those events if they desire. Coordination is of the greatest necessity. Getting the people to stay for not just one day but perhaps a week or more in the area is a strong goal. The facility will require a vibrant involvement of Native American communities who suffer at this time from having a majority of their best artisans being older and needing to pass their knowledge along before they die and it is lost forever. The overall Native American financial situation is dire and this would be a great assistance to them. They would not be "employed" by the facility as much as the facility would be enhanced by them and through careful scheduling, allowing them a place without charges to stay between their other events where they could sell their crafts without a large expense while on the road. Stages, of the most simple construction, would allow for talents to be displayed in a variety from storytelling to music and dramas utilizing styles of the time periods. People would be dressed in costumes and the public encouraged to come in costume or rent/purchase a wearable for the occasion of their visit and tours. In a similar fashion to dealing with Native Americans, the Amish would not be "employees" of the facility but given space and placement to enhance who they are in their own lifestyle but have the opportunity to present their wares unencumbered by fees and charges. They would find some work of financial gain through building projects such as the stockade and traditional building styles. By way of having a multicultural site, re-enactors, Native Americans, Amish, Quakers, settlers-in-pretend, we should be able to create a large draw of tourism to the region. The location is the Gateway to the Catskills from the North, the Gateway to the Adirondacks from the South, the Historic Water Passage Through the Mountains: to Lands West. There is no school district in the US that does not study this area at some time. We would hope to connect to these classrooms and offer educational tours and handouts for visiting schools that they would print from their computers before arrival. Also tickets and tours could be scheduled online. Additionally, people just plain need to get out of their cars at this point on a trip from Quebec, Buffalo, Syracuse, Montreal, Boston, New York, up the coast turning west, from the west turning south and there are only so many Crossgates Malls shops that older folks need to visit before they have all these types of purchases they need for life. Everyone needs to get out and walk around and have a rest. The school of traditional arts, though interesting to observe for the tourist crowd, would teach skills that could eventually spin off local artist areas; perhaps in the Amsterdam Mall or Downtown Amsterdam. The entire facility would use local people, local materials, and investors would come to the area because a facility of this size with the potential draw would need hotels, motels, RV parks, camping sites, restaurants, shuttle buses, and tour bus connections. These tourists would spend monies at local stores. The people involved would spend monies in the local area. We would be delighted to work with the local areas to employ those so willing to work but unable to find employment. There would be a need for many cottage industries including leather workers and home costume makers to keep such a facility supplied. These may end up being homebound handicapped who wish to work for additional income, people stuck in their homes as part of the "sandwich generation" caring for the elderly or children, or both, or even grandparents raising their grandchildren that need income but cannot leave the home to work outside of it. With the incoming tech valley so close, people of that more modern life may enjoy a chance to step back to a visit into the "olden days" and a simpler time. We do not wish to take from other areas' local events, but enhance them and join in their fun with people staying and hubbed out of our local communities. The Native American and Historical Display portion would include a basket area displaying the best of Native America's Craft works in their inherited styles, some very old and some of the best of the best of today (people forget that Native Americans are not extinct and our culture lives on at this time). The project requires interactivity for all ages. Many local facilities work well for teens and young adults but this would truly be a whole family facility with easy wheelchair access, fun events for the small children, and things to do for all ages. We must be keeping in mind that many of the people who have the time and leisure to enjoy such a facility are in their older years and retired so benches and wheelchair access areas will be a priority for the entire layout from parking forward. This is not always the case for historical facilities.
