New York State Department of Economic Development Executive Office General Subject Files

16183-12, 16183-13: Chronological.

The Executive Department of the Urban Development Corporation consisted of the UDC chair and chief executive officer and its respective staff. The department was responsible for the oversight of all corporate matters, and determining corporate policies and corporate priorities in conjunction with the UDC Board of Directors.

In 1995, the Urban Development Corporation's functions were transferred to the newly created entity known as Empire State Development. After this merger, the Empire State Development Corporation and Department of Economic Development became known collectively as Empire State Development.

The State Budget of 2011-12 merged NYSTAR into Empire State Development and created a new Division of Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR). NYSTAR helps new and existing businesses become more competitive through the use of innovative technologies by strengthening the research and technology capabilities of New York State colleges and universities and creating programs that emphasize the importance of working with industry to leverage state technology strengths, produce new products, and create new jobs in the state. NYSTAR programs include Centers of Excellence, Centers for Advanced Technology, Regional Technology Development Centers, and a High Performance Computing Program.

16183-97: The series consists of correspondence, reports, and project proposals regarding agency wide functions, activities, and policies. Included are records from the office of the president, executive vice president, and subordinate units. Many records dating through the 1970s particularly relate to the department in charge of project design and construction. Copies of agendas and meeting materials of the UDC board of directors are also present.

Records of Edward J. Logue, president and chief executive officer (3.5 cu. ft.). Files include material from the Design and Construction Department (1974); agendas and materials for meetings of the UDC directors (1974); financial statements (1973); correspondence and reports on real estate matters (1974-1975); architect's guidelines (1972); consultant's letters and summary on review of UDC projects; information for a staff salary review; and computer printouts of project schedule disbursements, contracts, and final accounts payable.

Records of Richard Ravitch, chairman of the board (.5 cu. ft.). Files are all dated 1975, and include a set of closing documents on a UDC-Project Finance Agency (PFA) credit agreement; a project analysis of a proposed project of the Battery Park City Authority; and copies of general correspondence to Ravitch on a number of UDC projects and affairs, including letters by legislators on the status of UDC operations.

Financial records (1 cu. ft.). The bulk of these files are monthly reports of financial information (1975-1977). Included are printouts on revenue and expenses, cash and investments, corporate operating expenses, general ledgers, accounts receivable/payable, grants, and appropriations, and UDC financial statements. Also present is a copy of the "Commercial/Industrial Guidelines" summarizing UDC procedures and requirements for building projects under UDC jurisdiction in New York City (1977); a copy of "UDC Project Data and Schedules" (1973); and agenda and material relating to the July 19, 1977 meeting of the UDC directors.

Personnel records (1 cu. ft.). These are records of Joan Reichenbach, administrative assistant to UDC executive vice president Robert T. Dormer. The files pertain to personnel matters, and include staff lists, resumes, bulletins and organization charts, general correspondence, activity reports, information on employee financial disclosure, hiring/termination and positions available, and budget information.

16183-98: This accretion consists of an audio recording of a speech delivered by Edward J. Logue before the Westchester County Chapter of the League of Women Voters in June 1970, recorded on two standard 1/4 inch reel-to-reel audio tapes.

16183-04: This accretion consists of general subject files created by the UDC's Executive Office staff from 1979 up through approximately early 1995 when the UDC was abolished and replaced by the Empire State Development Corporation. The files document the UDC's involvement in numerous economic development projects in which it was involved up through early 1995. The files also contain material pertaining to the development of legislative initiatives, internal audits conducted by the State Comptroller's Office, consultants with whom the UDC frequently had business, and correspondence with the governor and executive office staff of other state agencies and entities involved with the state's economic development.

16183-12: This accretion contains records of former Deputy Commissioner A. Marc Pellegrino, from 1995-1999, including memorandums, presentations, speaking points and speeches, annual meeting minutes, and State Comptroller audits; as well as reports, meeting minutes, and material relating to events and organizations such as the Division of Small Business, Small Business Advisory Board, Small Business Congress of New York City, Small Business Conference, Small Business Day in Albany, Small Business Environmental Ombudsman (SBEO) and others relating to economic development.

There is also correspondence of former Commissioner Dennis Mullen from 2009-2011; correspondence, meeting requests and minutes of former commissioners Dan Gundersen and Pat Foye from 2007-2008; and records of Russell Bessette, Executive Director of NYSTAR, relating to NYSTAR, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), and other New York State science and technology organizations from 1997-2006.

16183-12A: This accretion consists of subject files generated by the office of Commissioner Charles Gargano. Records include correspondence, press releases, memorandums, and spreadsheets documenting the Strategic Training Alliance Program (STRAP), a joint Department of Economic Development/Empire State Development-Department of Labor initiative that provided grants for employee training between 1999 and 2006. The accretion also contains drafts and final versions of speeches given by Commissioner Gargano in 1995.

16183-13: This accretion consists of the records of D. David Brandon as Director of Program Development in the Urban Development Corporation (UDC). The records include copies of Brandon's testimonies to the U.S. House of Representatives' Public Works Committee and the Housing and Commercial Banking and Currency subcommittee, records from conferences, reports and studies related to the Hudson River developed by regional planning organizations, information about the UDC, program recommendations, and numerous publications. There are also some records regarding the 1972 Hurricane Agnes flood recovery program which affected southern tier communities, including Olean, Elmira, Corning, and Binghamton.

A0507Series A0507, Reports and Indexes to Files, contains related records of the Urban Development Corporation.

16183-97, 16183-04, 16183-12A: Container lists are available at the repository.

16183-13A: Partial folder list is available at the repository.

16183-97, 16183-98: The UDC Records Center accessions 79-0122 (Logue); 79-0071 (Ravitch); 79-0070 (financial records); and 79-0079 (Reichenbach) were transferred to the State Archives sometime after 1983. These accessions resulted from a project by Archives staff in 1997 to accession or integrate estrayed or unidentified records.

Restricted in part. Personnel records are restricted to protect personal privacy. Use under supervision of archivist.