Answer due for $1.5B question

Thursday brings the culmination of the Upstate Revitalization Initiative, a state economic development contest that has been archly called a "Hunger Games"-style competition in which three of seven upstate regions will divvy up $1.5 billion in economic aid.

Add another $30 million from the regular round of REDC awards, now in its fifth edition, and the top regions will take home about $130 million; the "losers" will receive about $90 million for economic development projects — a windfall that can't accurately be described as defeat.

Because I know how mad I'll be after all this work we put in, and after the money we spent, and how we think our plan is good — and I only have to drive 20 minutes to go get told no; imagine if you're driving from Rochester for someone to tell you (that) you didn't win.

The Capital Region's pitch includes plans for a massive downtown development of commercial and residential space on the site originally planned for a convention center, though the identity of the potential developer remains secret.

A population health technology cluster would develop "a unique public-private ecosystem" that brings together regional providers and payers with tech firms, community organizations and others to compile, analyze and mobilize data "to enable smarter health care solutions."

Cuomo won the wrestling match with the state Legislature over how to pay for this round of the initiative by tapping a portion of the state's more than $5 billion in financial settlement money.