Nora Mishanec is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the Hudson Tourism Board has allocated $50,000 for short-term projects and $100,000 for long-term projects in an effort to kickstart the local economy in the wake of the COVID-19 shutdown. The board is hoping to crowd-source creative ideas to bolster tourism. “Project Hudson,” aims to engage directly with the local community and encourage regional tourism, said board member Chris McManus. Businesses, business associations, nonprofits, cultural organizations and civic groups based in Hudson are eligible to submit proposals from now through the month of July. The board has two goals in mind: to give organizations and businesses access to funds that could help them stay afloat, and to give community members the opportunity to play an active role in creating safe ways to socialize, said 3rd Ward Alderperson Calvin Lewis, chair of the Tourism Board. The emphasis will be on funding creative, low-cost projects with the potential to expand. The board wants to hear from local businesses and organizations because they know how best to reinvigorate the economy as some restrictions on gathering are lifted. “We want to solicit ideas rather than impose ideas,” McManus said. Most successful proposals will receive 50 percent of the funding up front, with 50 percent reimbursed after the event or activity is completed. Up to five community-based organizations will be eligible for loans through the Columbia Economic Development Corporation. Full upfront funding will be available to certain groups, ensuring no one is left out because they cannot front the money. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.