Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul delivers regional State of the State message, hosted by Genesee County Economic Development Center.
At first glance, one might think that a major metropolitan area such as Austin, Texas, or Phoenix, Arizona, would have major advantages over the Western New York Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park – better known as STAMP – when it comes to convincing an international corporation to build a semiconductor facility in the Town of Alabama.
But not so fast, says Steve Hyde, chief executive officer of the Genesee County Economic Development Center, who participated in a video interview with Howard Owens, publisher of The Batavian, earlier today.
Hyde, when given the opportunity to “sell the STAMP site,” didn’t hesitate -- coming up with several reasons why it would be beneficial for a company such as Samsung, for example, to build a $13 billion chip manufacturing plant at STAMP.
Recent published reports indicated that Samsung was considering STAMP – as well as the Austin and Phoenix areas – for a new semiconductor plant and that the Albany-based Plug Power was planning on operating a “green hydrogen” facility at the Genesee County park.
“STAMP can really compete and they (potential tenants) have got to take a serious look at us,” Hyde said. “That’s why we’re seeing opportunities in a big way right now in the marketplace.”
Hyde backed up that statement by pointing out that STAMP is located between two metropolitan areas (Buffalo and Rochester), has a growing and hungry workforce, and has access to low-cost green energy, and also the fact that New York does not impose “personal property taxes” on manufacturing equipment – a significant savings to these mega companies.
“There are very discreet advantages here in Western New York that you want to seize upon and emphasize,” Hyde said. “And they also need to consider that against some of the challenges in a market that has been a boomtown for 25 years (speaking of Austin) … that you have incredible competition for the workforce there right now.”
He noted that in Austin, the home of Tesla, Oracle, Texas Instruments and Samsung, big companies are competing for the same set of workers.
“Plus, the infrastructure there is overwhelmed and the congestion is crazy. So, there’s some challenges there relative to workforce,” he said. “When you look at us, we’re at a distance of a mile a minute you can literally travel on the highways. And there’s a well-qualified workforce from New York’s second- and third-largest metros. And for the pay rate at STAMP (estimated at $75,000 to $100,000 annually) … those workers will drive 30 to 45 minutes.”
Hyde also said another big advantage is that New York doesn’t charge “personal property taxes.”
“All of the manufacturing equipment in Texas is taxed as personal property taxes. So, when you really look closely at it, we’re going to be really aggressive on the incentive side with the state … and will be far less expensive than Austin because we don’t tax the equipment that will be two-thirds the cost of the project,” he explained.
He also pointed out that this area has good workforce solutions, noting that area colleges, including Genesee Community College, and Genesee Valley BOCES are building degree programs for high-tech industry.
“These big projects that we’re talking about, whether it’s a big renewable project or semiconductor, (they’re) huge power users,” Hyde said. “They want green power and we’ve got the New York Power Authority and we’ve got Niagara Falls less than 30 miles away. We have some of the lowest-cost green energy available in all of North America – like half of what it costs in Austin.
“So, you look at power, you look at operating costs, our labor is about 10 percent cheaper than Austin right now because the market has run up so much. Those factors are a huge part of the cost profile of running an operation like this.”
Hyde’s comments come in the face of a story in the Buffalo-based Investigative Post that indicates Samsung is leaning toward Austin as the site for the microchip factory that would employ about 1,800 people.
According to the Investigative Post report:
Hyde remains optimistic, stating:
“We’ve been eating this elephant a bite at a time as capital becomes available. You know what, though, we’re finally just now arriving at the season where we built the initial pieces of the infrastructure for the site and we can accommodate smaller projects. But we’ve got all of the big infrastructure fully designed, fully permitted and fully ready to build … and now the big projects are inside that window.”
Interview with Steve Hyde, CEO of GCEDC. We'll talk about the state of economic development in Genesee County, touching on the ag park, Downtown Batavia, and STAMP. We're scheduled to start at 1 p.m.
Press release:
The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) Board of Directors accepted an application for incentives for a $7 million capital investment development project on 14 acres of land on West Saile Drive and Call Parkway in the Town of Batavia at its Feb. 4 board meeting.
LandPro Equipment LLC proposes to acquire and develop a 14-acre parcel on which it would build a 50,000-square-foot facility for a full-service John Deere Agriculture and Turf Dealership. The facility would primarily be used for operations and training, with a portion of the facility used for retail.
The project proposes to create up to five new jobs and retain approximately 60 jobs in Genesee County.
“We are encouraged to see more companies growing in Genesee County with the goal of expanding their operations and increasing training capacity,” said GCEDC President and CEO Steve Hyde. “Genesee County has the workforce talent and developable properties aligned to accelerate a company’s facility construction and successful operations.”
A public hearing will be scheduled, as LandPro Equipment LLC is seeking property, sales and mortgage tax abatements totaling approximately $731,000. It is anticipated that with every $1 of public sector investment will generate a return of $7 of private sector investment.
Last week it was Samsung. Now, it’s Plug Power.
According to a story in today’s edition of The Buffalo News, the Albany-based Plug Power has disclosed plans to erect five “green hydrogen” plants in the United States, including a $264 million facility at the Western New York Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park in the Town of Alabama.
The plant, which would produce green hydrogen for freight and materials handling equipment, is expected to be in operation by 2024, per the published report.
Previously, it was reported on The Batavian that Samsung is considering the placement of a $17 billion semiconductor plan at STAMP, a venture of the Genesee County Economic Development Center.
GCEDC President/CEO Steve Hyde, responding to an inquiry from The Batavian, issued the following statement, without specifically mentioning Plug Power:
“The Genesee County Economic Development Center recently reached out to our various public sector partners, including the Genesee County Legislature, the Town of Alabama among other local and state partners requesting that the GCEDC take on the role as lead agency for an environmental review of a potential project at STAMP.
“As a result, the GCEDC has completed extensive site readiness for the 1,250-acre STAMP site, including all site-level environmental, archeological, wetland delineation, and zoning requirements. This enables site selectors and prospective tenants to conduct effective due diligence as they evaluate projects at STAMP.
“We are very excited about this significant economic development opportunity for our community and look forward to working with our public sector partners during the due diligence by Project Gateway, as we have on dozens of other economic development projects in Genesee County over the last several years.”
Currently, there are no tenants at the 1,250-acre business park, although county officials have indicated that many companies are looking at the site.
Other highlights of The Buffalo News story:
The Batavia Town Planning Board was introduced to another community solar project on Tuesday night – a plan to install a 1.65-megawatt system on vacant land owned by the Genesee Gateway Local Development Corp. on R. Stephen Hawley Drive (College Road) – and, right away, was peppered with comments about the need to shield the array from a nearby home.
Planners held a public hearing in connection with a special use permit request by Batavia Solar LLC to put the ground-mounted solar farm at 99 Med Tech Drive, near the Genesee County Economic Development Center office.
James Taravella, senior civil engineer with LaBella Associates, Orchard Park, told the board that 5.63 acres of the 7.95-acre parcel, located in a Planned Unit Development district, will be fenced in for this solar array. He said the project calls for the installation of approximately 4,500 modules using a fixed access racking system.
Other features of the project include an access road with a 13- by 20-foot equipment pad and a 6 foot high chain-link fence around the entire layout. Taravella said all setbacks are in line with requirements of the PUD District – 50-foot front setback, 30-foot side setback and 40-foot rear setback.
As soon as he finished, Tim Morrow, a resident of Ellicott Street Road, asked if the owners of a home near the proposed solar array have been contacted about the project, stating that he is “looking out for the town and the community because I have the situation out by my house.”
Morrow has spoken out at previous public hearings and meetings against the Trousdale Solar I and Trousdale Solar II projects proposed for land owned by Donald Partridge at 5117 Ellicott Street Road.
Taravella: 'We're Communicating with the Neighbors'
Taravella said that representatives of Batavia Solar LLC are communicating with Robert and Michelle Wood of 8244 Batavia-Stafford Townline Road, whose home is in close proximity to the proposed solar array.
Morrow then asked if the developers planned to shield the solar farm with a berm or trees.
“At this early stage we have not put any screening but it is typical for a screening plan to be implemented as the project progresses,” Taravella said, adding that he plans to work with the Woods to “develop something that they will be happy with.”
Town Building Inspector Dan Lang informed those on the Zoom call that the Town of Batavia has specifications for its solar projects, including a decommissioning bond and a call for trees, berms and surface vegetation to ensure a view “that is as natural as possible in accordance with our code.”
At that point, Michelle Wood spoke up, acknowledging that she and her husband are the landowners.
“We really would like a berm put along the back of it – it protects us and our house,” she said. “We’re OK and in favor of a solar farm there. We would prefer a solar farm versus a cement industrial building there, so we don’t have a real problem with it. We would just like for them to come to us with what their ideas are and what they’re planning to do.”
Planners Want Extensive Screening
Later on, during the regular meeting, planners asked Taravella to develop a screening plan that shields the Wood house “not only from looking out their back window but also from their side window, over to the driveway” and asked him to create visual simulations showing as such.
Furthermore, board members requested screening around the entire project, including the view from College Road. Taravella said that is an early consideration as developers have to make sure that some of the fixed-angle panels are not shaded by trees or berms.
Going forward, Town Engineer Steve Mountain advised that developers should submit a long-form State Environmental Quality Review to provide as much information to the planning board, which then voted in favor of seeking lead agency status for the project.
Planning Board Chair Kathy Jasinski said the board will invite Taravella back after getting the SEQR form, which takes about 30 days, and talk about the special use permit.
In other action, the planning board:
“I have a large barn; I have property,” Smith said. “We went through this last year with my son where he got married, and he didn’t have a place to have it, so I would like to offer that (option) to other people. We don’t really have anything like that around here so …”
Discussion centered around the number of parking spots available on the property and whether the surface would be paved or left as grass.
Smith said there would be 157 parking spots on a grass surface, adding that the ground was “completely flat” and that she didn’t anticipate any problems being that the barn would be used during the warm weather months.
Town Building Inspector Dan Lang said that he has made several visits to the site and found “no difficulties” as the ground was solid, and there also were areas of stone and gravel.
Smith also responded to a question about possible noise issues related to music being played at the venue but said there are no neighbors for miles to the east or west and the closest neighbor otherwise were her parents.
Previously, the referral was recommended for approval by the Genesee County Planning Board with modifications that the applicant provide a revised site plan with the location and number of parking spots serving the party venue; and applies for 9-1-1 Address Verification to the Genesee County Sheriff's Office to ensure that the address of the proposed event venue meets Enhanced 9-1-1 standards*.
The venture initially came before the board in December and was also reviewed by county planners.
“I think you might be pretty familiar with the project by now. Obviously, we’re looking to go ahead and build on approximately 14 and a half acres on West Saile Drive,” said Project Designer Andrew Schmieder.
Schmieder said the project consists of a 28,000-square-foot maintenance building with about 15 bays for work on agricultural equipment and another five or six bays for work on turf equipment. He said that the main sales and parts storage facility is around 22,000 square feet and it will include office space to accommodate the transfer of administrative employees to the site.
Additionally, there will be about 7,000 square feet allocated to parts storage and LandPro officials are proposing to erect a 200- by 75-foot pole barn for cold storage, Schmieder said.
“This site lends itself very well to what’s being proposed – we’ve got a lot of room out there,” he said. “There’s an area out front to display some of their turf and ag equipment.”
Responding to concerns over increased traffic, Schmieder said he didn’t expect a significant change. He said during peak hours, they expect 10 to 15 vehicle customers per hour, and three to four cargo deliveries per day to the facility that will house about 65 employees.
Schmieder reported that there will be a minimum of 70 parking spots for employees and another 40 for retail customers, including six handicapped parking spaces.
Final approval is contingent upon final town engineering review and approval. Work is anticipated to be completed in the spring or summer of 2022.
Rendering at top (taken from Zoom meeting) shows the proposed solar project on Med Tech Drive off R. Stephen Hawley Drive (College Road), The Wood residence is at the right.
Press release:
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer yesterday (Jan. 27) followed up on his efforts to secure a provision in the FY2021 National Defense Authorization Act to boost American-based semiconductor manufacturing by reaching out directly to Samsung, which is interested in possibly locating their new plant in Genesee County.
He called Senior Vice President of Samsung Device Solutions Joe Herr and other top brass about the Genesee Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park -- STAMP -- in Alabama and expressed his strong support for the project coming to Western New York.
Samsung is currently considering the STAMP campus, as well as several other locations in other states, for its semiconductor fabrication (“fab”) plant – with 1,900 jobs – that the company plans to open late next year. Samsung’s Device Solutions division includes Samsung’s Global Semiconductor Foundry business.
“This Samsung project is an exciting and a potential game changer for the region," Schumer said. "I made it clear to Samsung that I strongly support locating their planned 1,900 worker state-of-the-art semiconductor chip fab at the shovel-ready STAMP site in Genesee County. I know firsthand that STAMP is shovel-ready – and that, combined with Upstate New York’s robust semiconductor industry, make Genesee the perfect location for Samsung’s new chip fab.
World-class WNY Workforce
"Our world-class Western New York workforce combined with New York’s considerable experience in semiconductor manufacturing and R&D means STAMP is tailor-made to be the home for Samsung’s new facility. I stand ready to help Samsung harness all that the federal government has to offer to continue to lead the tech industry and position New York as a global hub of semiconductor manufacturing.
“When I stood at STAMP in August to announce my proposal to create the first-ever new federal semiconductor manufacturing and R&D incentives program, I said it could put sites like Western New York’s STAMP in contention for landing a new semiconductor manufacturing plant and the thousands of new jobs that come with it.
"This game-changer proposal passed into law last month and already companies like Samsung are considering STAMP for a 1,900 job chip fab plant, partly because of this new federal initiative. Now, I will work to secure this federal investment and offer my all-out support and advocacy in helping STAMP compete for this multi-billion-dollar plant.”
Schumer has long championed the Genesee site and toured STAMP in August, and knows firsthand how ideal the campus would be as home for Samsung’s new chip fab. Schumer explained to Samsung that he, alongside the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCECC), New York State, and Western New York officials, worked for a decade to help ensure that it was shovel-ready for a semiconductor facility.
WNY Offers: Low Utility Costs, Transportation Networks, Supplies Access, Brain Power
“The STAMP campus, sitting on 1,250 acres of land between Buffalo and Rochester, New York’s second and third largest metros, respectively, with a 1.2 million person world-class workforce, is specifically designed for large-scale fabs and provides maximum flexibility in layout and infrastructure connections,” Schumer said.
"Additionally, the senator pointed out many cost and infrastructure advantages to the STAMP campus location, including low utility costs, access to existing transportation networks, access to New York state’s existing chip fab supply chain ecosystem, and 62 colleges, universities, and community colleges within a two-hour drive of the site including Cornell University, University at Buffalo, Rochester Institute of Technology, University of Rochester, Genesee Community College.
Schumer said Samsung is relying on his legislation to building new fabs like this one in the United States. In fact, Schumer pointed out, the United States has gone from producing 24 percent of the world’s semiconductors in 2000, to just 12 percent while China, by comparison, has gone from producing zero chips to 16 percent of the world’s supply because the United States is not matching the investments that other competing nations are making in order to land new job-creating semiconductor chip fabs.
The senator's first-ever legislation will reverse this imbalance and level the playing field for companies like Samsung to build new chip fabs in the United States. For the first-time Schumer’s legislation will provide federal incentives to semiconductor chip fabs to build in the United States.
U.S. Reliance on Foreign-made Microelectronics Could Pose 'Huge Risks'
Upon passage of his legislation last month in the FY2021 National Defense Authorization Act Schumer said his legislation is vital. He noted that even though the United States revolutionized the microelectronic industry and invented nearly all of the key technology used to this day, by 2030, non-U.S. competitors are projected to control 83 percent of the global semiconductor manufacturing supply while domestic production could be less than 10 percent, threatening U.S. reliance on foreign-made microelectronics, which could pose huge risks to U.S. national and economic security.
In a recent meeting with the Commerce Secretary nominee, Governor Gina Raimondo, Schumer raised the urgent need to fully fund and implement the new Commerce semiconductor manufacturing grant program he passed into law as part of last year’s defense authorization, pointing to this Samsung investment as an example for why these federal incentives are such a high priority. Federal incentives are critical to the United States successfully competing with other countries, including China, for new semiconductor manufacturing investment like the proposed Samsung facility.
Schumer, in addition to paving the way for future federal incentives for investment into domestic semiconductor manufacturing previously brought STAMP to the attention of the Department of Defense, urging the agency to work with the semiconductor industry to expand the domestic supply of chips and other microelectronics.
STAMP is Made Specifically for What Samsung Needs
STAMP is specifically designed for development of large-scale semiconductor manufacturing. The 1,250 acre mega site can accommodate large advanced manufacturing operations with its expansive space for several plants.
Schumer has also previously lobbied the Board of Directors of the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) to put STAMP on their map and pitched SIA’s 18 semiconductor industry CEOs to look to expand their operations in Upstate New York at sites like STAMP in Genesee County.
In 2017 Schumer helped secure Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approval of Empire Pipeline Inc.’s revised and extended PILOT agreement with Genesee County, the proceeds of which were needed to finance new water infrastructure at STAMP.
In 2016 Schumer began assisting STAMP secure necessary U.S. Fish and Wildlife right-of-way permits to construct new infrastructure hook-ups to STAMP. In 2012, Schumer successfully advocated on behalf of STAMP by calling on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to provide necessary wetlands permit assurances so that STAMP's developers could proceed with developing the site.
Press release:
Following his unveiling of his bipartisan American Foundries Act and successful addition of this bill as an amendment in July to the Senate’s Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced the final version of the FY2021 NDAA includes his provision to bolster U.S. leadership in the semiconductor and broader microelectronics industries.
The senator explained that the new programs included in NDAA will increase federal support for semiconductor manufacturing by providing new federal incentives to conduct advanced research and development of semiconductor technology, secure the supply chain, and ensure national and economic security by reducing reliance on foreign semiconductor manufacturing.
“The economic and national security risks posed by relying too heavily on foreign semiconductor suppliers cannot be ignored, and Upstate New York, which has a robust semiconductor industry, is the perfect place to grow domestic semiconductor R&D and manufacturing by leaps and bounds,” Senator Schumer said.
“America must continue to invest in our domestic semiconductor industry in order to keep good-paying, high-tech American manufacturing jobs here in Upstate New York. With today’s victory, we are one step closer to ensuring our domestic microelectronics industry can safely and securely supply our military, intelligence agencies, and other government needs.
"This is a step essential to our national security and to U.S. leadership in this critical industry. I’m pleased to deliver this win in this year’s final NDAA for the Upstate New York economy and the entire country’s national security and competitiveness."
The senator noted that even though the United States revolutionized the microelectronic industry and invented nearly all of the key technology used to this day, competitors in Asia, especially China, have made huge investments into their microelectronics industries in recent years to challenge and undercut U.S. leadership. In fact, Schumer pointed out, the U.S. has gone from producing 24 percent of the world’s semiconductors in 2000, to just 12 percent more recently.
In contrast, China has gone from producing zero chips to 16 percent of the world’s supply in the same time frame. The senators warned that by 2030, Asia is projected to control 83 percent of the global semiconductor manufacturing supply while domestic production could be less than 10 percent, threatening U.S. reliance on foreign-made microelectronics, which could pose huge risks to U.S. national and economic security.
Schumer has long-championed increased efforts to expand the domestic microelectronics industry, supporting companies like GlobalFoundries, which houses their most advanced "Fab 8" manufacturing facility in Malta, New York, IBM, and others. With New York home to multiple major companies and research institutions in the semiconductor industry, the state is positioned to securely supply the U.S. government with critical technologies and maintain U.S. leadership in this technology. It offers a tremendous opportunity for New York’s semiconductor companies to expand operations, create more jobs in Upstate New York, and help the United States reduce its reliance on foreign semiconductor manufacturing.
Supporters of the original amendment included GlobalFoundries, IBM, ON Semiconductor, Cree Inc., the Genesee County Economic Development Center, Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation, Mohawk Valley EDGE, Cornell University, Binghamton University, and SUNY Polytechnic Institute.
"We applaud Senator Schumer for his leadership and dedication to attract significant semiconductor investments and innovations back to America," said Steve Hyde, President and CEO of the Genesee County Economic Development Center. "The strategic advantages created by Senator Schumer‘s amendment are a critical step forward for our economy. The semiconductor industry has a clear pathway for success through New York's unmatched talent base and the high-capacity infrastructure available at the 1,250-acre Western New York Science & Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park in Genesee County."
Emmanuel P. Giannelis, vice provost for Research and Vice President for Technology Transfer, Intellectual Property and Research Policy at Cornell University, said, “Senator Schumer has long recognized that the best way to keep America at the forefront of the technology revolution is to invest in research and development here at home.
"Not only does the American Foundries Act of 2020 direct critical resources into expanding the domestic production of microelectronics, it also points the way to the future with substantial funding for research and innovation. It is especially fitting, given the importance of the semiconductor industry to national security, that this important proposal is moving through Congress as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. Cornell University is pleased to support the American Foundries Act and commends Senator Schumer for his leadership.”
Details on the original amendment that has been integrated into the final NDAA can be found below. The amendment:
"Coach Swaz." That’s how a lot of people know me, even in economic development circles.
A great team, like the Buffalo Bills and all of our partners at the Genesee County Economic Development Center, is built on talented players and motivated coaches. Building on our economic growth in Genesee County is achieved through teamwork.
For our youth, that coaching can build connections to careers that put them in a position where they can succeed quickly by tapping into their talents and passion. Through Genesee FAST (Food processing, Advanced manufacturing, Skilled trades, and Technician) we can mentor, educate and train our youth for career opportunities with companies across the GLOW region. This allows us to move fast in helping companies with the job demands in their respective workplaces.
I want to reference a couple of examples of how this is being demonstrated. Graham Corporation recently purchased and installed a new welding simulator for the Batavia Career and Technical Education Center’s Metal Trades Program at Genesee Valley BOCES. It is a great example of how our growing companies are building connections with students in preparing the next generation of skilled welders. I applaud Graham Corporation’s vision and support of Genesee Valley BOCES.
Andrew Geyer’s welding students at the Batavia CTE are currently training on real world scenarios and are encouraged to get even more involved with youth apprenticeships. By taking the appropriate courses, participating in relevant activities and focusing on developing their skills we are providing students the playbook for success.
In 2019, more than 1,000 students, educators and guests participated in a single-day event at the Genesee County Fairgrounds – GLOW With Your Hands. In my role as cochair of GLOW With Your Hands along with GLOW Workforce Development Board Executive Director Jay Lazarony, we knew our entire volunteer team had to make a dramatic pivot for 2020 because of the pandemic. And we achieved success by going virtual.
Providing students with hands-on opportunities at the GLOW With Your Hands event last year was extremely impactful. Providing that same experience this year seemed like a monumental task, but we are reaching even more kids than last year making deeper connections with the launch of www.GLOWWithYourHandsVirtual.com
Karyn Winters, the director of the Genesee County Business Education Alliance, and Angela Grouse, director of education to employment initiatives for the Livingston County Area Chamber of Commerce, are leading all of our volunteers across the GLOW region in this effort. They once again enlisted companies to turn a hands-on event into an on-demand platform for our students to pursue great career opportunities.
GLOW With Your Hands Virtual demonstrates the career pathways that our students can take in securing family sustaining jobs and, more importantly, remaining part of our community by staying here and raising their own families.
I encourage everyone who wants to see Genesee County continue to grow and prosper by putting our kids in a position to win, to please visit the GLOW With Your Hands Virtual website and start discussing these careers with our youth. You can be a great coach.
Coach Swaz’s Career of the Month: Welding
There are dozens of careers that we are encouraging parents to share with kids in middle school and high school using the GLOW With Your Hands Virtual website. This month, I recommend warming up with the welding profile and seeing how welder-fabricators succeed.
Below is a YouTube video about welders and welding at Oxbo International Corp. in Byron, courtesy of the GCEDC.
Photo: Aaron Leone, right, practices his welding skills on the Miller LiveArc machine, as welding instructor Andrew Geyer, guides him.
Submitted photo and press release:
When Graham Corporation and the Genesee County Economic Development Center approached the executive principal of the Genesee Valley BOCES Batavia Campus about donating a welding simulator, Jon Sanfratello knew that this was a huge bonus for the Metal Trades Program.
“When businesses invest in our programs, our students are the true benefactors," Sanfratello said. "This welding simulator, that Graham Corporation has so generously donated,will provide our students with an additional training tool to test their skills.
"One of our top priorities here at GV BOCES is the integration of both applied and practical skills into curriculumso our students are college and career-ready. This training tool is another means of achieving our goal. We are so very appreciative of Graham’s investment in our program and students.”
At the end of the 2019-2020 school year, Graham Corp. provided them a Miller LiveArc Welding System. It provides a simulation scenario for a student to practice welds in a live-arc training mode.
Andrew Geyer is the welding instructor at the Batavia Career and Technical Education Center.
“The Miller LiveArc has cameras and infrared sensors that will read students’ welds and grade them accordingly based upon the parameters that are set,” Geyer said. “It is our hope that representatives from Graham can spend some time with us and program the machine with industry-based welds, so students can get a better understanding of what is expected in industry.”
Geyer and Metal Trades students recently met with Graham Corp. representatives and Chris Suozzi, GCEDC vice president of Business & Workforce Development, via Zoom. During this online meeting, students asked many questions about employment opportunities at Graham Corporation.
Graham Corp. is well known for being a major employer in the region as well as a big supporter of schools especially, Genesee Valley BOCES. Graham has gifted other materials used in the Metal Trades Program at the GV BOCES Batavia Campus, too.
“The Welding Program at the Batavia CTE Center is very important to Graham Corporation and to our community," said Alan Smith, general manager of Graham Corp. "As Graham continues to grow, access to skilled welders is vital. Welders make up approximately 50 percent of Graham's skilled workforce.
"Graham has a long history of supporting the welding program at the Batavia CTE Center with donations of plate steel and weld wire. Graham's latest donation of the weld simulator will enable students to learn proper welding techniques by providing immediate feedback while saving the expensive cost of weld wire.”
Graham Corporation also has a track record of hiring welding students from the Batavia CTE Center and from other BOCES around New York State. Don Fonda, superintendent at Graham Corp., says this partnership goes back decades.
“We have close to 75 employees who went to a BOCES program, and add in some recent new hires, the total is over 80 employees," Fonda said. "We have 53 employees who came to Graham from the Batavia GV BOCES program.
“From what I could find out the Graham/Batavia GV BOCES connection goes back to the 1970s when GV BOCES was next to the industrial center. Bob Torrey was one of the first co-op students at Graham. He started at Graham working three days and Saturdays in January of 1974 while he was in school. He was hired full time in June 1974, 46 years ago.”
Suozzi says partnerships like this benefit the community.
"The Genesee County Economic Development Center applauds Graham Corporation for investing in equipment and experiences that will benefit every 11th- and 12th-grade student learning in GV BOCES' welding lab," Suozzi said. "This partnership strengthens the skills of our students for the great careers at Graham Corporation.”
Don’t go grouping Genesee County with five other rural counties outside of the heavy-populated hubs of Erie and Niagara when it comes to private-sector job losses over the past five years.
That’s one of the themes emanating from a Nov. 4 story in Buffalo Business First that reveals the findings of a federal report, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, pertaining to the Western New York business climate prior to the economic shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the BBF article, Genesee County “is an exception to the generally gloomy news about the six outlying counties” – the others being Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Orleans and Wyoming.
Genesee County, per the QCEW, created an additional 718 private-sector jobs between 2015 and March 2020, a period that culminated before the adverse effects of COVID-19 took hold. That represents a 4.4-percent increase.
Citing the BBF story, “The six outlying counties (including Genesee) collectively lost 4.1 percent of their jobs during the 2015-20 span, a period in which the national economy was prospering. A total of 4,303 private-sector positions vanished” from the six counties.
The number jumps to a 5.7-percent decline in employment for those other five counties when removing Genesee’s performance.
Steve Hyde, president and chief executive officer of the Genesee County Economic Development Center, contacted today said he’s not surprised by the report’s favorable news.
“In Genesee County, the continued collaboration among the various levels of government with our strong private sector is resulting in economic growth through capital investment and jobs,” he said. “The results shared since 2015 are visible at Genesee County’s eight shovel-ready business parks and the sustained growth of many Genesee County companies.”
Hyde contributed the growth to investments made by the county’s major employers as well as smaller businesses that have expanded their operations.
Some of those major employers include HP Hood, O-At-Ka Milk Products, Liberty Pumps, Wright Beverage and Tompkins Bank/Insurance.
Genesee County Manager Matt Landers said the QCEW report validates that Genesee County “is indeed a great place to work and live.”
“We are fortunate to have excellent companies in our backyard that are growing and investing right here in Genesee County,” Landers said today. “The combined efforts of the GCEDC, Batavia Development Corporation, Batavia Downtown Business Improvement District, and Chamber of Commerce have helped to attract and retain many of these private-sector jobs, and have us positioned for continued growth for years to come.”
The BBF story called Genesee County “the one exception” to a downturn in job growth in the rural counties when compared to increases in the number of private-sector businesses in Erie and Niagara counties, per the QCEW study.
“A total of 4,303 private-sector positions vanished from Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties … while at the same time Erie and Niagara counties were adding 11,845 private-sector jobs, representing an increase of 2.7 percent,” according to the BBF article.
The story also pointed out that Orleans and Wyoming counties "essentially broke even" during the five-year span.
Press release:
The Genesee County Economic Development Center Board of Directors formally adopted a Phase 1 Housing Policy at the agency’s meeting on Oct. 29. The Phase 1 policy establishes incentives and criteria for multifamily rental/market-rate and multifamily rental/affordable housing projects.
The Phase 1 Housing Policy is the result of the findings from a study and assessment of Genesee County’s housing stock conducted by LaBella Associates in 2018 and an economic development strategic assessment of Genesee County conducted by the Rockefeller Institute of Government in 2019.
Among the key findings of both assessments:
“I want to thank and acknowledge the great work of the members of the GCEDC Housing Committee, including our Housing Committee Chair Paul Battaglia that took a methodical approach in developing this policy,” said GCEDC President and CEO Steve Hyde. “It is irrefutable that there is a demand in the marketplace for new housing and if we do not address the supply there will be negative economic impacts.”
The GCEDC Phase 1 Housing Policy would offer property tax exemptions for new construction and/or rehabilitation of multifamily rental market rate and affordable housing projects; sales tax exemptions for the purchase of construction materials, equipment rentals and purchases; and mortgage tax exemptions. These are the typical incentives available through the GCEDC for projects across the county.
“The members of the Housing Committee and the GCEDC Board recognize that housing is an integral part of economic development, including the demand among employers who are concerned about being able to attract new workers as they expand their operations because of a lack of quality housing near their workplaces,” Battaglia said.
“We are confident in the review by our legal counsel that we can begin to offer these incentives to developers to improve the County’s housing stock and we are excited about moving forward to get some projects started.”
A decrease in the Genesee County property tax rate and a much smaller than anticipated increase in the Town of Batavia property tax rate.
That’s the latest word from the managers of both municipalities who shared developments from today’s meetings with the legislature and town board, respectively, concerning their 2021 budgets.
“We’ve had several budget meetings with our county legislature and at this point and time I’m ready to propose a county budget that has a decrease in the (property) tax rate of approximately 31 cents down to $9.80 (per thousand of assessed value) from $10.11,” said first-year County Manager Matt Landers.
Batavia Town Supervisor Gregory Post had encouraging news as well, reporting that his current budget calls for about a 39-cent increase – from $2.45 per thousand to $2.84 – which is considerably less than the potential 88- or 89-percent increase that was bandied about a couple weeks ago.
“Everyone should thank the county legislators for their hard work to make it possible for the revenue distributions they have just made,” Post said, referring to a final 2020 payment of $6 million and a pledge to distribute $10 million in 2021 to the county’s 13 towns and six villages. “Now, we feel much better about taking $550,000 from our fund balance to make this happen.”
Both budgets are tentative and subject to change, but in all likelihood any modifications should be slight at this point.
Holding the Line Paved the Way
Legislature Chair Rochelle Stein said she was hoping that her colleagues and management would be wrong in August (when they predicted a dire outcome).
“I’m glad we were, so we could increase this amount up to 10 million dollars,” she said of the 2021 revenue distribution, which is $2 million more than previously announced. She then applauded the efforts of everyone involved, noting that she appreciated their “work and consistency and your sticking with us.”
Landers echoed her sentiments, pointing out that the moves the legislature has made over the past six months, under the direction of Stein and former County Manager Jay Gsell, “have helped put us in a (good) position and helped me to put together this budget.”
“We’ve been able to fund our roads and bridges to the level that I’d like to fund them in 2021 … and they made a lot of good decisions … on furloughs, hiring freezes, deferring capital projects, deferring acquisitions.”
In order to lower the tax rate, Landers is proposing using about $2.3 million of the county’s $15 million fund balance. He said that is necessary due to a projected 20-percent (or more) cut in aid from New York State.
“We still don’t know if there’s going to be a stimulus for governments,” he said. “The stimulus isn’t anything I am looking toward for revenue replacement; the stimulus would benefit Genesee County primarily in that it would provide revenue to the state, and the state would not have to cut us.”
A 20-percent cut in state aid translates to a $2 million hit to the county’s budget, which will come in at around $144 million.
Sales Tax Numbers Better Than Anticipated
“As you saw in the resolution tonight (at the legislature meeting where the revenue allocations were approved), we’re going to budget $10 million of revenue distribution to our towns and villages in 2021,” Landers said. “We are projecting a small reduction in sales tax, but not anything that we would have thought six months ago. There were estimates that sales tax would be down 30 to 40 percent, but now we’re projecting a 5- to 10-percent reduction in sales tax.”
With sales tax numbers better than expected, the county is able to provide $10 million next year to support the towns and villages.
Landers said he and department heads went through the budget line-by-line during a couple Saturday morning workshop sessions and he “feels comfortable at this point submitting a budget that has roughly a 31-cent decrease in the tax rate, with a levy increase of approximately $400,000 (due to an increase in the county’s assessed value).
“I wish we could do more; I wish we could reduce taxes more,” he said. “It’s one of those (situations) where I’m glad we could come to a consensus with the legislature. I’m glad that we’ve got a balanced budget that I’m going to be proposing and once it goes from my hands to the legislature, it's their ability to modify it and amend it as they see fit.”
He said he expects the legislature to “tweak a thing or two,” but is relieved to have made it this far in the budget process.
“I’m glad to get through my first budget session. I never envisioned putting one together in a pandemic and a financial crisis, but I am glad that we are able to have a stabilized tax rate for Genesee County citizens,” he said. “I understand that it is going to utilize a little more fund balance than we like to, but that’s what the ‘rainy day’ fund is for. If we potentially didn’t have a 20-percent reduction in our state aid, we might have been able to have the possibility of further reductions (in the tax rate), which would have been great.”
Landers said the county’s fund balance is at 12 to 13 percent of its general fund expenditures – the proper level according to guidelines from the state Comptroller’s office.
The spending plan will be presented at a public hearing scheduled for Nov. 4 at the Old County Courthouse. It is slated to be adopted by the legislature on Nov. 23.
Town Supervisor Breathes a Bit Easier
Post said he expects to get a good night’s sleep tonight for the first time in months after coming out of a budget workshop this afternoon at the Batavia Town Hall on West Main Street Road.
The town received word that it would be getting another revenue check from the county in the amount of $1 million this year and just shy of $1.7 million from the county in 2021.
While the $1.7 million is less than what board members originally had hoped for, it is enough for them to be able to allot $550,000 from the fund balance to lower the tax rate.
“That, plus the fact that our investments are beating the market rate by a factor of six times, puts us in position to do that,” Post said, letting out a sigh of relief.
He attributed the town’s ability to weather the economic storm to its collaboration with the county, City of Batavia and Genesee County Economic Development Center that has resulted in developing “multiple streams of income.”
“This all started 12 years ago … by incentivizing businesses that provide sales tax revenue,” Post explained. “All of these entities have collectively applied those principals to our community and we’re reaping the benefits.”
The town board has indicated it will conduct a special work session at 5 p.m. on Oct. 20, prior to adopting a preliminary budget on Oct. 21. A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for Nov. 4.
Press release:
The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) Board of Directors approved incentives for a $12.8 million renovation of an existing apartment complex in the City of Batavia at its Oct. 1 board meeting.
Batavia Senior Housing Preservation LLC’s project will invest approximately $21,400 per unit in hard construction costs, assuring the apartment complex at 1 State St. remains viable as a safe and affordable housing option for low-income seniors. Current residents will not be displaced during the renovation and construction.
The project has been approved for a private activity bond, sales and mortgage tax exemptions and a property tax abatement. The property tax abatement is limited to the increase in future value only. Project incentives are estimated at approximately $376,466.
Press release:
The Board of Directors of the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) adopted their 2021 budget at the board’s Sept. 4 meeting with projected expenditures of approximately $23.3 million.
The budget includes $21.1 million in grants for the continued development of infrastructure at the Western New York Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park (WNY STAMP), of which $19.5 million is earmarked for the advancement of Phase I infrastructure at the campus (remaining funds from the original $33 million state allocation); and, $1.6 million dedicated to the advancement of Phase II infrastructure (initial funds from the $8 million Empire State Development grant).
The 1,250-acre WNY STAMP campus in the Town of Alabama is the largest high-tech greenfield site in New York with a capacity of low-cost hydropower for energy-intensive industries and a labor shed of approximately two million workers from the Western New York and Finger Lakes regions.
“The GCEDC is building WNY STAMP and STAMP’s North Campus and South Campus as a catalyst for the success of the people of Genesee County and companies that will create a stronger future in our region,” said Peter Zeliff, chairman of the GCEDC.
As a public benefit corporation, the GCEDC generates fees from economic development projects and other sources to run the agency’s operations, programs, and services.
The GCEDC anticipates $375,000 in revenues from project origination fees and $3,300 in revenues from revolving loan fund interest and $280,000 in project revenues recognized in previous years. Revenues also include a $300,000 grant that will be allocated by the Genesee Gateway Local Development Corporation (GGLDC) to support the agency’s overall Economic Development Program.
“There is a large body of work that occurs at this agency each year, and I am pleased that we continue to find resourceful ways to serve the businesses and citizens of Genesee County,” said Lezlie Farrell, CFO of the GCEDC. “Operating expenditures have been controlled and reduced wherever possible.”
The GCEDC budget anticipates a $233,000 allocation by Genesee County to support economic development that results in a growing return on investments to the county. In 2019, the last full year of data available, GCEDC projects (current and expired) produced over $5.03 million in combined PILOT payments and property taxes to local taxing jurisdictions.
“Genesee County is a vital partner in our efforts to bring new business and growth to our region. We rely on the Genesee County Legislature to support our budget and operations so we can continue to enable business and community success,” Zeliff said. “In 2019, Genesee County and local taxing jurisdictions benefited from 21.5 dollars returned on every dollar allocated to GCEDC operations.”
Press release:
The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) Board of Directors will consider final approval for a building renovation project in the City of Batavia at its Sept. 3 board meeting.
Neppalli Holdings LLC is proposing to invest approximately $1.165 million to renovate a three-story building at 99 Main St. in Downtown Batavia. The renovation and redevelopment of the 7,500-square-foot building, which was built in 1865, would include a new storefront, façade and reconstruction of the existing three floors.
A dental practice will occupy the first floor with the second floor being developed for commercial office space. The third floor will include a pair of two-bedroom market-rate apartments.
Neppalli Holdings LLC is the latest transformational building renovation project to proceed in Downtown Batavia through Governor Andrew Cuomo’s $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI).
The project is requesting sales and mortgage tax benefits totaling $63,500.
The GCEDC Board meeting will take place at 4 p.m. this Thursday. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic the meeting will be conducted via conference and online at www.gcedc.com.
“My views are somewhat conflicted because of our involvement in it, but it is a good project. It is renewable energy,” Yunker said. “And it is a win for the taxpayers in Byron, the county and the Byron-Bergen school district. If you look at the economy in Byron, it is a strong ag economy but there’s no sales tax generated by the town, for all intents and purposes. This is a revenue source.”
Yunker is a managing partner of the Elba-based CY Farms, a 6,000-plus-acre crop farm, and owns Batavia Turf, a turf farming operation in Batavia, and CY Heifers, a 4,000-head replacement heifer business that raises calves for local dairy farms.
Well-known in the community, Yunker, since 2014, has sat on the board of directors of the Genesee County Economic Development Center – the agency that is negotiating with Excelsior Energy Center on a payment in lieu of taxes agreement that would benefit the three taxing jurisdictions: Town of Byron, Byron-Bergen Central School District and Genesee County.
“Everybody from the town is going to benefit from the PILOT revenue – and it will be a lot of money,” Yunker said, adding that he has recused himself from voting on any and all matters pertaining to the solar project. “Negotiations are going on now.”
Yunker explained that Excelsior Energy would be tax exempt but under the PILOT they would make payments in lieu of taxes.
“If they were assessed full value on a commercial basis – once it changes from farmland to commercial the assessment will go up – the project wouldn’t come here. It wouldn’t be economically feasible for NextEra (Energy Resources, parent company of Excelsior Energy),” he said. “But yet the taxing jurisdictions want them to come because there will be a lot more tax revenue than it would be if it was farmland.”
Exactly how much revenue is unknown at this point, but judging from the PILOTs approved earlier this year for Borrego Solar’s five community solar projects totaling just 22 megawatts in the Elba, Pembroke and Akron school districts, it likely will be in the several millions.
The GCEDC authorized $1,141,366 in revenues over 15 years for three Town of Batavia projects, broken down as follows:
And the GCEDC authorized $951,138 in revenues over 15 years for two Town of Pembroke projects, broken down as follows:
Yunker said Byron has little industry other than Oxbo International, which builds sales tax-exempt farm machinery, and that all municipalities will be affected should Gov. Andrew Cuomo follow through on state aid cuts of 20 percent or more.
“If you had a bunch of businesses ready to come here and build factories and would pay full tax revenues, that would be better. But we don’t have those lining up to come here,” he said. “It’s about creating a revenue source so that the town can provide services to its residents and the school district can provide services to the residents without an unbearable property tax levy.”
As far as the landowners are concerned, Yunker acknowledged a “ballpark figure” of $1,000 to $1,500 an acre is being offered by Excelsior Energy. Payments would arrive on an annual basis. He said that CY Properties has contracted to lease land on Gillette Road and Ivison Road, but the exact number of acres has yet to be determined.
He also said he understood residents’ opposition to the project.
“Their arguments are that it is taking agricultural land out of production and it is going to change the visual nature of the town,” he said. “It won’t ruin the agricultural land. It will take it out of production for a period of time – 25 years – but it doesn’t ruin it.”
Yunker said if and when the solar company leaves, they would remove everything and the land would become farmland again.
“It’s not like you build a housing development and put in streets or build a factory; that’s gone forever,” he said. “This is a relatively temporary use of farmland and it doesn’t destroy the farmland.”
He addressed another concern of those against it -- the visual aspect of driving through farmland.
“People like the vista of farms and they prefer that vista over the solar panels. But I would point out that, currently, they don’t pay anything for the vista,” he offered. “If we were to let it grow to shrubs and weeds, not mow it, it wouldn’t be so pleasant to look at. But nobody is paying the farmers for that. There’s an external benefit that agriculture gives to the community at no charge.”
Ultimately, Yunker said, the landowners have a right to use their land “as long as they follow the rules.”
Press release:
Construction work has commenced to finish a major water line project to the Western New York Science & Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP) and bring the STAMP South Campus to 100-percent shovel-readiness for development.
The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) announced today (Aug. 18) that the $2 million active infrastructure project enables over one million gallons per day of water capacity to STAMP. This project is supported by Genesee County to support Phase I development of the STAMP site.
The 1,250-acre STAMP site, through the 850-acre STAMP North Campus and the 400-acre STAMP South Campus, is designed and permitted for more than six million square feet of new construction supported by low-cost hydropower.
“There is a tremendous amount of momentum for STAMP right now and not just from an infrastructure investment and construction standpoint, but in interest among site selectors and representatives from advanced manufacturing companies, including semiconductor companies from across the world,” said Steve Hyde, president and CEO, GCEDC.
The start of the construction on the latest STAMP water line comes after U.S. Senator Charles Schumer was in Batavia on July 31st to announce among other things, his support for a $1 million grant through the Northern Border Regional Commission for the construction of a new force main to serve the entire STAMP site.
STAMP infrastructure design, engineering and construction launched in 2014 with the allocation of $33 million by New York State.
“With federal, state and local funding enabling STAMP’s infrastructure delivery, our 1,250-acre mega site will provide a significant return on investment and can be a model for economic recovery as New York State emerges from the pandemic,” Hyde said.
The infrastructure work includes the completion of the construction of a water line that was started from a connection from the Erie County Water Authority in Pembroke near the New York State Thruway. The second leg included construction of the line at a connection near the Western New York National Cemetery for veterans, and now from the cemetery to the STAMP South Campus.
The work is anticipated being completed by the end this year. The design and engineering work was performed by Clark Patterson & Lee.
Press release:
Following Senator Charles E. Schumer’s unveiling of his bipartisan American Foundries Act and major push to bolster U.S. leadership in the microelectronics sector, Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) includes their provision to reestablish U.S. leadership and revitalize innovation in the global microelectronics sector.
The senators explained that the bipartisan legislation increase federal investment into semiconductor manufacturing by providing new federal incentives to conduct advanced research and development of semiconductor technology, secure the supply chain, and ensure national and economic security by reducing reliance on foreign semiconductor manufacturing.
The amendment passed in the Senate 96-4 yesterday, and the legislation included in the final NDAA, which is expected to be put to a final vote in the Senate in coming days, will provide unprecedented support for the U.S. semiconductor industry.
“The economic and national security risks posed by relying too heavily on foreign semiconductor suppliers cannot be ignored, and Upstate New York, which has a robust semiconductor sector, is the perfect place to grow this industry by leaps and bounds,” Senator Schumer said.
“America must continue to invest in our domestic semiconductor industry in order to keep good-paying, high-tech American manufacturing jobs here in Upstate New York. We need to ensure our domestic microelectronics industry can safely and securely supply our military, intelligence agencies, and other government needs.
"This is essential to our national security and to U.S. leadership in this critical industry. I’m pleased to deliver this win in this year’s final NDAA for Upstate New York and the entire country."
“Our nation is in an economic crisis. Investing in microelectronics manufacturing and the semiconductor industry will create high paying manufacturing jobs for hard working Americans at a time when our country needs it most,” Senator Gillibrand said.
“This amendment will help expand our advanced manufacturing workforce in Upstate New York and invest in cutting edge research and development. I’m proud that this legislation is included in NDAA so that we can continue to strengthen our microelectronic domestic supply chain, prioritize American-owned businesses over foreign production, and keep our country safe.”
The senators noted that even though the United States revolutionized the microelectronic industry and invented nearly all of the key technology used to this day, competitors in Asia, especially China, have made huge investments into their microelectronics industries in recent years to challenge and undercut U.S. leadership.
In fact, Schumer and Gillibrand pointed out, the United States has gone from producing 24 percent of the world’s semiconductors in 2000, to just 12 percent more recently. In contrast, China has gone from producing zero chips to 16 percent of the world’s supply in the same time frame.
The senators warned that by 2030, Asia is projected to control 83 percent of the global semiconductor manufacturing supply while domestic production could be less than 10 percent, threatening U.S. reliance on foreign-made microelectronics, which could pose huge risks to U.S. national and economic security.
Schumer has long-championed increased efforts to expand the domestic microelectronics industry, supporting companies like GlobalFoundries, which houses their most advanced "Fab 8" manufacturing facility in Malta, New York, IBM, and others.
With New York home to multiple major companies and research institutions in the semiconductor industry, the state is positioned to securely supply the U.S. government with critical technologies and maintain U.S. leadership in this technology. This is a tremendous opportunity for New York’s semiconductor companies to expand operations, create more jobs in Upstate New York, and help the U.S. reduce its reliance on foreign semiconductor manufacturing.
Specifically, supporters of the amendment include: GlobalFoundries; IBM; ON Semiconductor; Cree Inc.; the Genesee County Economic Development Center; Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation; Mohawk Valley EDGE; Cornell University; Binghamton University; and SUNY Polytechnic Institute.
“Senator Schumer has been a longtime champion of New York's 1,250-acre STAMP megasite in Genesee County and this legislation provides a tremendous opportunity to create thousands of high-quality semiconductor jobs for the Western New York and Finger Lakes regions," said Steve Hyde, president and CEO of the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC). "In short, STAMP* is a transformative economic development game-changer that will generate billions of dollars of economic activity across Upstate New York.
"We appreciate Senators Schumer and Gillibrand’s push to pass this milestone legislation that advances our site, region, and New York's readiness as we compete globally for projects of this scale.”
*STAMP: Western New York Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park in Alabama.
Details on the NDAA Amendment are below:
Press release:
The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) Board of Directors will consider approving incentives for a $3 million mixed-use project by J & R Fancher Property Holdings LLC (Brickhouse Commons) at the agency’s July 2 board meeting.
The 32,254-square-foot, three-story facility is proposed to be constructed on a 7.9-acre parcel at Genesee County’s Buffalo East Technology Park (BETP) in the Town of Pembroke.
The Brickhouse Commons project includes adding 17 market-rate, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments on the second and third floors, and an interior space comprised of four spaces for commercial tenants, as well as indoor parking and a fitness center.
A public hearing on the proposed incentives was held May 26.
J & R Fancher Property Holdings LLC’s proposed investment contributes to Genesee County’s growth strategy for residential growth to parallel strong economic growth in shovel-ready industrial parks.
Genesee County’s 67-acre Buffalo East Technology Park campus maintains multiple parcels for development opportunities and is home to Yancey’s Fancy cheese manufacturing and production facility.
BETP is located at the intersection of New York State Route 77 and New York State Route 5 in the Town of Pembroke offering easy access to New York Interstate 90 at Exit 48-A.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting will be conducted via conference and online at www.gcedc.com.
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