WATERLOO — The site of a new industrial park hasn’t been identified yet, but the Seneca County Industrial Development Agency wants to be ready.
In her first-quarter report delivered at the agency’s March 24 meeting, IDA Executive Director Sarah Davis said state and federal grants will be sought to develop and build out the new park.
Davis said Gov. Kathy Hochul has included $200 million in her state budget proposal for a new grant program called the Focused Attraction of Shovel-Ready Tracts New York, or FAST NY. It’s aimed at developing sites to attract high-tech manufacturing, warehousing, distribution and logistics businesses to the state.
“It is the IDA’s intent to pursue one of these grants through Empire State Development Corp., should the program make it into the final state budget, to support our development of an industrial park,” Davis said.
Davis added the federal Opportunities for Non-Developed Sites to have Opportunities for Rehabilitation for Economic Development, or ONSHORE Act, would provide $100 million for five years through the Economic Development Administration for grants to support site and utility readiness, workforce development, distribution, and logistics.
“Should this grant program come to fruition, the IDA would apply to support its industrial park build-out,” Davis said.
Davis said MRB Group has conducted a feasibility study of three potential sites identified by the IDA. She said negotiations are underway for the purchase of one of those sites.
In other matters:
• TRANSFER — The transfer of 200+ acres of land at the former Seneca Army Depot in Romulus will be transferred to Deer Haven Park and Earl Martin, who bought the conservation area of the former depot several years ago. The Army has completed environmental remediation of the acreage.
• VACANCIES — Four applications for two vacancies on the IDA board have been received, and interviews by a joint committee of IDA and Board of Supervisor members were set to begin today.
• RESIGNATION — Deputy Executive Director Patricia Jones will retire at the end of April. Jones has been with the IDA in various capacities for more than 26 years, working with six executive directors and serving as acting executive director during transition periods. “She will be dearly missed by our organization,” Davis said.