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Specialized Commercial Parks in Planning

Genesee County to build on success

By Bill Brown

 BATAVIA—The Genesee County Economic Development Center has had such success with business parks in three towns that it is planning to invest up to $10 million in two specialized commercial parks.

The Genesee Gateway Local Development Corp., the center’s real estate arm, has budgeted $4.7 million for the Genesee Valley Agri- Business Park and $1.3 million for the Western New York Science and Advanced Technology Manufacturing Plant.

Funding will also go to the Upstate Medical and Technology Park already under construction in the Town of Batavia. Also awaiting development is the Buffalo East Technology Park adjacent to the Pembroke Thruway exit.

Genesee Gateway plans to spend $32.2 million in the next two years on the 200-acre Agri-Business Park, which will stretch between Route 5 and Route 63 just east of the city limits.

The park, hailed as the first of its kind in the state and designed to attract agricultural businesses, especially food processors, already has a $2 million state grant, $100,000 from National Grid and $53,000 from National Fuel. The balance will be financed through short-term bonds.

The sum set aside for the advanced technology project in the Town of Alabama will go to design and preconstruction work. The 1,340-acre park is the economic development center’s attempt to attract manufacturing facilities in computer chips, flat panel screens and semiconductors.

Funding will come from a $1 million Empire State Development grant and two grants totaling $525,000 from National Grid. A Pittsburgh architectural firm was awarded a $1.2 million contract for design work.

Work will begin this month at the Agri-Business site next to the Genesee County Fairgrounds and the O-AT-KA Milk Products Cooperative.

It is a public/private partnership with Farm Credit of Western New York. Already signed for a site is White Crest Mushrooms, a Canadian food processor with a goal of creating 100 new jobs.

The Med & Tech Park on College Road will be a neighbor of Genesee Community College and will house the school’s expanded nursing program.

Other tenants are United Memorial Medical Center’s occupational and physical therapy units, and the economic development center headquarters, which will move from a former industrial plant in Batavia.

fin@buffnews.com