4/10/07 - IDA seeks funding for C’ville business park

(As published by Cortland Standard, Christine Laubenstein reporting)

A regional planning director is hopeful the Cortland County Industrial Development Agency will receive a $2 million federal grant by September to help get the Finger Lakes East business park up and running sometime next year.
The park, which is 260 acres and located on the north side of Route 13 between Gracie and Bennie roads, needs $4.1 million in funding for infrastructure and property purchase costs for the northern half of the park.
David Bottar, executive director of the Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board, told the Industrial Development Agency board at its meeting Monday that he is optimistic the park will be awarded $2 million in federal Economic Development Administration money.
His board has assisted the IDA with the funding application.
The $6.7 million project has already received $450,000 from the federal Environmental Protection Agency that will be used for water and sewer lines.
Cortlandville Town Supervisor Dick Tupper, who attended Monday’s meeting, said the town might be willing to pay between $300,000 and $400,000 to help extend sewer and water lines a couple of thousand feet to the site.
He said the town would be able to justify the investment to the taxpayers if a business was already planning on moving onto the site.
IDA Executive Director Linda Hartsock said Monday that a group of private investors, whose name she would not disclose, is talking with various hotels chains to try to bring one to the site.
She added she is meeting with the chief executive officer of Shell, who has expressed interest in the business park, this week. Shell is a worldwide group of oil, gas and petrochemical companies with interests in biofuels, wind and solar power and hydrogen.
Hartsock said remaining money for the $4.1 project could be sought through a number of sources, including a $750,000 state Office for Small Cities grant and/or grant money through the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Bottar said this morning an access road would be built along the northern border of the property. National Grid might pay a portion of the cost to connect the site to power lines, he added.
Hartsock said the Industrial Development Agency is asking for anywhere between $100,000 and $250,000 through a National Grid grant program. Fiber optic telecommunication lines would be installed at the same time the power lines are, she said.
Hartsock said it is important for the Finger Lakes East project to get full funding soon, as the purchase option on about half the property is only good until June 2008.
Hartsock said the purchase option is for $600,000, and is with landowner Richard Osbeck, who owns 143 acres of the site. Gutchess Lumber owns 112 acres of the site, Hartsock said, and the Industrial Development Agency is waiting to purchase that land until it sells parcels from Osbeck’s half to businesses.
Then it can use that revenue to buy the property, she said.

See post from C-S dated 4/17/07 - How much industrial development do we need???