The Peru Gazette

A message from Empire State Development

The Empire State Development (ESD) Board of Directors met today in New York City and approved $3.4 million in funding for nine projects that are spurring economic growth and opportunity in New York State. These targeted investments will leverage over $19.7 million in private and other public funding to support local businesses, community and downtown revitalization, and projects that are building a strong foundation for future economic growth and job creation. The projects will directly create 50 new jobs and retain 409 existing New York State jobs.

The Board approved the following Regional Council award grants:

Nojaim Inc. – (Central New York Region – Onondaga County) -$1,000,000
Nojaim, Inc., an urban food market, will use a grant of up to $1,000,000 for a portion of the construction and renovation costs required to create a health center in an existing Nojaim Brothers Supermarket.

Founded in 1919, Nojaim Brothers Supermarket is owned and operated by the third generation of the Nojaim family and has been serving Syracuse’s Near Westside neighborhood for over 90 years, providing access to healthy food in a severely distressed community. As a result of the Governor’s REDC Initiative, the company was able to apply through Round I of the Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) process to remodel its current supermarket and create the health care center. The expansion was identified as a priority project by the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council and was awarded a $1,000,000 grant. As a result of this funding Nojaim was able to expand its Syracuse supermarket facility to 24,300 square-feet, allowing the company to support the community’s demand for fresh food and provide healthcare and health education resources in one of Syracuse’s poorest neighborhoods. Nojaim partnered with St. Joseph’s Hospital to remodel the supermarket, and also offer seminars on nutrition, health screening and access to health professionals. The project was intended to serve as a model for urban agriculture, using a collaboration of private business, a regional health institution and a major university to address food deserts in an urban center.

This priority project is consistent with the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council’s plan to promote agribusiness and food processing to provide healthy food choices. As a result of this project, Nojaim will retain 43 existing jobs.

City of Olean North Union Street Redevelopment – (Western New York Region – Cattaraugus County) -$800,000
The City of Olean will use a grant of up to $800,000 for a portion of the cost of streetscape design and reconstruction of 100-500 North Union Street and corresponding streetscapes in the city’s downtown historic district.

Olean, established in 1823, is the major commerce and industrial center for Cattaraugus County. In 2011, the City adopted the Olean Urban Renewal Plan to identify unmet community needs such as preserving neighborhood character, promoting diverse housing, facilitating redevelopment and encouraging local employment. The city also formed a Downtown Restoration Task Force to realize a vision for a walkable Olean by easing traffic flow through improved street designs. Olean was awarded $1 million through Round 1 of the Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) process to fund the transformation of the historical, vacant and dilapidated former Manufacturers Hanover Bank building (Manny Hanny) into a mixed-use structure, as well as the redesign and reconstruction of the adjacent portion of North Union, both located in the city’s downtown historic district. $800,000 of the $1 million CFA award will be used to redesign and reconstruct North Union, restore failing water and sanitary sewer lines to full capacity and address issues with storm water run-off. The Manny Hanny project will be brought before the ESD Directors at a later date.

This Priority Project is consistent with the Western New York Regional Economic Development Council’s plan to promote downtown revitalization, sustainability and smart growth.

Finishing Trades Institute – (Western New York Region – Erie County) – $500,000
The Finishing Trades Institute of Western and Central New York (FTI), the education subsidiary of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT), will use a grant of up to $500,000 for a portion of the costs of building construction and renovations, as well as the acquisition and installation of machinery and equipment for the expansion of an existing training facility.

FTI provides health, safety, apprentice and journeyman training and retraining to IUPAT District Council 4 members and contractors. FTI operates training facilities in Buffalo and Geneva, NY, servicing 33 counties across Western, Central, and Northern New York. The two facilities provide training to approximately 85 members who receive 160 hours each and 200 members who receive between 16 and 64 hours each. Due to an increase in NYS approved apprentice programs over the last five years, FTI was experiencing space constraints at its existing training facilities and was forced to operate its largest program – the Bridge and Tank Painter Program – at a leased facility off site. FTI required a building expansion, new machinery and equipment to adequately accommodate all of its current and expanding programs, but it did not have sufficient financial resources to undertake the capital investment. As a result of the Governor’s REDC Initiative, FTI was awarded $500,000 through Round 2 of the Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) process, allowing FTI to proceed with the training facility expansion at the Buffalo facility.

This project is consistent with the Western New York Regional Economic Development Council’s plan to facilitate training of skilled tradesmen and promote job readiness.

St. Lawrence County IDA Canton Business Park – (North Country Region – St. Lawrence County) – $470,000
The St. Lawrence County Industrial Development Agency, a public benefit corporation, will use a grant of up to $470,000 for a portion of the cost of building construction and site work, including access road and water-sewer infrastructure, for the development of a 22-acre commercial business park in Canton, New York.

The St. Lawrence County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) owns and operates small industrial parks in Massena and Canton, and sought ESD assistance to help finance its development of a new 22-acre commercial business park in Canton by applying for funding assistance through Round 2 of the Consolidated Funding Application process. The organization was awarded a $470,000 grant towards the Canton Business Park project. The new building and related infrastructure will provide a facility for entrepreneurs to locate businesses and expand employment, while also increasing economic activity and job creation in St. Lawrence County.

This project is consistent with the North Country Regional Economic Development Council’s plan to provide North Country businesses with the opportunity to expand into modern facilities.

SUNY ESF Biomass Cooperative Innovation Center – (Central New York Region – Onondaga County) -$245,000
The Research Foundation for the State University of New York (SUNY RF), a private not-for-profit educational corporation that administers externally funded contracts and grants for and on behalf of the State University of New York (SUNY), will use a grant of up to $245,000 on behalf of the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF) for a portion of the cost of construction and the purchase of machinery and equipment needed to complete and equip a biomass innovation center on ESF’s campus that will create a pilot pellet plant to convert wood to energy.

In response to SUNY ESF’s sustainability goals and the need to foster research, education and business development in Central New York, the college developed a Biomass Cooperative Innovation Center, but needed additional funding in order to fully complete the center and support new, small-scale biomass processing. In 2012 SUNY RF, on behalf of ESF, was awarded a $245,000 capital grant through the Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) process, and was able to make the center fully operational.

The ESF Biomass Cooperative Innovation Center will provide business and other community members’ access to biomass processing and biofuel processing equipment and resources, enhancing the ability of area businesses partners to compete globally and provide opportunities in the City of Syracuse’s urban core. This project is consistent with the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council’s Plan to strengthen targeted industry concentrations that leverage unique economic assets; improve competitiveness in, and connections to, the regional, national, and global economies; and revitalize the region’s urban cores, main streets, and neighborhoods.

TRW Automotive U.S., LLC – (Central New York Region – Cayuga County) – $200,000
TRW Automotive U.S., LLC, a manufacturing company, will use a grant of up to $200,000 for a portion of the purchasing cost of machinery and equipment to upgrade outdated equipment and renovate the company’s facility in Auburn, New York. The company is part of a publicly traded parent that is one of the world’s largest suppliers to automotive original equipment manufacturers and aftermarkets.

TRW Automotive manufactures remote door controls and tire pressure sensors for automobiles and trucks in its suburban Auburn plant in the Town of Aurelius. The Auburn facility has a global customer base with exports to Korea, Japan, China, and Europe. In response to increased demand, TRW needed to upgrade its outdated equipment. In the past, due to equipment inefficiencies, the company had to outsource a portion of its printed circuit board assembly business to a sister plant in Marshall, Illinois. As a result of the Governor’s Regional Economic Development Council initiative, in 2013 the Company was awarded a $200,000 capital grant through Round 3 of the Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) process, which allowed enabled the company to bring production back to the Auburn area.

As a result of this project, TRW Automotive will retain 357 existing jobs, including eight that were at risk, and create 12 new jobs. The company has already exceeded that number, having hired 14 new employees.

The next meeting of the ESD Board of Directors will be in February.