Two top local economic development officials say they are excited about the prospects for development of an industrial park in Genesee County, with the agreement on a new state budget.
Among the items in the new spending plan, $33 million to complete land acquisition and make infrastructure improvements to a 1200 acre site in the Genesee County town of Alabama. The hope is that the location will eventually be home to nanotechnology and other semi-conductor companies, and bring thousands of good paying jobs to this area. It's called " STAMP,” an acronym for Science Technology and Manufacturing Park.
Mark Peterson is the President of Greater Rochester Enterprise. He says his organization already has contact with companies interested in coming here.
"We have four different projects that are in various stages of active engagement with us, including one that will be visiting us next week, so we're very close in a couple of places on closing a deal ."
Peterson believes the new technology park could see 1500 jobs locate there in the next two to three years, and he estimates it could attract 10,000 new jobs over the next several years. He says one reason this site will be attractive to the high tech businesses is because it has access to low cost hydropower.
Steve Hyde is the President of the Genesee County Economic Development Center, and he calls this a “transformative economic development project for Buffalo and Rochester” and all points in between. He says the state funding continues significant momentum to bring the next generation of nanotechnology manufacturing to Western New York.
