GCEDC approves incentives for 2 projects expected to create 20 jobs

The Genesee County Economic Development Center has approved economic incentives for two projects expected to create 20 new jobs and provide roughly $7.6 million in capital investment.

J. Rental will receive sales, mortgage and property tax exemptions of $723,000 to build a new, 60,000-square-foot facility on nearly 20 acres in the Apple Tree Acres business park in Bergen. The $6.3 million project will create 15 new jobs. For every $1 in public benefit, J. Rental will invest $14 into the local economy, GCEDC officials said.

Lancor Development Corp. has proposed a $1.3 million investment to build a 12,000-square-foot facility in the new LeRoy Food and Technology Park. The project will create five new jobs and retain seven jobs. Lanco will receive sales and property tax exemptions of roughly $122,000. For every $1 of public benefit the company is investing $28.50 into the local economy.

The GCEDC board also accepted an application from Pearl Solar LLC for the construction of two 2MW community solar farms on Pearl Street Road in Batavia. Pearl Solar would make a $6 million investment and is seeking $288,000 in sales and property tax exemptions.

Separately, the GCEDC board approved the spending of $10,000 for a feasibility study to determine uses for the Batavia City Centre site, a former mall on Main Street that now houses a handful of businesses and organizations including Batavia City Hall and JC Penney.

GCEDC is collaborating with the City of Batavia and the Batavia Development Corp. in conducting the study. The City of Batavia and GCEDC also are applying for funding from Empire State Development’s Strategic Planning Program for matching funds.

“We continue to strongly support economic development initiatives in the City of Batavia,” GCEDC board Chairman Paul Battaglia said in a statement. “The redevelopment of the Batavia City Centre site is critically important to the efforts to bring more capital investment and jobs to the region’s urban center, as it has such a prominent footprint in the city.”

The intent of the study is to evaluate various redevelopment scenarios for the site, including remaining as a retail center. Other components of the study may include site planning, engineering, architectural renderings, cost estimates, permitting and financial analyses.

The study also is intended to build off of current plans that have been developed for the site through the state’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative.

“After a number of discussions with our partners on this effort, we came to the conclusion that a feasibility study would build upon and advance the goals of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative,” GCEDC President and CEO Steve Hyde said. “In essence, a study will help create a vision for what the site could be and we believe that the information and analysis resulting from the study will generate interest among the development community.”

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