COMIDA approves incentives for fairlife, Indus Hospitality, EvolvOptics

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Requests for tax exemptions by fairlife, EvolvOptics, Indus Hospitality and Excelsior Communities received unanimous approval from the County of Monroe Industrial Development Agency on Tuesday.

The COMIDA board granted:

• A mortgage record tax exemption of $296,250 to fairlife, though the attorney representing the company, Kevin McAuliffe of Barclay Damon LLP, said the amount likely wouldn’t exceed $270,000 based on the anticipated closing price.

fairlife is nearing completion of its new $660 million manufacturing plant in the town of Webster. The $660 million facility will use five to six million pounds of raw whole milk daily to produce high-protein milk beverages. The first products are expected to roll out of the plant early next year, McAuliffe said.

The mortgage tax exemption is for the on-site waste water treatment plant, which will be operated by The Solutions Group on a leaseback agreement with fairlife, a subsidiary of The Coca-Cola Company.

• A $38,600 sales tax exemption for Advanced Glass Industries on a $690,000 project. Advanced Glass Industries, doing business as EvolvOptics, will move into a renovated facility at 1390 Mt. Read Blvd. in Rochester and add new equipment to provide the capability for large optical component finishing.

EvolvOptics, located at 1335 Emerson St., recently acquired the assets of Glass Fab Inc., at 257 Ormond St., and the move to the Mt. Read facility will allow for consolidation of operations as well as the new product line.

• An $88,000 sales tax exemption on a $1.7 million renovation by Indus Hospitality Group (IHG) of the Hampton Inn at 4873 Lake Rd. in Brockport.

Indus Hospitality intends to replace all furniture, fixtures and flooring and make flooring and aesthetic upgrades in common areas within the three-story, 76-room hotel.

IHG has owned and operated the hotel since 2012 and it now is “in definite need of a refresh,” John Ott, vice president of development and construction for Indus Hospitality, told the COMIDA board.

While the hotel is a retail operation, the exemption is allowed under COMIDA rules because the property is located in a highly distressed census tract.

• A sales tax exemption of $293,245 and a partial mortgage recording tax exemption of $50,516 for Excelsior Communities, which is ready to embark on a $7.9 million in renovations and upgrades at The Residences at The Columbus Building at 50 Chestnut St. in Rochester.

Excelsior Communities recently completed the purchase of the building, along with The Terminal Building and 88 on Elm. The firm will convert three vacant commercial floors into 30 market-rate residential units along with renovation of the hallways, lobby and fitness club.

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