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Plug Power to build gigafactory in Rochester, bring 380 jobs to region
Rochester will be home to the world’s first gigafactory dedicated to the production of hydrogen fuel cell stacks and electrolyzers, Plug Power Inc. and Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday. U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer hinted at the deal in late December, but Plug Power officials declined to confirm the project. The Albany-area provider of modern hydrogen […]
Hemp’s been around forever, but the industry is still emerging
Man has been using hemp and finding new uses for it for thousands of years, but it’s still emerging and developing as a plant and as an industry today. Hemp is defined in New York by the Department of Health as varieties of cannabis that contain 0.3% or less of THC content by dry weight. […]
Questions arise on local impact of standards for employees, independent contractors
Area experts are mixed on whether a final rule set last week by the U.S. Department of Labor that clarifies the standard for employee versus independent contractor status could impact local businesses at this time. They also question whether the new rule will remain in effect when a new federal administration takes office next week. […]
ROC 2034 plan aims to lift up all members of the community
In 2019, the city of Rochester, working with numerous internal and external stakeholders, put together a comprehensive plan, a nearly 500-page document that addresses six initiative areas that was designed to enable the region to realize its full potential. Rochester 2034 is a 15-year plan that outlines the principles that will shape Rochester’s growth for […]
Genesee County tech park sells six-acre parcel for mixed-use development
The Genesee Gateway Local Development Corp. last week approved the sale of a nearly six-acre parcel at the Buffalo East Technology Park in East Pembroke. J&R Fancher Property Holdings LLC purchased the property, which includes three developable acres at $50,000 per acre, for a total of $150,000. The 5.8-acre parcel is in addition to eight […]
Amazon’s massive Gates distribution facility on COMIDA docket
Amazon’s latest venture in Monroe County is one step closer to reality. Amazon Services and an affiliated LLC will request tax exemptions and tax abatements from the County of Monroe Industrial Development Agency (COMIDA) for purchase and development of a massive Amazon fulfillment center in Gates. The project involves the acquisition of approximately 100 acres […]
Schumer vows more relief will be on the way
The most recent COVID-19 economic relief bill provides significant support for struggling businesses and organizations but still more must — and will — be done, according to Sen. Charles Schumer. In a webinar with Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce members on Friday afternoon, Schumer (D-N.Y.) vowed to secure money for restaurants — a sector neglected in the […]
City’s new ‘ERA’ confronts historic racism, plots path to betterment
Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren says she intends to not just confront, but also reverse, the effects historic racism and institutional inequality have had on the city as she plots a course for post-pandemic economic recovery. Her Equity & Recovery Agenda (ERA) acknowledges that “Rochester’s most pressing challenges — including poverty, crime and educational dis[...]
Westport Crossing development on hold again after court ruling
The future of the proposed Westport Crossing Residential Community — a project nearly 14 years in the making — is once again in limbo. Outgoing state Supreme Court Justice John Ark ruled late last month that two village of Pittsford entities — the planning board and Architectural Preservation and Review Board (APRB) — have the legal authority to […]
Three new restaurants coming to East Ridge/Portland
Dining options will be expanded in Irondequoit in 2021 when three vacant properties are converted into new restaurants near the intersection of East Ridge Road and Portland Avenue. The area’s largest Chick-fil-A will be built at 1115 East Ridge Rd. The current structure, a former Staples location, will be torn down. The building has been […]
City boosts grant funding for small businesses
The city of Rochester has expanded two assistance programs that provide support for small businesses, the Online Resources Delivering Excellent Results (ORDER) Grant and the Business Emergency Retention Grant (BERG). The ORDER Grant provides up to $5,000 to businesses looking to develop or upgrade e-commerce capacity, including web-based ordering, payment and delivery managem[...]
Lakeshore flooding project begins in Sodus Point
Construction has begun on a $7.58 million Resiliency and Economic Development Initiative (REDI) project in the village of Sodus Point. The project will protect public areas, businesses and homes along Wickham Boulevard and Greig Street from lakeshore flooding. The groundbreaking is a separate $310,000 project to install a dune system with vegetative stabilization at Sodus […]
