(l-r) Geneva City Manager Rich Rising, City Mayor Don Cass, Congressman Sherwood Boehlert, Station director Jim Hunter, and EDA communications director Matthew Crow were all on hand for the distribution of the $2.8 million grant check from the Commerce Department last week, in Jordan Hall. CREDIT: J. Ogrodnick/NYSAES/Cornell

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 18, 2003

Contact: Linda McCandless, 315-787-2417

Cornell Ag & Food Tech Park Receives $2.8M Grant

By Linda McCandless

GENEVA, NY: The Cornell Agriculture & Food Technology Park received $2.8 million in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce on Friday, June 13. The grant will help fund the cost of site preparation and construction of the first building in the 74-acre research park, located adjacent to the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station (NYSAES) in Geneva, NY. The park is for start-up and established companies to carry out research and related activities in agriculture, food and biotechnology.

Congressman Sherwood Boehlert (R-24th district, NY) came to Geneva to announce the grant, which was presented by Matthew Crow, of the Economic Development Administration (EDA).

"Friday, June 13th was a good day for New York State food and agriculture," said Station director James E. Hunter. "This is a major grant for the EDA and demonstrates the federal government's confidence in the soundness of the park concept. There is much more work to be done, but the board of directors, city and county officials, and the state and federal governments have forged the partnership that has enabled us to get to the point where the park is not just a vision. Our goal is to break ground this fall."

"This investment will serve as a real boon to the local economy and the extended impact will be immeasurable," Boehlert said. "This type of public/private partnership is what will lead to better economic prosperity for Geneva and all of Upstate New York. Biotechnology is an up-and-coming field with significant growth potential. I'm pleased that Geneva will be able to take advantage of this opportunity."

"As we all know, government can't create jobs, but it can set the stage for investment and innovation through economic development grants like these," said EDA communications director Crow. This investment will help "grow and retain the biotechnology brain trust in New York State by expanding the critical mass of high tech scientists who would draw on industry interests and involvement in cutting edge science occurring at the Geneva Experiment Station and Cornell." He referred to the "three-legged stool" of "strong political leadership, strong business leadership and strong leadership on the community level" for EDA projects to be successful.

In 1995, the Experiment Station at Geneva completed a comprehensive Campus Master Plan that proposed the development of a public/private research zone. Adopted by Cornell University and the New York State University Construction Fund, this concept evolved into the plan to create an Agricultural and Food Technology Park, in partnership with the city of Geneva, the Geneva Industrial Development Agency (IDA), the Ontario County IDA, NYS Electric and Gas, and NYS Senator Michael Nozzolio.

While this investment has been actively pursued by Cornell University since 1995, it became a reality in 2001 when the EDA approved an investment of $450,000 for engineering design for park infrastructure and the first building. Both of these actions have been completed and the project is poised for construction.

Designs for the first building at the park were unveiled in Geneva in May. The 20,000 sq. ft. "flexible technology" building will meet a range of needs associated with food, agricultural and biotechnology research. Site designs show the possible placement of subsequent buildings, including a proposed USDA Grape Genetics Laboratory. Phytobials, LLC, a new company build around research conducted at the Experiment Station, has expressed its intention to be one of the first tenants of the Flex-Tech Building.

This investment will involve high-paying technology jobs along what Governor Pataki has designated as a "high-tech corridor" from Albany to Buffalo involving university-related research in Syracuse, Geneva, Rochester, and Buffalo. An EDA analysis predicts over 600 jobs in agriculture, food, and biotechnology will be created at the park.

# # # #

 

Home | About Us | Academics | Commodity & Diagnostic Help | Departments & Units News & Events | Public Outreach | Publications | Station Life