As more than a dozen sign-holding activists opposed to the idea looked on, the board of the Genesee County Economic Development Center voted unanimously to approve an incentive agreement with Stream U.S. Data Centers, LLC for the company to build a massive $6.3 billion facility on 60 acres at WNY STAMP.

After the vote, one woman said repeatedly, "Shame on you. Shame on you for your vote." 

Outside the conference room, as GCEDC CEO Mark Masse walked back to his office, she yelled, "Shame on you Mark Masse."

Pete Zeliff, chairman of the GCEDC board of directors, said he thinks such reactions are over-the-top and the people protesting the project are not well informed.

"They haven't chosen to read all the reports," Zeliff told The Batavian after the meeting.

He's gotten a lot of emails about the project and he read the report on the objections raised at a Feb. 3 public hearing, he said.

For example, addressing concerns about the amount of water being used by a data center project, he said, "20,000 gallons a day of water is for toilets, for waste, it's not cooling or anything like that."

The advantage of Stream, also known as project Double Reed, is that it will only use a handful of backup generators that will only be used as necessary, far fewer than the other proposed projects, so the emissions will be minimal, he said. 

He said he supported the project because of the revenue it will bring to the three affected taxing jurisdictions -- the town of Alabama, Oakfield-Alabama School District, and Genesee County.

The three jurisdictions will split $7 million in the first year alone. 

U.S. Data Center's winning bid promises to pay at least 105% of the taxable value of the property. Of the course of the 25-year PILOT agreement, it will pay $128 million in fees (after the PILOT, the property will be taxed at its assessed value).

Those fees will be important to Genesee County, County Manager Matt Landers said to The Batavian after the meeting. The county has been wrestling with how to pay for a water project.

"We are dedicating 100% of that revenue towards phase three of the water project, and that's a project that has a potential price tag of $150 million," Landers said. "Whenever we have an opportunity to capture some dedicated revenue for a project like that, we will take advantage of it. So that is definitely something that is positive coming out of this."

Landers and Zeliff also both like the job creation aspect. While the jobs per acre of the project might be fewer than another project might generate, these jobs will pay on an average $89,000 each.

"Any job that we create is great," Landers said. "I know, as a community, as a county, we have to work on getting more housing so we can take advantage of all these jobs that are coming here. Looking around our business parks, it's pretty impressive to see how many jobs they have been able to create over the years. The challenge now is to make sure we have some housing for those jobs. I believe over 100 jobs are being created. That is good to see. I look forward to hopefully the next projects having even more jobs."

The local economy needs those 122 jobs, especially at that pay scale, Zeliff said.

"That's way above normal in Genesee County, Zeliff said. "There were people at the meeting talking about how they want their children to be able to walk through the refuge but this project is not going to affect the refuge. This is a project where their children can get a job when they're old enough to get a job."

Zeliff said the board and staff have done its due diligence on this project and he believes all of the environmental concerns of the opponents have been addressed.

"I really don't see a negative with the project," Zeliff said. "It's not as many jobs per acre, but they're good, well-paying jobs for the county of Genesee."

At Wednesday's WNY STAMP Committee meeting, Masse made the case for Stream Data Centers.

The water district project was part of his pitch.

"This project will help the county cover the shortfall of the water project," Masse said. "It will help maintain rates for all Genesee County residents for water. It will help the health and welfare of all county residents through the water project."

He also said the project is in line with DEC regulations. The noise levels are within the standards set by the environmental review process in 2012. The project is allowed under the 2012 site plan. There is no discharge of heated water. It won't affect the reliability of the power grid nor lead to an increase in rates. It has low air emissions. And, no wetlands will be impacted by the project.

Masse said it also uses far less water than the other two proposed projects.

It was also the only project with an agreement with a Fortune 500 company to lease 100 percent of the data center once it's operational.

"Rampart had promised the highest PILOT payment for three projects, but community members made it clear that money should not be the only factor taken into consideration for this process," Masse said to the committee. "Our job was to determine which project was the best for the community and STAMP, and based on the information provided to us by the three projects, Project Double Reed will have the smallest environmental impact and will best address concerns expressed by the Nation with respect to visual and noise impacts and with respect to local benefits."

The case for Double Reed is also made in the resolution approving the project.

The resolution states:

The agency has determined that the two other competing proposals are not the most advantageous to the State, and that it would be in the public interest to reject the proposals submitted by Potentia Holdings, LLC (hereinafter referred to as "Project Hydroscale") and Project Rampart, LLC (hereinafter referred to as "Project Rampart"), respectively,''' because, among other things, those proposals" prospective profitability is speculative and implementing either proposal is anticipated to yield adverse environmental impacts discussed herein.

GCEDC staff also found the owners of Project Double Reed easier to work with, that the planners demonstrated the greatest "good faith" effort throughout the application process. Project Hydroscale kept changing its proposal, according to the resolution, even after the deadline for changes.

The troubling aspect of Project Rampart's team, the proposal states, is threats of litigation and "other bad behavior trying to manipulate the review of the application."

The resolution states, "Project Rampart’s actions throughout the application review process have indicated that Project Rampart would be unable to have a productive relationship with the Agency and other STAMP stakeholders."

The resolution also states, "Project Double Reed is pledging the highest capital investment at $6.3 billion, with Project Hydroscale at $5.4 billion, and Project Rampart at $3.3 billion."

Project Double Reed pledged an $18 million purchase price for the 60 acres it will acquire.

While the PILOT agreement for Stream U.S. Data Centers is unusual in that the company will pay more in fees than it would in property taxes without a PILOT, the company is receiving an abatement on sales taxes for construction and equipment not to exceed $462,560,000 based on the first $5,782,000,000 invested. 

That sales tax incentive is about 7% of the first year in fees it will pay to local taxing jurisdictions.

It will also receive a $9 million break on the mortgage recording tax, which wouldn't be charged without the purchase of the property.

Previously: 

• Dozens of speakers tell GCEDC proposed data centers pose big environmental threat for little economic gain
• Q&A: GCEDC CEO discusses environmental issues raised at data centers public hearing

Jon Tesch is working in his dream job.

He's the proprietor of Uncle Jon's Diner at Hartshorn Road and Pearl Street Road in West Batavia. It's the former location of The Family Diner, which closed a year ago.

"I grew up right here in Hartshorn Road, right up the street from the restaurant," Tesch said. "I came here as a kid all the time with my grandparents. I worked here for a little bit for Brian and LeeAnn when they owned it previously, and it was always the most fun job I had. Ever since I was a little kid, I've always wanted to open a restaurant. So, it's always been a dream of mine to actually open this very place."

Uncle Jon's was a diner before and it's a diner now but Tesch said he has some ideas of his own to help draw people in.

This Easter, the Easter Bunny will visit and there will be an Easter egg hunt.

"I want to do an all-you-can-eat Thanksgiving and Christmas, too," he said.

So far, he said, the customer feedback has been encouraging.

"Everybody's been real happy, and we have a real great customer base and a lot of new customers every day who are becoming our regulars," Tesch said.

Who can't use a little stress relief these days?

East Pembroke resident Don Thomas is here to help. His recently released album (CD and streaming) is his ninth, and like all prior releases, it's all acoustic guitar instrumentals with an emphasis on melody.

"I'm very excited about it," Thomas said about the new release, Sunset. "I like the way it turned out. There was a lot of rewriting, re-recording coming down to the end. It's meant to be another chill pill in my catalog."

Thomas is from New Berlin, Wis., not far from Milwaukee, and has been a performing musician most of his life. He spent some time on the road with a band called Snapshot, mostly as the keyboard player, opening for acts such as Journey, REO Speedwagon and Cheap Trick.

"I still once in a while get to talk with Rick (Nielsen, of Cheap Trick)," Thomas said. "I haven't talked with Robin (Zander) in quite a long time. When they were still touring, I'd bump into him at the House of Guitars. Whenever they would come by, I'd make a point to be able go and say, 'Hi.'"

When Snapshot stopped touring, Thomas came to Western New York looking for work with bands in the area and wound up working in studios.

"I've been in studios for 50 years, working, producing people, recording people," Thomas said.

He ended up with a studio on Goodman Street in Rochester, a design and music studio.

"My wife came down with ovarian cancer, and we shifted gears on everything," Thomas said. "We moved back here to East Pembroke, near her family. At that time, I built a studio and started working on music here and with different groups and individuals in the area. I started recording my own music, which is this guitar style, which I say is stripped of style. It's a melody-driven finger style, peaceful guitar playing."

He said he wasn't sure what he was going to do with his music. He handed out a few CDs to friends and one of them said he should participate in a show at a museum in Rochester.

"It was basically a craft show and he says, 'Get a booth and sell CDs,' and I went, 'oh, okay,'" Thomas said. "At that point, I had one Christmas CD, and I went to that show, got a six by six spot, and put two speakers on a table, and sold 350 CDs in two days."

That set Thomas and his wife on a path of traveling the country, particularly in the northeast and south, visiting trade shows, craft shows, vendor shows, selling his CDs.

He did that for 20 years. Then COVID-19 hit.

"We came home to care for our two mothers, and this is what we've been doing since 2020, so in between arriving at home and readjusting at home, in between, all that is where I recorded this new CD."

With all that going on, recording this CD took a bit longer than his prior albums.

"This CD marks another expression of style and is very carefully meant to entertain lightly," Thomas said.

The title of the new album is "Sunset," with a photo of an ocean sunset on the cover, which sums up the album nicely - music to carry you off to a warm, breezy, late afternoon along on a beach.

"My catalog is completely guitar instrumentals," Thomas said, though he is working on a larger project that involves a band and vocals.

"It's new material, and I have been working on this project for about six years, trying not to sound like everything else on the market," Thomas said. 'I have a fresh approach."

The new CD is streaming on Spotify and Apple Music.  Thomas also has CDs for sale. Links to the streaming platforms and CD purchases can be found at donthomas.com.

Press release:

The Batavia Indoor Track team is in the final weeks of a very impressive winter season, with the New York State Championships on the horizon this coming weekend.  

The meet is being held on Saturday, March 8, at the Ocean Breeze Athletic facility on Staten Island in New York City.  Batavia has 18 athletes who have qualified for this event and we are very excited to compete this weekend at this competitive meet! 

Batavia will again be well represented in the throws circle, with two seniors competing in states. Sheldon Siverling broke his own school record and became the first Blue Devil to throw over 60 feet in Shot Put with a winning throw of 60' - 2.25" at State Qualifiers.  He also impressively won the Weight Throw with a distance of 63' - 6".  He will enter the State meet ranked 3rd in the state for Shot Put with a great opportunity to come home with another State Championship.  Ava Wierda also had a terrific meet, winning the Weight Throw with a distance of 49' - 1.5" and will compete for the 2nd year in a row at the State meet in this event.

Cooper Konieczny has shattered the record books for Batavia and will represent the Blue Devils at the State Meet in Pole Vault.  He cleared 14' - 0" at the State Qualifier meet and will look to improve his school record this weekend.

Not to be outdone, the Blue Devil distance crew is in the midst of arguably their best season ever, with multiple school records broken and multiple athletes competing at states in individual events and both the men's and women's 4x800 Relays. 

Cameron Garofalo has earned himself a spot amongst the best distance runners ever to compete for Batavia, having broken the school records in the 3200m, the 1600m, and finally the 1000m, all during this winter season.  He ran a 2:32.64 in the 1000m last weekend, breaking a school record from 1998, and he will compete in this event at the State Championship.  He will also anchor the Boys 4x800 Relay along with E'Nhazje Carter, Grant Gahagan, and Nate Kinsey.  Their time of 8:26.50 won the State Qualifier meet ahead of 2nd place Marcus Whitman and is less than 7 seconds away from the existing school record (8:20.24). 

For our Lady Devils, Campbell Riley will also compete at Indoor States for the 2nd year in a row in the 1000m, having won this event at the State qualifier meet with a time of 3:00.58.  She is one of the most decorated Batavia female athletes of all time and will compete in three events at the State meet, anchoring the 4x400 relay, and the 4x800 relay as well.  The 4x400 Relay also includes Ady O'Donnell, Ava Anderson, and Karizma Wescott, and they will be seeded to medal at states after finishing first last week with a time of 4:10.76.

The girl's 4x800 Relay was arguably the race of the night at State Qualifiers, with our four athletes breaking the school record, which was previously established in 2003.  Mallory Boyce led off the relay with an incredible first leg, placing the Blue Devils in first. We never looked back through the rest of the event.  Jenna Higgins ran 2nd, Amelia Tripp 3rd, with Campbell Riley anchoring the relay to its 1st place finish and new school record of 9:56.69. 

It is with great pride that we are bringing 18 athletes with us this season to finish the Indoor Track and Field season at the New York State Championships.  The Blue Devils have embraced our tough reputation across Section V and want to add their own chapter to our storied history and traditions. We are very excited to compete and represent Batavia at States this weekend!

Shop online OR follow our Facebook page and stay up to date on new items, tastings, sales and more!

Press Release:

Press The Batavia City School District (BCSD) is now accepting nominations for the 2025 Musicians of Note honor.

Each year, BCSD recognizes alumni and retired music educators for their accomplishments in the field of music. Batavia has many alumni who have had successful careers in music performance, music education, musical theater, and audio recording.

Honorees will be recognized in a future ceremony with a video presentation and performance ensembles to celebrate their achievements. A plaque featuring their accomplishments will be displayed on the Musicians of Note wall at Batavia High School.

Criteria for nominations include:

1. Recipients should be/have been an active performer or music educator.
2. Recipients must be at least ten years out of high school.
3. Recipients should have/had a successful musical career in either performance, composition, education, theater, or audio recording.
4. Nominations to posthumously honor deceased musicians/educators from BCSD will be accepted as well.

To nominate an alumnus or retired BCSD music educator who fits the criteria, click here.

Honorees and 2025 ceremony information will be announced at a later date. For any questions, please contact Batavia City School District Music Department Chair Melanie Case at mlcase@bataviacsd.org. 

Press Release:

Genesee Community College is pleased to announce The BEST Center has been awarded a $88,175 award for clean energy training by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). The Clean Energy Training Program funded by NYSERDA will upskill incumbent workers and train new students seeking entry into the Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) field.

GCC's Clean Energy Training Program will train individuals in high efficiency HVAC (including heat pumps) and energy auditing. program graduates also will be provided an opportunity to obtain their Home Energy Rater (HER) Certification through the industry standard Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) program. The GCC Clean Energy training program is a 10-week training course, with four cohorts over two years. The first classes will begin in Spring 2025 at the college's Batavia campus.

The NYSERDA Energy Efficiency and Clean Technology Training program awards activities such as technical training and experiential learning that supports New York State's path to inclusive clean energy economy. GCC's training program will contribute to expanding the capacity of skilled talent for Western New York's energy efficiency and clean energy labor market.

Adele Ferranti, director of Workforce Development and Training, NYSERDA, said, "Each day more New Yorkers are turning to sustainable building solutions to make their homes more comfortable and improve overall energy efficiency. To meet the growing demand for clean energy technologies, NYSERDA is pleased to support Genessee Community College's new program at the BEST Center that will ready the workforce with trained professionals to install and service the latest equipment."

"We are immensely grateful for the generosity of NYSERDA," said Jennifer Wakefield, executive director of Workforce Development at Genesee Community College. "This training grant will make a significant impact on the lives of incumbent workers, students entering the field of HVAC and the businesses who support the industry."

Businesses and individuals looking to take advantage of GCC's Clean Energy Training are encouraged to act now and contact The BEST Center at bestcenter@genesee.edu or call 585-345-6868.

The BEST Center at GCC is the recognized regional leader in developing the skilled workforce that powers local economic growth. The Center serves individual employees as well as businesses large and small with seminars, workshops, and trainings designed to improve the performance of people and processes.

For more information contact Vice President, Development, Admissions and External Affairs Justin Johnston at 585-345-6809, or via email: jmjohnston@genesee.edu.

Press Release:

CAN-USA Sports has teamed up with the Batavia Community Schools Foundation for their annual Blue vs White Charity Hockey Game. Sunday, March 9 at 5 p.m. with doors opening at 4 p.m. at the David McCarthy Memorial Arena.

This years hockey game will include special guest appearances from BHS Drum Line, BMS Girls Acapella Group, John Kennedy Musical Group, and mascots.

The game will feature local business owners, Batavia City School District Alumni, and local youth hockey leaders.

“Last year we had some fun on the ice, helped support the Foundation, and had lots of support from our local community leaders. We really want everyone to come out this year and watch an exciting game featuring local people you know in your community for a good cause,” said Zack Korzelius, Batavia Foundation President.

A full roster will be released at the event, but see below the current players signed up to participate. 

• Steve Pie’s, Owner – Max Pies Furniture and Batavia Hockey Alumni
• Nick Harris - SBFR Partners LLP and Notre Dame Hockey Alumni
• Dan Calkins – 2006 Sectional Championship team, Batavia Alumni, and Ramparts Coach
• Anthony Consiglio - Batavia City School District Faculty Member

If you or someone you know owns a local business who would like to help sponsor either or both of the events please contact Marc Witt, General Manager/Ownership – CAN-USA Sports, mwitt.canusa@gmail.com for opportunities. 

Tickets for the event start at just $10 with proceeds benefiting the Batavia Community Schools Foundations. Tickets can be bought online (LINK - HERE) or in person at the David McCarthy Memorial Arena box office.

Press Release:

St. Paul Lutheran School students display items ready for bidding at the schools Annual 'Live Auction & Basket Raffle on March 15.

This is the schools largest fundraiser. Browsing begins at 3:30 p.m. and the 'live auction begins at 4 p.m. with auctioneer David Kent, of William Kent Auctioneers. A 50-50 raffle will also be held during the event and refreshments will be available for purchase. 

Come join in on a fun afternoon that benefits the school.

Press Release:

Volunteer registration is now open for United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes’ Day of Caring. Day of Caring will take place on May 15 and is the largest community-wide volunteer event in our region, serving Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Wayne, and Wyoming counties.  

Day of Caring mobilizes thousands of volunteers in a single day to complete projects for nonprofit agencies. These projects range from gardening and yardwork to painting and organizing. In 2024, over 6,300 volunteers representing 250 workplaces completed 450 projects for 200 nonprofit agencies.  

Day of Caring uses United Way’s online platform, Volunteer United, to connect volunteers to their choice project. Volunteers can filter through hundreds of projects by location, interest, family friendliness, accessibility, and more.  

Volunteers are encouraged to register by May 8. Nonprofits can also still register their projects by May 1. To learn more and register, visit unitedwayrocflx.org/day-of-caring.  

This year’s Day of Caring is sponsored by Constellation Brands.  

The Alexander Trojans will play for a Section V trophy on Friday at 9 p.m. at Blue Cross Arena after beating Gananda on Wednesday 75-61.

Scoring for Alexander:

• Kingston Woods, 30 points
• Dylan Pohl, 14 points
• Jake Brooks, 14 points
• Austin Wakefield, 11 points

Photos by Melissa Brooks.

Keshequa beat Oakfield-Alabama on Wednesday Class C2 Girls Basketball semifinal 41-29.

Scoring for the Hornets:

• Alea Groff, 9 points, 4 rebounds
• Piper Hyde, 7 points, 6 rebounds,  4 steals, 4 assists
• Raine  Denny, 5 points, 5 rebounds
• Allison Harkness, 4 points, 5 rebounds
• Allie Williams, 2 points, 5 rebounds, 4 steals
• Rylee Denny, 2 points

"I am so proud of my team. We had a tremendous year at 16-7, reaching a sectional semifinal and playing tremendously hard against the second-ranked team in NYS," said Coach Jeff Schlagenhauf. "I thank our seniors, Alea, Piper and Jessica, for all they have done for our program. They have been tremendous!"

Photos by Jordyn Tobolski.

A good run for Byron-Bergen came to an abrupt end Wednesday in the Girls Basketball Class C1 semifinal when the Bees were beat by Bloomfield 79-32.

"We ran into a really good team in Bloomfield," said Bees Coach  Rick Krzewinski. "They won sectionals and returned all five starters. They hit 10 3-pointers from 4 different girls. Even though it’s not how we wanted the season to end, this group finished the season with an 18-4 record. That equaled the 2015 team. The 2020 team went 18-5."

Scoring for Byron-Bergen: 

• Riley Shallenberger, 15 points
• Janessa Amesbury, 8 points

Lily Baughman scored 29 points for Bloomfield, and Calla McCombs scored 19.

Photos by Jennifer DiQuattro.

Statement from Pete Zeliff, WNY STAMP Committee Chairman at GCEDC:

“The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) STAMP Committee unanimously approved a motion at our March 5, 2025 meeting recommending the GCEDC Board approve both a SEQR resolution and final resolution from STREAM US Data Centers, LLC to build a new data center at STAMP.

“The decision to make this recommendation was after a thorough review of public comments from the public hearings held in the town of Alabama on February 3, 2025 as well as extensive analysis by the STAMP Committee, GCEDC staff and members from the STAMP technical team which is comprised of legal, engineering and environmental professionals. 

“In making this recommendation to the GCEDC board, the STAMP Committee followed a deliberative process as we always do. We reviewed the three data center projects’ final and best offer, after which an initial resolution was adopted to schedule a public hearing for comments specific to each project. After the public hearing, we reviewed the public comments and responses to each relevant comment, which were elaborated upon in the staff and technical team reports.

“In assessing each project, we considered several factors, including the number of good-paying jobs that would be created, the footprint of the project, including electric and water needs and impacts on the local community. 

“We also assessed which project would have the least impact on the STAMP’s capacity to bring advanced manufacturing and semiconductor supply chain companies that we are targeting for STAMP and the subsequent jobs and capital investment.

“The STAMP Committee concluded that the project proposed by STREAM US Data Centers, LLC had the fewest impacts, particularly from an environmental standpoint, and provided the best overall fit at the STAMP site.

Statement from a group calling itself Allies of Tonawanda Seneca Nation:

GCEDC Board of Directors Votes Today on Approvals for Project Double Reed and Accompanying SEQR Resolution Despite Strong Regional Opposition  

Residents of Western New York are expressing concern over the Genesee Economic Development Center (GCEDC) Board of Directors' plan to vote on resolutions approving the data center codenamed Project Double Reed and an accompanying State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) resolution at their 4pm meeting this afternoon. The GCEDC STAMP Committee voted yesterday to approve the staff’s recommendation in favor of Project Double Reed and also instructed the staff to prepare the accompanying SEQR resolution. Announcement of the votes and publication of the accompanying documents did not appear on GCEDC’s website until mid-afternoon yesterday.

Today’s votes are taking place despite strong and ongoing public opposition to GCEDC’s efforts to site a data center at STAMP. Despite GCEDC’s efforts to minimize public participation in a rushed approval process, GCEDC received 618 comments during a poorly publicized 10-day public comment period. At the February 3 public hearings, scheduled during a Monday afternoon, dozens of speakers voiced concerns about environmental harms, quality of life issues, impacts to the Tonawanda Seneca Nation, misallocation of taxpayer dollars and misuse of low cost hydropower, as well the agency’s repeated refusal to answer basic questions about the project applicants. Since the official comment period ended, GCEDC has received more than 702 comments in opposition, including 323 opposing the approval of Project Double Reed since Monday, March 3. 

GCEDC has also refused repeated requests from the Tonawanda Seneca Nation Council of Chiefs for a new set of hearings, even though the February 3 hearings were held during the Nation’s Midwinter Ceremonies. The Nation has raised extensive concerns about the SEQR environmental review process, for which GCEDC is acting as lead agency. GCEDC has dismissed those concerns in a SEQR resolution, which finds that Project Double Reed will not have a significant adverse impact upon public health that was not analyzed in the original 2012 STAMP Environmental Impact Statement. The Nation has consistently criticized this document as profoundly inadequate and out of date. 

Among the three data centers currently under consideration for the WNY Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP) mega industrial site, Double Reed has requested the largest amount in tax breaks - $472 million in combined sales and mortgage tax exemptions. Double Reed is projected to produce 122 jobs, for a per job subsidy of $3.9 million. According to the GCEDC staff report, these subsidies would potentially be directed to a Fortune 50 company worth $100,000,000,000.

Backed by STREAM U.S. Data Centers, Double Reed will use 250 megawatts of electricity per year - significantly more than either competitor. This electricity would be drawn primarily from low-cost Niagara River hydropower, which the New York Power Authority (NYPA) allocates to STAMP even though the site lies outside the designated radius for this subsidy. In addition, Double Reed would have the potential to burn over 20,000 gallons of diesel fuel per day. 

According to their report, GCEDC staff chose Double Reed despite its high energy usage and requested tax breaks because the other two applications lack credibility and would have faced significant challenges and delays in obtaining permits. However, the staff also acknowledges that Double Reed lacks a firm commitment from a tenant, meaning it is not known what company would locate there, when, or what its operations might entail. 

Despite 15 years of effort and more than $410 million in taxpayer subsidies, GCEDC has struggled to attract viable tenants or construct basic infrastructure at the rural site proposed to become a “mega industrial park.” The agency pivoted to data centers to fill a gap in financing for the onsite electrical substation following the withdrawal of funding from Plug Power, which paused construction on its green hydrogen manufacturing facility in 2023. Each of the three data center applicants pledged contributions toward completion of the substation; Double Reed would pay $50 million. Its requested $3.9 million per job approaches the $4.3 million per job allocated to Plug Power. Edwards Vacuum is the only tenant under construction at STAMP.

GCEDC has not filed a new permit application for the proposed “Big Water” pipeline that would bring 6 million gallons of water daily to the site from the Niagara River, raising questions about the source of Double Reed’s proposed 10,000 gallons of water per day. The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Region 8 Office rejected GCEDC’s previous application as incomplete in August 2024. GCEDC recently filed a Basis of Design Report for a reroute of the Wastewater Treatment Pipeline that would pump raw sewage from STAMP uphill and under multiple waterways to the Oakfield Wastewater Treatment Facility; treated wastewater would be discharged into a tributary of Oak Orchard Creek. Construction of the original pipeline was halted in September 2023 following fracouts of 500-700 gallons of hydraulic drilling fluid into the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge. 

‘Data center’ is a generic term that can refer to operations ranging from cryptocurrency mining to Artificial Intelligence processing. Data centers create minimal jobs, use massive amounts of water and energy, and face opposition from other WNY communities concerned about their noxious public health and environmental impacts. The proposed data center would be sited on a parcel of land characterized by wetlands and located immediately adjacent to the Reservation Territory of the Tonawanda Seneca Nation, whose Council of Chiefs opposes STAMP.  

“We are confident that STREAM US Data Centers, LLC will provide all the taxing jurisdictions with significant financial benefits making it a transformative project for our region while further enhancing economic development opportunities at STAMP.”

Join us Friday, March 7th & Saturday, March 8th, 2025 for our annual Taste of Spring Open House & Customer Appreciation Days! Lunch on us both days! Get 10% Off parts and pre-season savings on Cub Cadet & STIHL products. A chance to win door prizes, demo our equipment and talk to our experienced team! Join us for food, fun and mowers! Click here for more information. Follow our facebook page and stay up-to-date on sales and specials offers!

NOTE: Members of Early Access Pass get first crack (four hours earlier access than non-members) at making Deals of the Day purchases. Join Early Access Pass today to ensure you don't miss any valuable deals.

Reminders of how the Deal of the Day program works:

• To make purchases, you must be registered. Deal of the Day uses a registration system that is not connected to the registration for commenting on The Batavian (the main user login in the upper left of the homepage).
• Once registered you must sign in using the "sign-in" link in this box.
• You click on the orange button, which appears if the item is not sold out, and it takes you to a PayPal button. This allows you to pay either with your PayPal account or with a credit card/debit card. The login for PayPal is completely separate from our accounts.
• The first person to successfully complete the PayPal transaction wins the gift certificate.
• You are eligible to buy the same item only once in a four-month period. We use the registration system to track this for you so you don't have to.
• Only one gift certificate from the same business PER HOUSEHOLD is allowed in each four-month period. We do not have a way to automatically track duplicate purchases within a household; however, if we notice such a purchase, we reserve the right to cancel the purchase and refund the purchase money. Each individual buyer must use his or her own PayPal account for purchases. It's important that participating businesses not be asked to redeem multiple gift certificates from the same person/family at the same time.
• You will receive your physical gift certificate through postal mail. If you have questions about the receipt of your gift certificate before opening a dispute with PayPal, please use the contact email address below.
• Gift certificates should be used within 30 days of receipt.
• Sign-in issues? First, make sure you are registered for Day using the link at the top of this post; Second, if you know you're registered, use the "sign-in" link in this post; do not use the "login" box on the left side of the page.
• Problems, questions, concerns about the Deal of the Day? Email Kara Richenberg:   kara@thebatavian.com

Walking into the former JCPenney department store == only now without all the clothing, shoes, jewelry and accessories -- the 38,000 square-foot space seems even more expansive and pliable for a ripe imagination.

Batavia businessman Matt Gray, who purchased and recently closed on the downtown building with partner Matthew Boyd, sees it as an opportunity for a number of different possibilities, from what it was previously as a mid-size department store or smaller shops subdivided within the main showroom and adjacent storage room and beauty salon to one large venue for some type of entertainment or activity. Or perhaps, on the more costly side, going the route of second and/or third-floor market-rate apartments above with an interior courtyard to provide windows for all tenants.

“We’re investigating right now whether or not this building would support upper floors. As you know, the zoning for C3 requires any residential would be by special use permit upstairs,” Gray said Wednesday during a tour of the site with The Batavian.

City officials had an open house last fall with renderings illustrating how the building could potentially look as a mixed-use site with housing. Gray saw those sketches, and “it all plays into the larger picture that everyone seems to be supporting, from a municipal standpoint,” he said.

That may be a longer-range plan as the partners have begun the process of entering a broker agreement with Mancuso Commercial Realty to list the property for lease. They acquired the site, which was assessed for $400,000 according to county online records, at a bank mortgage foreclosure auction in January for $175,000.

What’s your primary goal, to lease it out versus developing, or all of it?
“We are open to any and all ideas with the property. As somebody who works right across the street, it’s something that we want to see full and vibrant and brings people into the area,” he said. “You know, to us and everyone else, that's downtown. It's sat vacant for a long time. So we'd like to see something in here that brings people in.”

Along those lines, they’ve had “a couple of very casual conversations” with people with possible interest in the space, but nothing concrete at this time, he said. The agreement with Mancuso will begin the formal way for folks to inquire about the property, he said.

Given the amount of time that the building has been sitting unoccupied — Penney closed in October 2020 and was purchased in February 2021 by California developer Yong Guang Ye, but nothing materialized from that, and Ye defaulted on payments — Gray was surprised that it was in as good condition that it was, he said.

“There are a couple of leaks that we knew, we expected that there would be a couple of leaks, given the age of the structure, and we did see the satellite photos from Google, so we knew that there was a potential there. There are a number of leaks. None of them seem to be all that serious, and there doesn't appear to be any structural damage,” Gray said. “We have a local roofing company coming out next week to take a look. We're under the impression that with some repair work, we can get a few more years out of it before we need to do the whole roof, which will buy us some time in order to get some income coming in to support it.”

There are spots on the ceiling tiles with rusty brown areas showing water damage, and there were a couple of more active leaks, he said, but nothing terribly alarming. Everything, including ceiling tiles and walls, would be replaced anyway before anyone moved in to use the space, he said.

Sections of the partially carpeted floor, set off by tile, are filled with empty store fixtures used to hang clothing, jewelry and accessories. Those are for sale, Gray said, either individually or in lots, and will likely go up for auction at some point. Anyone interested can contact him at Eli Fish.

One of the more interesting things discovered on the premises was a safe room, which contained another safe. The only items left behind were 1970s papers from when the original store was built. There were letters, memos and construction guidelines from corporate in copies of what looked to be typed on an old-fashioned clickety-clack typewriter. Gray noted that the men’s and women’s bathrooms were left in good condition, and the beauty salon has a sink, shelving, and mirrors.

A back stock room has fabulously huge shelves to store one’s business or home goods, maybe? Or the space is also large enough for another entire shop or enterprise.

Because it's kind of divided right now, are you thinking walls could come down, or are you looking at pretty much the showroom as far as the space for development?
“We’re working with Olive Architecture out of Raleigh to determine what walls could come down and what would need to stay. We're under the impression right now that with the 16 columns that you see here, and we believe there's another four inside the walls, that those are holding most of the weight. So, outside of those columns, it seems like almost everything else could come out. And it's pretty modular,” he said.

How do you feel about owning a piece of City Centre?
“Now that the entrances are fixed and the concourse no longer has any leaking issues, and the city has told us that they are working towards concourse improvements, it all seems to be going in the right direction,” he said. “We would love to find a potential tenant that would have some synergy with a Game of Throws and a Sim, something that is an entertainment area that we think that's a great use for the space. “There's a lot of good ideas of things that could go downtown that would be a benefit.

“We had long conversations, Matt Boyd and I, and one of the overarching concerns is this piece seems to be kind of the key piece in a lot of this block’s development. And if this piece were to have not gone to a local user, and if it were to have gone back to the bank, we were afraid that it would be tied up in real estate owned by the bank for another three, five years,” he said. “You have no idea how long they would keep it dark without potentially not even marketing it. So at the price that it went for, we thought there was enough opportunity there for us to be okay with what it is and to take the risk on it ourselves and to ensure that it just didn't sit here.”

This isn’t Gray’s first rodeo: he and his partners have gone through renovations with Eli Fish Brewing Company on Main Street, the former Newberry’s, and he also owns Alex’s Place on the west side of town and the McCarthy ice arena. His resume boosted the confidence of city officials and Batavia Development Corp. Executive Director Tammy Hathaway when he walked away with the top bid earlier this year.

“I mean, Matty is successful in his endeavors; he’s proven that. So I could not even find a complaint if I wanted to,” Hathaway had said at the courthouse while Gray was wrapping up the deal.

Photos by Howard Owens

For the fourth time in four meetings this year, Elba beat Notre Dame in Girls Basketball, this time to send the Lancers to the Class D championship game against Filmore on Saturday at Finger Lakes Community College.

Elba won 52-36 to stay undefeated on the season.

The Lancers are the #1 seed in Class D and will face the #2 at 11 a.m. on Saturday.

Scoring for Elba:

• Sydney Reily, 17 points
• Mariah Ognibene, 10 points

For Notre Dame:

• Sofia Falleti, 17 points
• Gionna Falleti, 10 points

Photos by Debra Reilly.

Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council staff continues to get a good return for its efforts at extracting as much state funding as possible for local arts projects, Executive Director Gregory Hallock says.

And for nothing short of a fairly simple reason.

"Last year, we were the second highest in the state, only behind Manhattan. So that was pretty awesome that we were that high up there in the amount of funding we're giving out. Our argument that seems to be working is that, unlike these other big regions, if we don't have this funding, arts will not happen,” Hallock said during this week’s Genesee County Human Services meeting. “These other places, they have multiple arts organizations that exist with multiple different forms of funding, whereas we, if we don't have this funding, it's not there. We need this funding to make arts happen. So that is working, that has worked for us, and we will continue to use that.”

Hallock gave a summary of his 2024 annual report before the committee considered his request for county funding.

Known as GO ART!, the nonprofit doled out $336,000 in the form of Reach, Ripple and Spark grants to individuals and groups for various art projects and activities, including:

• Batavia Concert Band during the summer at Centennial Park
• Batavia Players during its 2024 season
• Bergen Park Festival and Genesee Symphony Orchestra
• Gillam-Grant Community Center’s A Spectrum of Art
• Haxton Memorial Library’s Talented Thursdays
• Opera on the Oatka by Heather Kathleen Davis with St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Le Roy and Holland Land Office Museum’s guest speaker and concert series
• Oakfield Betterment Committee’s Labor Daze
• Corfu Farmers Market 2024 Music Series
• Elba Betterment Committee’s EBC Presents
• Brian Kemp with BID’s 2024 TableTop Art Show
• Friends of Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge Artful Observation
• Chris Hamel with Office For the Aging’s Youth Music Program
• Eric Zwieg’s The Family Model
• Linda Fix with Batavia City School District Foundation’s It Takes a Village and David Burke’s Extension to Harvester Center Hallway murals

“So we gave out a big chunk. It did go down this year, but we are still pretty high up there. I don’t want to use the word anger, but close to it with other arts councils and other organizations that are giving out funding because they don't like that we're getting that much money, but it's a grant, and we wrote the best grant. So we are getting the money to get out, and we will continue to do that,” he said. “Also, we have a $3.1 million project that we are working on for here in this county, with the building that we are in, we are expanding below and out with a cultural garden and an elevator that will be going through the whole building. We have $1.6 million towards that project currently. So we have $1.5 to go for that. We are in a little bit of a rush. We have until June 30, 2026 to not only raise the rest, but to spend the money as well. So we are searching for funds, trying to raise funds, coming up with ideas, left and right, to work on that.”

GO ART! received a grant through AmeriCorps VISTA to hire a fundraising development employee who will be working with staff specifically for this project, he said, and the agency’s gold barn project in Orleans County.

“So we are excited to have them. We are slightly nervous because it is completely federally funded, so we don't know at any point if we won't have that position, but currently, we do have that position,” he said. “I would say those are our major things. Our programming will continue to grow as we get more stuff. We are looking into this year expanding our creative arts program so that it is now beyond our actual footprint in Batavia.”

Staff is working with Alexander school district to be able to provide an arts camp there, with the possibility of reaching out to Pembroke next, and alleviate potential “hefty” transportation costs by bringing students in to Batavia, he said.

“So our solution is to run one camp, but at different locations. So we'll be doing that during the summer, and we'll be having six weeks of programming during the summer, but it'll be located at all different places,” Hallock said. “This past summer, in review, it was all held in Batavia. So this summer, we'll be spreading it out throughout all of them.”

Building on the foundation laid out in the last annual report, GO ART! has expanded programming and services to "further engage and inspire our diverse community," Hallock said.

"In collaboration with our valued partners and supporters, GO ART! has continued to secure vital funding, enabling us to sustain our operations, maintain our historic landmarked building, and deliver exceptional arts programming amidst challenging economic conditions," he said. "This year, I am particularly proud to share that GO ART! brought opera and ballet to the region, introducing our community to these celebrated art forms and expanding our cultural landscape in new and inspiring ways."

New endeavors include the Erie Canal Arts Festival, a cultural plan for the GLOW region, and the two capital campaigns previously mentioned: the installation of an elevator and the expansion of programming space into the foundation of the Batavia site at 201 E. Main St., as well as the development of a new space at the Orleans County Fairgrounds in collaboration with Orleans Cornell Cooperative Extension. 

GO ART! has and is in the midst of installing an elevator within its three story historical building and making renovations that include roofing, water management, masonry, carpentry, doors and windows, finishes, mechanical, plumbing and electrical. 

The hopes are to complete the projects by June 2025, Hallock said. The building and property that includes a music garden, art garden and horticultural garden is owned and operated by GO ART!, and staff has been in discussions with the county to purchase a larger garden/outdoor space that is directly behind the East Main Street building, to be used for programming, he said.

GO ART! has applied for grants to expand to add a foundation to include a pottery studio, darkroom, woodshop, art gallery, and two large art studios. 

In the past year, the site has expanded two murals with the assistance of Batavia High School students and teachers, and community artists who painted murals in the kitchen and back corridor. The Mason Gallery was expanded to take over the entire second-floor hallway.

The handicapped bathroom on the first floor was turned into a permanent gallery space known as the Bethany Antique and Arts Gallery, and a colored glass mosaic was added to the third-floor bathroom by artist Christy Valsente.

Explore Art for youth includes a Kids’ Club, creative arts camps, teen animation classes, Do Re Mi: Music & Movement, preschool pop-up parties; and more geared for adults, there are murder mystery nights, open mic nights, jam labs, crochet club, comedy nights, karaoke nights, pillow-sewing class, haunted history tours and investigations, Ukrainian egg-decorating class; and Tarot Reading 101.

GLOW Creatives, a New York artist employment program, was a group of artists taking on a two-year residency that began in June 2022. Artists worked on independent projects and group collaborations to audiences in Genesee, Orleans, Wyoming, Livingston and Monroe counties.

The budget breakdown for revenue was:

• Events and earned income - $70,782
• Foundation support - $214,680
• Individual and corporate funding - $27,326
• Public support - $622,350

Organization expenses were:

• 1.9%, or $17,278, for fundraising
• 28.3%, $254,482, for programs and events
• 32.4%, $291,247, for administration
• $336,000, or 37.4%, was awarded as grants

After Hallock’s annual report presentation, County Manager Matt Landers recommended the agency’s funding request for $7,500, which matches the amount given since 2022. Committee legislators agreed, and a final vote will be taken by the full Legislature on March 12.

The high school musical version of The Wizard of Oz has all the elements of the classic tale of dreams and wishes and a newfound appreciation for home and family.

Le Roy Jr./Sr. High presents the L. Frank Baum classic this weekend in three performances.

The musical version of The Wizard of Oz follows the tale of Dorothy Gale, a young girl from Kansas who dreams of adventure beyond her mundane life. 

Swept away by a tornado, Dorothy lands in the magical land of Oz, where she kills the Wicked Witch of the East and frees the Munchkins. 

Guided by Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, Dorothy embarks on a journey along the Yellow Brick Road to find the Wizard of Oz, who she hopes can help her return home. Along the way, she meets a Scarecrow seeking a brain, a Tin Man wanting a heart, and a Cowardly Lion desiring courage. 

Together, they face challenges from the Wicked Witch of the West and ultimately discover that the Wizard is a humbug, but Dorothy learns the true power to return home lies within herself. With a newfound appreciation for her life, Dorothy clicks the heels of her magical ruby slippers and says, “There’s no place like home,” returning to her family and friends in Kansas.

All three performances this week are at 7 p.m., Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Tickets are $13 at the door for adults and $12 for students and seniors. Tickets can also be purchased online at a slight discount.

Photos by Howard Owens.