A Bergen-based project already given the go-ahead by Genesee County Economic Development Center and pending additional financial incentives got the good news this week that a state grant will be coming its way.
Empire State Development announced Tuesday that of the nearly $25 million in awards for the Focused Attraction of Shovel-Ready Tracts New York grant program, $1.26 million has been slated for the village of Bergen. GE Bergen Owner LLC has a $43.6 million project in the works at Apple Tree Acres Corporate Park.
This project will support electrical infrastructure upgrades, including improvements to the electrical substation and distribution lines, which will increase capacity to serve anticipated load growth, according to the news release. These upgrades will allow Apple Tree Acres Corporate Park to further develop an additional 47 shovel ready acres intended for future manufacturing.
In June, the GCEDC granted GE Bergen Owner LLC’s proposed 196,000-square-foot facility in the town of Bergen, including approximately $1.75 million in sales tax exemptions, a property tax abatement of about $2.15 million as a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) and a mortgage tax exemption of $366,000.
The facility would be leased to an end user and is to create 60 new full-time jobs and generate $38 million in wages and benefits as well as revenues for local governments over the course of 10 years according to the deal.
The project was pending, subject to receiving incentives from Empire State Development Corp.
The state shovel-ready program, first announced in February 2022, is designed to prepare and develop sites across the state to further New York’s shovel-readiness and increase its attractiveness to large employers and high-tech manufacturing companies.
This program is intended to help diversify New York State’s economy while generating new investments for businesses, communities and job creation. To date, FAST NY has awarded $200 million to 25 sites, with locations in every region across Upstate New York.
Bergen was the only municipality in Genesee County to receive a grant award in this round.
"Through the FAST NY program, our strategic investments are helping communities across Upstate New York develop shovel-ready sites to attract new and expanding businesses in key industries,” ESD President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said in the news release. “These awards will support the development of five sites across Upstate New York, with the potential to attract businesses and manufacturers looking to establish or grow a footprint here, creating jobs and generating regional economic growth."
This year, Governor Kathy Hochul secured an additional $100 million in funding for the FAST NY program through the FY25 state budget.
FAST NY grants are awarded for pre-development activities and infrastructure investments to develop sites that will attract many eligible industries —including high-tech manufacturing, semiconductors, clean-tech renewable energy, life sciences, agribusiness, optics, transportation equipment, materials processing, industrial machinery manufacturing and other advanced manufacturing. These sites can also be used for interstate distribution and logistics.
For more information, or to apply for a FAST NY grant, visit esd.ny.gov/fast-ny.
