Washington D.C. – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today called for federal support for the City of Rochester’s proposal to redevelop the Photech Manufacturing site into an industrial park. With the support of the Economic Development Administration (EDA), the park would be used by private businesses to create an estimated 200 to 250 jobs for the Rochester area.
“Rochester is working hard to revitalize the local economy and this proposal would help create new jobs in our community,” Senator Gillibrand said. “The Photech redevelopment project would take an unused space and turn it into a working industrial park. This is exactly the kind of investment that the federal government should be supporting.”
The industrial park site is 12.5 acres owned by Rochester, which was previously the location of Photech Manufacturing. This year, the site was turned from a brownfield to a greenfield area, making the site safe for final development. Currently, Rochester has invested $3.4 million into the environmental cleanup of the site and has pledged additional matching funds to move the redevelopment project forward this summer, should the city receive federal EDA funding.
In her letter to Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development and Administrator of the EDA Matt S. Erskine, Senator Gillibrand urged support of the project, explaining that Rochester, “is successfully revitalizing the City through targeted infrastructure investments and public-private partnerships for economic development. Currently, the City is in the process of the Photech Site Infrastructure Development Project, which will repurpose the abandoned Photech paper manufacturing facility to be used as a multi-purpose industrial park.”
Senator Gillibrand’s complete letter to the EDA:
Dear Assistant Secretary Erskine,
I write in support of the City of Rochester’s application for funding from the Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance Program Opportunity through the Economic Development Administration. This funding will be used to support public infrastructure for the redevelopment of the Photech manufacturing facility in the City of Rochester.
Rochester, which is the third largest city and one of the most prominent local economies in New York State, is successfully revitalizing the City through targeted infrastructure investments and public-private partnerships for economic development. Currently, the City is in the process of the Photech Site Infrastructure Development Project, which will repurpose the abandoned Photech paper manufacturing facility to be used as a multi-purpose industrial park.
The requested funding will be used to continue the Photech Site Infrastructure Development Project. This site was a former photographic film and photographic paper manufacturing facility that ceased operation in the early 1990’s leaving significant environmental remediation. Since that time, the City has invested millions of dollars to turn the site from a brownfield to a greenfield. This funding will help support public infrastructure development of that is critical to advancing the project. It is estimated that redevelopment of the Photech site will result in the creation of 200 to 250 new manufacturing jobs, indicating the importance of this project to the regional economy.
I ask that you please give this application your full consideration. If you have any questions, or desire further information, please do not hesitate to contact my staff member Andrew Usyk at (202) 224- 4451.