Empire State Development Reports

Global Building Products Manufacturer Built Facility on 75 acres in the Town of Bath: Will Create More Than 60 New Jobs Investment Complements “Southern Tier Soaring” - The Region’s Comprehensive Strategy to Revitalize Communities and Grow the Economy Empire State Development (ESD) today announced that leading engineered wood building products manufacturer LP Building Solutions (LP) today official marked the grand opening of new, engineered wood siding prefinishing facility located on 75 acres in the Town of Bath, Steuben County. The company will produce its LP® SmartSide® ExpertFinish® product at the state-of-the-art 90,000-square-foot facility located at the Steuben County Industrial Development Agency’s Business Park site off of State Route 54. The company is receiving its exterior home siding product at the new facility via rail from its production mills. The material will then be painted, packaged, and distributed via LP’s existing network throughout the Northeast and beyond. As a result of the project, LP plans to create approximately 60 new jobs in the Southern Tier region over the next several years. To date, there are 35 employees working on-site. “LP chose to expand into the Southern Tier thanks to the top-tier talent and industry assets that are invaluable to the region’s success,” said Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight. “This project highlights how our strategic incentives to foster forward-thinking companies are helping to strengthen the economy and create good-paying jobs, both in Steuben County and across New York State.”   ESD is assisting this project with up to $1 million through the performance-based Excelsior Jobs Tax Credit Program in exchange for job creation commitments. New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG), the Steuben County IDA, and B&H Railroad are also providing assistance for the project. LP Executive Vice President, Siding General Manager Jason Ringblom said, “LP’s prefinished home siding product, ExpertFinish, has seen strong growth since its 2020 launch. By expanding into the Northeast, we can better serve the popular new home construction and repair and remodel markets in the region. Additionally, we are excited to welcome Steuben County and its highly skilled workforce to the LP family. We look forward to the mutual benefits this collaboration will undoubtedly bring.” Founded in 1972, LP Building Solutions is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. As a leader in high-performance building solutions, the company manufactures engineered wood building products that meet the needs of builders, remodelers, and homeowners worldwide. The company operates 23 manufacturing facilities across the U.S., Canada, Chile, and Brazil and employees approximately 4,300 people. Senator Thomas F. O’Mara, said, “The arrival of LP Building Solutions is an outstanding addition to the regional economy and fantastic news for workers and local taxpayers.  It's the culmination of a lot of hard work by local and state leaders to secure an investment that promises good jobs, exciting economic opportunities, and important community development."  Assemblyman Phil Palmesano, said, "This investment is the result of an outstanding team effort by local and state leaders and it's great to be able to welcome the new LP Building Solutions facility to the town of Bath and Steuben County.  These high-quality manufacturing jobs and valuable economic opportunities could not arrive at a more important time and will help strengthen the economy locally and across the region. It's fantastic news."   Town of Bath Supervisor Ronald Smith, said, “We are pleased to see the transformation of the former IDA Business Park into the new LP facility and are excited to see the rail line in Bath being used once again. The company is a welcome addition to the community, and we thank Louisiana-Pacific Corporation for its investment in Bath.” Trish Nilsen, CEO of NYSEG and RG&E, said, “It’s important to NYSEG and RG&E to support job growth in the Southern Tier, so our $400,000 grant to LP Building Solutions aligns with our strategic goals Strengthening the economy of Upstate New York is a chief objective of our Capital Investment Incentive Program, and we were happy to work with Empire State Development to provide these funds.” Jeff Bauman, Vice President of B&H Rail Corporation, said, “This is an exciting time for LP, Steuben County, and the Town of Bath NY. The B&H Railroad is proud to have been a part of the team responsible for the decision by LP to locate in Steuben County.  The opening of the LP plant in Bath NY is the result of a team of dedicated individuals across the County, State and Railroad working together to grow Steuben County. Congratulations to LP, Jamie Johnson, and the entire Steuben County IDA team for this success.” Steuben County IDA Executive Director James C. Johnson, said, “We are pleased to be celebrating LP’s grand opening and want to thank the company and their project team for the confidence in our community and the hard work to make this possible.  We would also like to recognize the various partners who were involved with making this investment happen; the efforts of our partners are a true example of Steuben County’s commitment to grow our economy.  The IDA looks forward to supporting LP as the company grows and provides job opportunities for the residents of our area.” For additional Information about LP, visit: https://lpcorp.com/. Accelerating Southern Tier Soaring  Today's announcement complements “Southern Tier Soaring,” the region’s comprehensive strategy to generate robust economic growth and community development. The regionally designed plan focuses on attracting a talented workforce, growing business and driving innovation. More information is available here. About Empire State Development Empire State Development (ESD) is New York’s chief economic development agency (www.esd.ny.gov). The mission of ESD is to promote a vigorous and growing economy, encourage the creation of new job and economic opportunities, increase revenues to the State and its municipalities, and achieve stable and diversified local economies. Through the use of loans, grants, tax credits and other forms of financial assistance, ESD strives to enhance private business investment and growth to spur job creation and support prosperous communities across New York State. ESD is also the primary administrative agency overseeing the Regional Economic Development Councils and the marketing of ““I LOVE NY", the State’s iconic tourism brand. For more information on Regional Councils and Empire State Development, visit www.regionalcouncils.ny.gov and www.esd.ny.gov. Contact: Shari Voorhees-Vincent | [email protected] | (585) 399-7055 ESD Press Office | [email protected] | (800) 260-7313  

Outlines State’s Goals and Priorities for $664 Million Allocation for Broadband Deployment Link to Plan Here Empire State Development’s (ESD) ConnectALL Office today released its five-year action plan, which was approved by the U.S. Department of Commerce National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and lays out a broad framework for the implementation of New York’s allocation of $664 million from the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program. The plan, required under the federal program, describes how to most effectively invest New York’s allocation in ways that will attract private investment and reach unserved and underserved locations with a mix of fiber optic and wireless internet technologies. Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “Investments in ensuring New York has affordable, equitable and reliable broadband throughout the entire state is vital to our economic success. This five-year plan outlines how to best capitalize on the federal funding New York State has been allocated and allows us to continue our efforts to bridge the gap for unserved and underserved areas across the state.”    This comprehensive plan aligns with Governor Hochul’s commitment to affordable, reliable, accessible broadband for all residents across the state by prioritizing BEAD funding for ESD’s ConnectALL Deployment and Rural Broadband Program which will provide grants to internet service providers to bring service to unserved locations in the state and addresses how to complement these grants with other investments to increase consumer choice and promote broadband adoption. Additionally, the plan presents initial results from the ConnectALL Office’s digital equity survey of New York residents, which surveyed more than 5,700 people across every region of the state, was conducted from May to July 2023 and was the first ever comprehensive assessment of the digital divide in New York, encompassing both infrastructure and non-infrastructure barriers to broadband adoption. Findings from the survey reveal that New Yorkers in urban and rural areas face many of the same challenges in getting online: Both rural and urban respondents of the survey have difficulty paying for the internet each month in addition to their monthly expenses; 44% of urban respondents indicated difficulty paying, and 41% of rural respondents indicated difficulty paying. The survey demonstrated that accessibility of internet-enabled devices is close to equal among respondents from urban and rural geographies; 9.5% of urban respondents and 10.4% of rural respondents said that they did not have access to internet-enabled devices they needed at home. Regardless of their background, New Yorkers are concerned about their safety and security online. On average, nearly 90% of respondents reported feeling either somewhat concerned or very concerned about their online safety. ESD’s ConnectALL Office will address these challenges through a Digital Equity Grant Program and will present the full results of the study and the details of that program in a Digital Equity Plan, which it will make available for public comment this Fall. The BEAD 5 Year Action Plan also notes that the cost of building new fiber infrastructure to the 114,377 unserved addresses identified by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) would be $1.9 billion. ESD’s ConnectALL Office is now working on a detailed proposal to NTIA, which will be put out for public comment in the Fall and will describe how to most effectively invest the $664 million to attract private investment and reach those locations with a mix of fiber optic and wireless technologies. Contact: Kristin Devoe | [email protected] | 518-414-1087 ESD Press Office | [email protected] | 800-260-7313

Project Features 28 Affordable Housing Units and Free Head Start Child Education Program One Of 11 Projects For Buffalo's $10 Million Broadway-Fillmore Downtown Revitalization Initiative Award, See Renderings Here Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the start of construction for 950 Broadway LLC in East Buffalo. The $13.5 million project, by Cedarland Development LLC, will renovate and convert a 50,000 square foot, vacant and underutilized building in East Buffalo into a mixed-use development, featuring 28 affordable housing units, a free Head Start child education program and a proposed indoor urban farm. The building has been unused for 18 years, with portions of the building being vacant for decades prior. Once complete, the renovated 950 Broadway will bring new life to the former retail store-turned-office building near one of the most visible intersections in East Buffalo. Governor Hochul previously announced 950 Broadway LLC was chosen with 10 other transformational projects in Buffalo's Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood as part of a $10 Million Downtown Revitalization Initiative Award. “The groundbreaking for 950 Broadway today is a new beginning for this long vacant, prominent structure in East Buffalo,” Governor Hochul said. “Once a blight on the Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood, the historic building will now be a community anchor and catalyst for economic development. Homes will be made here, and we look forward to welcoming new neighbors to the Buffalo community.” Located at the corner of Broadway and Fillmore, the former Eckhardt’s and Kobacker’s department store will contain 28 affordable apartments and a Head Start children’s education program run by the Community Action Organization. An indoor urban farm has been proposed for the building’s basement. Apartments in the building will include ten studio apartments,12 one-bedroom units and six two-bedroom units. Buffalo’s Broadway-Fillmore was a DRI winner in Round 5. Located in East Buffalo and one of the city's oldest neighborhoods, the Broadway-Fillmore Neighborhood is the focus of Buffalo’s plan for a downtown investment. The Broadway-Fillmore Neighborhood, with a relatively dense stock of largely historic commercial buildings, set forth a vision of creating special urban places, key park spaces, retail-oriented streets, improved neighborhood connections, bike and pedestrian connections, streetscape improvements, and public realm improvements. Building on this momentum, Buffalo aims to encourage more redevelopment of vacant structures, provide better connections between anchors and amenities through greenspace, increase affordable housing opportunities, and enhance the streetscape. To assist Cedarland, New York State is providing a loan valued at $900,000 and grant valued at $1.1 million from Empire State Development’s Better Buffalo Fund to support the commercial renovations and building’s stabilization. Additionally, the project was awarded a $427,150 grant for the buildout of the daycare facilities through the Department of State’s Round 5 Downtown Revitalization Initiative for the Broadway Fillmore Neighborhood. New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) is providing $2.1 million in construction and permanent financing toward the affordable housing portion of the project through its Small Building Participation Loan Program. The Community Preservation Corporation (CPC) is providing a $7.8 million construction loan, as well as a $3.2 million SONYMA-insured permanent loan financed through its partnership with the New York State Common Retirement Fund. In addition to the developer’s contributions, over $2.9 million in Historic Tax Credit Equity and additional incentives from National Grid round out the project’s sources. The State of New York Mortgage Agency’s Insurance Fund is providing mortgage insurance on CPC’s permanent financing. Read the full press release here.

Site RFP Requires Significant Commitments for Permanently Affordable and Supportive Housing and Prioritizes Services and Amenities for the Local Community Project Aligns with Governor Hochul’s Executive Actions to Redevelop State-Owned Sites That Can Increase New York’s Housing Supply View Request for Proposals Here, Due December 13 by 5 p.m. ET Governor Kathy Hochul today announced a request for proposals to redevelop the former Bayview Correctional Facility, located at 550 West 20th Street in West Chelsea, Manhattan into a primarily residential development providing supportive housing, affordable housing, and onsite community uses that will benefit area residents and reintegrate the structure into the surrounding neighborhood. Applicants can view the Request for Proposals document here and submit a proposal to Empire State Development by December 13, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. ET. "By reimagining the Bayview facility as affordable housing, we are not only creating more housing options for New Yorkers – we are expanding the possibilities of what former prisons and other unused state properties can become,” Governor Hochul said. "New York’s future depends on increasing the state’s housing supply, and between the recommendations of the Prison Redevelopment Commission and executive actions I announced earlier this year, our state is taking leaps forward to repurpose these vacant facilities and leverage them as critical tools to address the housing crisis.” The state-owned 100,000 square-foot site is an opportunity to aggressively advance Governor Hochul’s unprecedented efforts to increase the state’s housing supply, particularly in New York City. Built in 1931, the art deco brick masonry building became a state-run medium-security women’s correctional facility in 1974, that was eventually closed due to flooding sustained during Superstorm Sandy in 2012. Recognizing that the West Chelsea neighborhood has a critical shortage of affordable housing options, the redevelopment of Bayview will be a key catalyst for inclusive and sustainable urban development, provide much needed housing for New Yorkers who require services within a supportive living environment, and enhance neighborhood vibrancy and quality of life for residents in the surrounding area. Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, "The Bayview Correctional Center's redevelopment offers a unique, forward-thinking opportunity to address New York’s long-term economic and housing priorities. Inspired by Governor Hochul’s unwavering commitment to enhance affordability in New York, this RFP aims to maximize the creation of both affordable and supportive housing, and address real needs expressed by the community.” Read the full press release here.