Monroe County officials have applied for $4.5 million in state grant funds to help cover the cost of a planned $7.5 million project at Frontier Field. Last night, the County Legislature’s Planning and Economic Development Committee gave the county administration permission to make the application. But the vote was something of a formality, since the […]
economic development
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Rethinking Irondequoit
Irondequoit is the town with the Medley Centre problem. And for the past few years, the community has grown deeply frustrated with the owner, who’s made no visible progress on redeveloping the idle mall. But the Depot Plaza, located a few long blocks to the west on East Ridge Road, sits in stark contrast. The […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
[UPDATED] More trouble for Medley Centre owner
State officials are preparing to strip Medley Centre of its
Empire Zone status and the tax credits that go with the designation.
Posted inNews & Opinion
Tech firm coming to former Rochester Savings Bank
A data backup and recovery firm founded by a Rochester Institute of Technology alum will be the first business to come to Rochester under the state’s START-UP NY program. Governor Andrew Cuomo made the announcement at a press conference held at RIT this morning. The company is Datto, a Connecticut-based firm founded by RIT grad […]
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Kodak environmental settlement finalized
A federal bankruptcy court judge has given final approval to the Eastman Business Park clean-up settlement between Kodak, the State Department of Environmental Conservation, and federal agencies. Under the settlement, Kodak will put $49 million into an environmental trust fund to pay for ongoing and future clean up and monitoring work at the business park […]
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Port questions answered
The Port of Rochester is not living up to its full potential, city officials say. A redevelopment project, done right, will boost the port’s profile, make the port a year-round destination, bring in traffic for Charlotte businesses, and raise tax revenue for the city, they say. The city’s desire for a transformational project has led […]
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Termination of Medley tax agreement has begun
This morning, the Monroe County Industrial Development Agency began the process of terminating the Medley Centre tax agreement. A press release from Monroe County says that COMIDA has “issued a notice of PILOT default to Medley Centre’s developer.” Yesterday, Bersin Properties failed to make a $3.8 million payment to COMIDA. The money would have been split […]
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Medley developer submits partial payment
Monroe County Industrial Development Agency officials will take the first steps to terminate the Medley Centre tax incentive agreement.
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Group says casinos aren’t the cash machines they’re made out to be
Former Rochester Mayor Bill Johnson says property taxes in Niagara Falls and Salamanca have gone up, despite the fact that there are casinos owned and operated by the Seneca Nation of Indians in both communities. Johnson analyzed property tax and crime data from the two communities before and after construction of their casinos. He presented […]
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How Medley’s promise turned to peril
When Scott Congel took on Irondequoit’s Medley Centre, he seemed like the perfect candidate to make something happen on the site. The Congel family business, Pyramid Companies, has built and operated malls across the Northeast, including the thriving Walden Galleria in suburban Buffalo. Officials thought that the Congel name and connections would translate into tenants […]
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Lots of money at stake in Medley Centre dispute
Medley Centre’s developer has a choice: pay now, or pay a lot more later. Yesterday, the Monroe County Industrial Development Agency’s board affirmed that it’ll terminate a tax incentive agreement with Medley owner Bersin Properties if the company doesn’t make $3.9 million in overdue payments by May 1. Losing the tax incentives, which are laid […]
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COMIDA board says Medley owner has to pay up
The Monroe County Industrial Development Agency has issued a firm ultimatum to Medley Centre’s developer. During its meeting this afternoon, the COMIDA board approved a resolution to terminate a tax incentive agreement with Medley owner Bersin Properties if the company does not make overdue payments by May 1. Under the resolution, the agency would terminate […]
