Monroe County’s chief economic development agency is losing its association with lunch and getting a name that’s more of an inspirational and aspirational call. The subject at hand is the Monroe County Industrial Development Agency, which everyone calls COMIDA, literally the Spanish word for food; the progressive group Metro Justice once issued a critical report […]
Monroe County Industrial Development Agency
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Reform proposals aimed at COMIDA, county
The Monroe County Industrial Development Agency’s board didn’t instigate the I-Square controversy which engulfed the early days of County Executive Cheryl Dinfolo’s rookie term. And yet, the board is now stuck between dueling reform proposals. One set of recommendations comes from Dinolfo; they aren’t really recommendations so much as directives, but the board does have […]
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Dinolfo tries I-Square damage control
Monroe County Executive Cheryl Dinfolo isn’t changing her story on I-Square, but she’s released some e-mails and memos to back it up. An emotional, contrite Dinolfo held a press conference this morning to explain, as she put it, what she knew, when she knew it, and how she knew it in this scandal that has […]
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Politics and COMIDA
Reilich’s partisan meddling taints his party, COMIDA and its board, and every business that receives benefits from COMIDA.
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[UPDATED] Mazzullo out as COMIDA chair
UPDATE (May 23, 9:00 a.m.): COMIDA board members Clint Campbell and Eugene Caccamise have also resigned, according to media reports. ORIGINAL STORY: The I-Square body count continues to rise. Today, Theresa Mazzullo resigned as chair of the Monroe County Industrial Development Agency board. In a resignation letter released to local media, Mazzullo said that the […]
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Legislature won’t probe I-Square debacle
The Monroe County Legislature will not investigate the chain of events that led to one of the clumsiest political squabbles in recent local history. A Legislature committee rejected a proposal to create a committee to investigate remarks made by Bill Reilich, chair of the Monroe County Republican Committee, regarding the I-Square development in Irondequoit. The […]
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Sheppard wants Reilich and COMIDA investigated
Democratic County Legislator James Sheppard wants Monroe County’s newly created public integrity office to step into a messy and odd political dispute in Irondequoit. But there’s a slight problem: the office isn’t up and running yet. County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo last week announced the start of a national search for the office’s director. In a […]
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Monroe County plans to sell Riga land to COMIDA
Monroe County officials plan to sell about 130 acres of land adjacent to the Mill Seat Landfill to the Monroe County Industrial Development Agency. COMIDA would pay approximately $1.4 million for the land on Brew Road in the Town of Riga, according to a County Legislature referral released late yesterday. The transaction had been budgeted […]
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COMIDA approves incentives for Hart’s project
Hart’s Local Grocers is going to get some help from the Monroe County Industrial Development Agency. This afternoon, the COMIDA board approved a $145,000 incentive package for Rochester Local Capital, the company financing the planned East End grocery store. Rochester Local Capital plans to spend $3.6 million to renovate and equip the former Craig Autometrics […]
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WEEK AHEAD: Incentives for Hart’s, county charter discussion
At 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, the Monroe County Industrial Development Agency (COMIDA) will hold a public hearing on a tax incentive package for Hart’s Local Grocers, the new grocery store opening in downtown Rochester this spring. Hart’s will be located at 10 Winthrop Street – in the former Craig Autometrics building – in the city’s East […]
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COMIDA grants incentives to mall project
A planned expansion at Marketplace Mall won’t just be retail space, it’ll be a tourist destination. At least that’s the argument that the mall’s owner and Monroe County Industrial Development Agency are advancing. The mall’s owner, Wilmorite, plans to re-use the former Bon-Ton space for an as-yet-unannounced purpose. Wilmorite will also build a new anchor building […]
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Xerox chooses Webster for toner plant
Xerox will expand its Webster toner plant, with the help of taxpayer-funded incentives. Empire State Development, the state’s economic development agency, announced Xerox’s decision via press release yesterday afternoon. The company was considering several locations for the plant, though Webster was the only US site on the list. Xerox plans to invest $5 million to […]
