GREECE, N.Y. (WROC) — Monroe County Executive Adam Bello, Greece Town Supervisor Bill Reilich and Michael Huntress of Acquest Development Corporation announced new plans for an Amazon warehouse and distribution facility in the Rochester region.
The county executive called the project “significant” and said the development would cost more than $50 million to renovate 180,000 square feet of facility space. Bello said the project would create 50 full time jobs, 50 part time jobs, and 400 local construction jobs.
Officials said the facility will be developed at Eastman Business Park, located at 1200 Lexington Avenue in Greece.
“Like so many other communities across the state and nation, Monroe County has seen an increase in unemployment and joblessness due to the pandemic,” Bello said. “Amazon has proposed to add to their footprint in Monroe County.”
The county executive said the proposed site of Eastman Business Park site is ideal for an Amazon warehouse and distribution, due to its location and size.
“This is a reactivation of land that was once home to Eastman Kodak and it positions our community for future development and growth,” Bello said. “This is a significant economic investment here in Monroe County and Greece, and we’re hopeful that this is just the beginning of our partnership.”
The Greece Town Supervisor said local officials have been working to close this deal for months.
“Many managers have been working behind the scenes for six months trying to bring this project to fruition,” Reilich said. “What does this mean for the residents of Greece? Jobs, jobs, and more jobs. Good jobs with solid wages. Today is a bright spot on the path of future economic opportunities to our town and our region.”
Acquest is the development company which also owns property in Gates. Gates Town Supervisor Cosmo Giunta told News 8 previously that the company has recently reached out to him about constructing a warehouse there for a national business.
While that national company remains unkown at this time, we know it’s going to be big – according to Giunta.
According to Huntress, the Gates project site will include just less than 300,000 square feet. Combined with the 180,000 square foot Greece facility announced Thursday, it’s just less than 500,000 square feet of facility space that Acquest is overseeing in Monroe County — which Bello says will help boost the economy as it navigates the financial difficulties brought about during the coronavirus pandemic.
“We’ve been told that the jobs that go along with these distribution centers have a minim of $15 per hour and come with a full benefits package,” Bello said.
Huntress said construction crews broke ground last week, and he expects the work to be done by July 2021.
The county executive said the projected job creation was part of the application approval process, adding that the agreement will also benefit local municipalities.
“They have applied through COMIDA (County of Monroe Industrial Development Agency) for a payment in lieu of taxes agreement,” Bello said. “This particular pilot agreement, in year one, would triple the amount of payments to both the town, school district, and county.”
Acquest Development is a property management and developing firm, known regionally for a proposed Amazon warehouse development deal on Grand Island, that ultimately fell through.
via ROCHESTER FIRST