A $16.9 million state award is providing a jolt of energy for the emerging Wayland Business Park.
Empire State Development selected the Steuben County site to be one of four inaugural recipients of the state’s Promote Opportunity with Electric Readiness for Underdeveloped Properties (POWER UP) program.
The 152-acre business park is located at the corner of Michigan Road and state Route 21 in Wayland, near the I-390 interchange.
If built out to maximum capacity, the site offers more than 1 million square feet of building space, according to an environmental impact review conducted about a decade ago.
“We were thrilled to be awarded the funding, especially in the first round and to be one of the largest award recipients. It is going to make that site extremely attractive for future development,” said Jamie Johnson, executive director of the Steuben County Industrial Development Agency.
What to know about award to Wayland Business Park
As a result of the award, the Steuben County IDA will extend a 34.5kV electrical line 6 miles from the NYSEG Meyer substation in Dansville to the business park, enabling immediate access to six megawatts of power and up to 21 megawatts following future grid upgrades.
“When the site was developed we always knew it had about a two-megawatt capacity,” Johnson said. “That was large then, and it still is, but projects now seem to be increasing their electrical demand. It’s not uncommon for us to see projects that need 10, 15 or 20 megawatts or more.”
The POWER UP funding covers 90% of the total project cost of $18.779 million. The Steuben County IDA will pick up the remaining 10%, Johnson said.
The project builds on previous investments in water and sewer infrastructure and will support transportation equipment and materials processing industries while maximizing the use of existing wind and solar generation in the region, Empire State Development said in the award announcement.
Johnson said a global site selection firm identified the Wayland Business Park as a top site in the region for advanced manufacturing and tech, with its current electrical capacity its only limiting feature.
Empire State Development awards $39 million in POWER UP funding
Nearly $39 million from the POWER UP program was awarded across Western New York, the Mohawk Valley, the North Country and Southern Tier, according to an April 24 release from Empire State Development.
The $300 million initiative is designed to create power-ready, shovel-ready industrial sites capable of attracting high-growth industries and next-generation manufacturers.
“POWER UP is a bold, forward-looking strategy that strengthens New York’s competitive edge by creating sites that are both shovel-ready and power-ready. These inaugural awards will unlock new opportunities for communities across the state, support advanced manufacturing growth, and drive lasting economic development,” said Hope Knight, Empire State Development president and CEO.
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This article originally appeared on The Evening Tribune: Nearly $17 million headed to Wayland to power up business park
Reporting by Neal Simon, Hornell Evening Tribune / The Evening Tribune
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