Utica IDA approves BG Warehouse pilot extension, lodging pilot schedule and mortgage assignment

At a meeting of the Utica Industrial Development Agency, members approved three administrative actions related to local development projects: a pilot extension for BG Warehouse, a change to the pilot schedule for Utica Harbor Lodging Group and approval of the form and substance of a mortgage assignment for Historical Park Apartments.

The actions matter because they clear the way for immediate building improvements, a major tenant expansion and continued financing movement on a previously induced housing project, officials said during the meeting.

David Maslow of BG Warehouse told the board the company’s building is about 370,000 square feet and that Trenton Technology will expand into roughly 60,000 square feet for a mix of assembly, manufacturing and warehousing. Maslow said the tenant plans about $6,000,000 in investment, including funds for new equipment, and that employment at the facility has risen to about 82 people compared with an earlier estimate of roughly 25. He described planned work on HVAC systems, electrical upgrades, sprinkler systems, exterior porticos and lighting, which he said has not been updated since the 1960s. Maslow also noted other existing tenants, including International Paper and a company identified in the transcript as Precise Kit.

Board members moved to approve an extension to the pilot tied to BG Warehouse’s investment. The transcript records the motion, a voice vote of "Aye" and the chair saying "So moved." The transcript does not provide a roll-call or named vote totals.

On the Utica Harbor Lodging Group project, staff said the parties negotiated a change to the pilot structure from a percentage-based schedule to a fixed pilot rate; the materials reflecting that change were included in the meeting packet. A staff speaker said the parties had finalized numbers and benefits under the revised schedule. The board approved the project under the new, fixed pilot schedule; the transcript records the motion and a voice "Aye" vote with no individual votes listed.

For Historical Park Apartments, staff reported that the project’s lender changed from KeyBank to Greystone Bank and asked the board to approve the form and substance of the mortgage "subject to my approval," as recorded in the transcript. Members approved the motion. The transcript records that the motion passed on a voice vote of "Aye," and does not include a roll-call tally.

During the same meeting series the board also completed routine annual items: confirmation of officers and ratification of IDA actions taken in 2024 were presented and approved as recorded in the transcript. Specific officer assignments were spoken briefly in the record but not clarified in detail during the recorded excerpt.

No formal dissent or recorded conditions on any of the three substantive approvals appear in the provided transcript excerpt. Where numbers or details were discussed — for example, square footage, the $6,000,000 investment and the change from KeyBank to Greystone Bank — the account reflects the statements made on the record by Maslow and staff. Several motions were moved and approved on voice votes recorded as "Aye," with no identified nay votes in the excerpt.