IDA updates Skyler Park, Russell Farm and Turn site cleanup; IDA seeks FAST NY funds and weighs tank choice
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Summary
The IDA reported Herkimer County support for Skyler Business Park entrance work, imminent acreage contracts with Stark Industries, multi-company interest in Russell Farm, DEC approvals for parts of the Turn demolition and a potential $500,000 FAST New York grant for site studies; the board also discussed power capacity and data-center feasibility.
The IDA provided several development updates on large-site readiness, demolition and power capacity.
Speaker 1 thanked Herkimer County for recent support allowing Skyler Business Park entrance work to proceed, with an estimated completion in about two months. He said a contract for 35 of 60 acres with Stark Industries is expected soon and requested stakeholder meetings about a possible spec building to serve incoming firms.
On the Russell Farm property, Speaker 1 said ESD has signaled that larger projects are easier to finance and discussed options to make drawdown procedures faster for smaller counties; multiple companies have toured the site. Regarding the Turn site, Speaker 1 said the county divided the parcel into five pieces to maximize brownfield tax credits, that the DEC has approved two pieces and that the IDA expects a $500,000 FAST New York grant to fund additional site-preparation studies.
Speaker 1 reported interaction with the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), noting disagreements about whether certain buildings should remain; staff said the IDA has assembled extensive documentation to support site decisions. On utilities, Speaker 1 said the ISO studies have cleared 100 MW and later 500 MW capacity for the area, highlighted existing fiber and said the governor’s policies on energy procurement (CLCPA) affect project economics, while also noting agency constraints on water and environmental approvals.
Next steps include finalizing the Stark Industries contract, pursuing FAST NY grant-funded studies for the Turn site, coordinating with SHPO and DEC on demolition and clean-up steps, and continuing power and utilities planning for potential large-scale users.
