FULTON, NY – The Fulton Common Council has unanimously approved a resolution at the regular meeting held Tuesday, September 20, to authorize the city of Fulton to submit a grant application to the New York State Empire Development Corporation.
The grant, for the maximum amount of $500,000 would be used to complete infrastructure work and marketing for both the former Nestles site located at 555 S. Fourth St. as well as the former Sofco site located at 351 N. First St.
Executive Director of the Fulton Community Development Agency, Joe Fiumara explained that the money would be used for running all new water and sewer lines to the former Nestles site as well as paving costs for street extensions through the site, some excavating, and marketing for the rest of the site besides the area dedicated to incoming international supermarket chain, Aldi or other proposals.
The main cost at the former Sofco site will come from a feasibility study to assess the cost of opening a hotel and convention center with an anchor restaurant.
There will also be the need to run a sewer line under State Route 481 as the city is unable to disturb the state route.
Fiumara proposed the total cost of the project to be more than a million dollars of which the grant applied would provide the maximum amount of $500,000.
The excess cost would be covered from proceeds of sales on site, city bonding, and in-kind services from city work forces, Fiumara said.
A public hearing regarding the grant brought nothing but positive remarks from city residents, he continued.
“All positive comments, they were happy we were applying. We can’t track business without proper infrastructure, especially restaurants who use water and sewer regularly. That’s why these improvements are so important to get the site ready to build,” Fiumara said.
He added that the city is hopeful to utilize the entire 24-acre site of the former Nestles factory for commercial and retail properties.
The application is due October 1, 2016 and Fiumara said he is hopeful to hear results in an estimate of four to six weeks.
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Is there anyone else out there that is asking: How is this grant application any different than the one from the FRB…that was going to be for the same thing. One great big difference is this one has a local share(we have to put our own BOND money into it) the FRB one was totally free of any local share. I know we have to keep trying but it seems that we keep reaching for that elusive brass ring only to fall off the Merry-Go-Round…maybe if we changed horses we would do much better…
Why are we giving all this outlay of money to Aldi’s just another Food Market, why don’t we give to the markets that are here to improve and expand their businesses, what makes the new one special.
What do we do with the Nestles site sell it to private developers and let them develop it they know what their doing and the City should not be in the real estate development/rental/fix up business, because they don’t know what they are doing!