Cornell food park would add 200 jobs

CNY Business Journal (1996+), Mar 29, 2002 by Dickinson, Casey J

GENEVA - Cornell University will develop 74 acres of land into the Cornell Agriculture and Food Technology Park as part of a $75-million, 15-year building project. The office park will be home to businesses seeking to leverage the knowledge base at Cornell's adjacent agricultural-research facility. Parkbased companies will employ approximately 200 highly paid researchers over the next three years, according to state estimates released by Gov. George Pataki. Each research job will pay an average of $50,000 per year, according to Charles A. Gargano, chairman of Empire State Development. The state approved the transfer of land to Cornell last fall. Cornell exchanged a 76-acre parcel in Geneva for the state land.

"We've already received inquiries from all over the world," says Michael Manikowski, a director on the park's board and executive director of the Ontario County Industrial Development Agency.

Work on the initial phases of the project, including roads, utilities, and other infrastructure improvements, will begin this summer, says Manikowski. The parcel is currently home to an apple orchard. The university will conduct environmental, archaeological, and traffic-impact studies before proceeding with development. The cost of the first work on the land is $747,000. The university has already secured funding from state and federal sources through Pataki, State Senator Michael Nozzolio (RC-Seneca Falls), and U.S. Representative Thomas Reynolds (R-Clarence).

After the infrastructure is in place, the university will construct a 20,000-square-foot incubator building, the first of several structures planned for the property. A 30,000-square-foot research facility will follow the incubator. The park's master plan calls for a total of 375,000 square feet built over 15 years. A Cornell-commissioned study estimates that the park could create 880 new research jobs by attracting companies to the area.

The cutting-edge agricultural research at Cornell-run New York State Agricultural Experiment Station is the reason companies would want to move nearby, says Manikowski. The 120-year-old facility employs 300, including dozens of top-level Cornell researchers examining ways to make food production and processing more efficient. The station also hosts research into wine and beer production. Over its history, the station has released hundreds of new fruit and vegetable varieties to New York's farmers, including the Empire apple. Recently, Cornell researchers developed a "gene gun" used to create genetically modified plant varieties.

"These are the foremost plant scientists in the world," says Manikowski.

The park will also play a role in attracting talented couples, says Robert Seem, associate director of the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station. The university frequently encounters researchers with equally talented spouses and Seem hopes the park's companies will offer additional job opportunities.

Founded in 1882, the Agricultural Experiment Station became part of Cornell University in 1923. The park project will help the station further its mission of supporting the state's agricultural industry, says Seem. The station is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system, as well as part of Cornell. Scientists from around the world visit Geneva for stays of several months as part of the station's ongoing research. In addition to its work with edible products, the station conducts experiments with turf improvements.