UTICA, N.Y. — Utica Mayor Robert Palmieri and Utica Fire Chief John Kelly recently announced the delivery of three new fire apparatuses for the department.

Included in the delivery are the following:

• New paramedic engine for Engine Company 5 in North Utica

• New 100-foot tower ladder for Truck Company 2 in Downtown Utica

• New 75-foot aerial ladder for Truck Company 3, which can be utilized by any station in the city as needed

Each apparatus was specifically designed to increase firefighting capabilities and improve service delivery, the city said in a news release. The purchase is part of the department’s plan to improve its equipment and lower future maintenance costs. All of the apparatuses came with a 5-year preventative maintenance policy, which the city says will save money.

“These apparatuses will go to great lengths in making the Fire Department more effective and efficient in the services we provide,” Kelly said in the release.

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DICKINSON — FIVE South College Drive in the town of Dickinson is the first building to be constructed in Broome County for the purpose of co-locating business and economic-development organizations. 

That’s according to The Agency, which now operates in the facility located on the south end of the SUNY Broome Community College campus. 

The Agency on Jan. 9 formally opened FIVE South College Drive, a 17,500-square-foot, newly constructed economic and business-development center in the town of Dickinson. 

The Agency describes itself as the lead economic-development organization for Broome County. It is the rebranded name of the Broome County Industrial Development Agency (IDA). The organization rebranded in April 2015. The Agency’s board of directors oversees both the IDA and the Broome County Local Development Corporation (LDC).

State and local officials, along with additional building tenants, joined the Agency for the formal opening event, the organization said in a news release.

The other building tenants include the Alliance for Manufacturing and Technology, the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce, the National Development Council, the New York Business Development Corporation, and Visions Federal Credit Union.

The Agency, which is the owner and anchor tenant of the building, moved to the building last September with the additional tenants “following shortly after.” 

The building

Binghamton–based Fahs Construction Group built the two-story structure, while Endwell–based Delta Engineers, Architects, & Land Surveyors handled the design work on the project.

The Agency “fully” paid for the project using a $4.35 million New York Economic Development Assistance Program grant that the late New York State Senator Thomas Libous secured.

The building includes the Senator Thomas W. Libous Community Room, a shared meeting space on the building’s first floor. Nick Libous, son of Fran and Tom Libous, attended the event on behalf of the family, the Agency said.

Purpose

FIVE South College Drive is going to “enhance” the organization’s efforts to “drive economic growth” in Broome County, Kevin McLaughlin, executive director of the Agency, said in the release.

“It will foster partnerships among the organizations located here and will be a central hub of activity surrounding business and economic development. It will also be a central location for businesses or developers looking to invest in Broome County. This has been a critical need in our community for a long time,” he said.

“Today’s grand opening represents years of work by many in this community to coalesce our economic development professionals and resources,” Terry Kane, chair of the Agency’s board of directors, said in the organization’s news release. “Together we can accomplish so much more and in a much more efficient manner. The Board looks forward to the many successes that will result.”

Discussion on a “one-stop” facility is “not new” to Broome County and “in the past, there have been many attempts to create a single location for economic and business development in Broome County, but none have gone so far as to construct a brick and mortar facility,” according to the Agency.

Visions Federal Credit Union is “excited” about being part of this “economic hub for business development,” Tyrone Muse, president & CEO of Visions Federal Credit Union, said in the release. 

“The partnerships that can be formed with the organizations currently in and potentially in this facility are immeasurable. We are already finding additional benefits with the proximity of the SUNY Broome campus in acquiring talent, providing financial literacy and working with students to provide advisory roles to make us a better organization,” said Muse.

DeWITT — United Radio, a DeWitt–based repairer and remanufacturer of high-tech electronics, plans to expand next door. The idea calls for the purchase of 100,000 square feet of space it currently leases and buying an adjoining 100,000-square-foot building as it increases its local workforce by 8 percent in the coming years.

“It’s just normal growth,” says Phil Rubenstein, company president.

At its January meeting, the Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency (OCIDA) board approved tax abatements on the projects that could save United Radio $247,520 in mortgage, sales and property taxes on the expansion at 5717 Enterprise Parkway, next to its current building at 5703 Enterprise Parkway. OCIDA documents show the economic benefits from the expansion would top $22 million, including more than $12 million in wages and nearly $2.5 million in employee benefits.

Rubenstein estimates the expansion would add 35 workers in DeWitt over the next five years. The company currently has 420 employees in DeWitt and another 130 at a facility in Peachtree City, Georgia.

However Rubenstein, who owns the business with his sister, VP Mara Charlamb, cautions that the OCIDA approval by itself did not ensure the expansion would take place. OCIDA was a major contingency, he says, but there are others still to be settled.

Additionally, Rubenstein says the second building United Radio is considering purchasing is currently leased by Saab Sensis, the air-traffic management company. That lease runs another two years. “We’re not breaking their lease,” he says, adding that he does not want to foreclose on the possibility of renegotiating the lease.

In addition to supplying radio and other communication devices and services for first responders, United Radio provides after-the-sale service for the electronics industry and extensive services for automotive electronics. The company also has a research and development section that looks at new ways to repair equipment, ways to improve product design and has received patents for hardware and software.

Rubenstein says planning for the expansion is driven by growth across all parts of the company but that the largest piece of the additional space will likely be taken by the automotive division. 

Preparing for the future, Rubenstein attended the early January Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Robots were the big hit of the show, he says. Rubenstein looked closely at Sony’s new yet-to-be-released robot dog, Aibo, figuring United Radio is likely to be repairing Aibos in the near future.

Rubenstein declined to disclose United Radio’s annual revenue.