ConMed to pay Q4 dividend of 20 cents on Jan. 5

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ConMed Corp. (NYSE: CNMD), a surgical-device maker that has roots in the Utica area, announced that its board of directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of 20 cents per share for the fourth quarter of this year. The dividend is payable on Jan. 5, to all shareholders of record as of Dec. 18. At […]

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Workforce Development Board receives $500K for environmental-job training

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UTICA, N.Y. — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $500,000 to the Workforce Development Board of Herkimer, Madison and Oneida Counties for environmental-job training programs. The agency awarded grants totaling $7 million to 14 organizations across the country through its Brownfields Jobs Training Program to help recruit, train, and place workers for community revitalization

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UTICA, N.Y. — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $500,000 to the Workforce Development Board of Herkimer, Madison and Oneida Counties for environmental-job training programs.

The agency awarded grants totaling $7 million to 14 organizations across the country through its Brownfields Jobs Training Program to help recruit, train, and place workers for community revitalization and cleanup projects across brownfield sites.

“EPA is thrilled to award this grant to the Workforce Development Board of Herkimer, Madison and Oneida Counties and its partners to help train and prepare the next wave of local workers for opportunities in the brownfields sector,” EPA Region 2 Administrator Lisa F. Garcia said in a press release announcing the grant. “Through the cleanup and revitalization of brownfield sites, communities can put underutilized properties back to good use. Reclaiming these sites benefits the community and its residents, our economy, and our environment.”

The initiative aims to provide specialized environmental-job training for 100 students with the goal of placing 90 graduates in relevant roles. The training includes 189 hours of instruction. Students who successfully complete the training can earn up to four state and two federal certifications in areas including lead and asbestos abatement, hazardous waste operations and emergency response, mold remediation, and environmental sampling and analysis.

The Workforce Development Board of Herkimer, Madison, and Oneida Counties is specifically targeting students within the city of Utica with a focus on underrepresented and historically marginalized populations to provide them with an opportunity to gain skills and improve their employment prospects.

Key partners in the initiative include Oneida County Workforce Development, Mohawk Valley Community College, Rochester Specialty Contractors, Ambient Environmental, Indium Corporation, Central New York Labor Council, Oneida County Health Department, Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Authority, Midtown Utica Community Center, Mohawk Valley Latino Center, NAACP, and Hope Chapel AME Zion Church.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests more than $1.5 billion through the EPA’s Brownfields Program. Since 1998, the EPA has awarded 414 grants totaling over $100.5 million through brownfield job training programs, helping more than 21,500 people complete training and over 16,370 individuals begin careers related to land remediation and environmental health and safety with an average starting wage above $15 an hour.

Adirondack Bank announces board leadership changes

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UTICA, N.Y. — Adirondack Bank Chairman H.T. (Tom) Clark, Jr. will transition to chairman emeritus, effective on Jan. 1, 2024, the bank announced on Dec. 7. He will remain a director on the bank’s board of directors and act as a consultant to the bank while his son, current Vice Chairman Robert Clark, will become

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UTICA, N.Y. — Adirondack Bank Chairman H.T. (Tom) Clark, Jr. will transition to chairman emeritus, effective on Jan. 1, 2024, the bank announced on Dec. 7.

He will remain a director on the bank’s board of directors and act as a consultant to the bank while his son, current Vice Chairman Robert Clark, will become executive chairman of the board.

“I am proud to turn the chairmanship of the bank to my son Robert, who is a key member of the bank’s executive management team and has played an important leadership role in the growth of Adirondack Bank,” Tom Clark said in a news release.

Robert Clark has worked for the bank since 2011, serving as vice chairman since 2018. In this role, he has overseen the bank’s branch network, marketing, retail lending, deposit operations, and human-resources departments.

As executive chairman, Clark will facilitate the operations and deliberations of the board and the execution of the board’s functions and responsibilities. He will also work with the board and the bank’s CEO to identify value-enhancing strategic initiatives and develop future growth strategies.

“Through the hard work and dedication of many employees and directors, we have built Adirondack Bank into the full-service community bank that my father envisioned more than 30 years ago,” Robert Clark said. “I am excited about the opportunity as the bank’s executive chairman to build on my father’s vision and work with the board and the bank’s CEO, Rocco Arcuri, on setting the strategic direction for Adirondack Bank’s continued growth in the years to come.”

Tom Clark formed Adirondack Bank in 1990 after purchasing and rebranding the Saranac Lake Savings and Loan Association. The savings association, founded in 1989, had $29 million in assets and two branches located in Saranac Lake and Lake Placid.

Today, Adirondack Bank has total assets of about $1 billion, about 200 employees, and 20 branches across the Mohawk Valley, Adirondack North Country, and Central New York.

“Thirty-three years ago, I purchased the Saranac Lake Savings and Loan Association with one goal in mind, to build what was then a small, struggling savings association with limited product offerings into a full-service community bank that served the financial needs of local consumers, businesses, and municipalities,” Tom Clark said. “Since that time, accessibility to banking services in upstate New York has diminished considerably through consolidation and branch closures, particularly by the largest financial institutions. Adirondack Bank has played a critical role in stepping in to meet the financial services needs of our local communities as one of the few remaining locally owned and operated community banks in upstate New York.”

In 2022, Clark noted, Adirondack Bank generated an economic impact of more than $160 million in the communities it serves through loans originated, employee payroll, payments to local third-party vendors, and contributions to charitable organizations.

“Adirondack Bank plays an important role in the economic and social well-being of the communities we serve in the Mohawk Valley, Adirondack North Country, and Central New York, and it reflects Tom’s decades-long commitment to these communities as an entrepreneur, businessman and philanthropist,” Arcuri said. “It has been a pleasure for me to work with Tom as the bank’s CEO, and I am looking forward to the next generation of leadership in Rob Clark, [with] whom I’ve had a great working relationship for more than 22 years.”

Headquartered in Utica, the privately owned community bank has 17 full-service and two limited-service branches in Oneida, Herkimer, Clinton, Essex, and Franklin counties, along with a loan-production office in Syracuse.

New Syracuse football head coach Brown outlines vision

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse University’s new head football coach knows he has plenty of work to do even as the Orange prepare for their upcoming trip to the Boca Raton Bowl. Syracuse on Dec. 4 introduced Fran Brown, 41, as the school’s next head football coach a day after the Orange learned their bowl-game destination

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse University’s new head football coach knows he has plenty of work to do even as the Orange prepare for their upcoming trip to the Boca Raton Bowl.

Syracuse on Dec. 4 introduced Fran Brown, 41, as the school’s next head football coach a day after the Orange learned their bowl-game destination and opponent.

New head coach

Brown says he likes to “speak from the heart and it always comes out real.”

The former Georgia Bulldogs defensive backs coach and Camden, New Jersey native spoke to a packed auditorium inside Syracuse University’s John A. Lally Athletics Complex.

In his role as a first-time head coach, Brown said he’s going to “bust my butt daily. I promise you that.” In the first few days since being named head coach, that meant assembling a coaching staff and hitting the recruiting trail hard.

In his Dec. 4 remarks, Brown explained why he agreed to become Syracuse’s next head football coach. When he was in 9th grade, he was a part of bus trip that traveled to Giants Stadium for the 1997 Kickoff Classic that involved Syracuse and Wisconsin.

Brown specifically remembered Donovin Darius, another Camden, New Jersey native who played for the Orange in the mid-1990s.

“We [were] all happy to see Donovin. Got a chance to meet Donovan McNabb. Got to meet all these great coaches,” Brown said. “That’s my [vision] of Syracuse. That’s what I saw. That’s what I want.”

Brown says he envisions for the program what it was during the days of former head coach Paul Pasqualoni and assistant coach George DeLeone.

“This is about bringing the tradition of the great football that was here before me and before I got here,” Brown said.

Prior to his most-recent role at the University of Georgia for the last two years, Brown also spent time as an assistant coach at Baylor University, Temple University, and Rutgers University. Brown was a star player at Camden High School, played college football at Western Carolina, and was a player on the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals for parts of two seasons.

Coach Fran’s character and values are a “perfect match” for the university and for the community, John Wildhack, director of athletics at Syracuse University, said in his remarks at the press conference.

“We had a very strong list of candidates, but Coach Brown emerged as the right person at this time to lead our football program,” Wildhack said. “What stood out about Coach Fran? Number one his detailed vision for all aspects of the program … When I say detailed, I mean it was down to minute details.”

He went on to say, “I’m excited about the future of our football program.”

Wildhack said he spoke with current college coaches, NFL coaches, and NFL club personnel as part of the vetting process. He also thanked Georgia head coach Kirby Smart for this cooperation throughout the process.

Key assistant coach, recruiting

On Dec. 8, Brown tapped Elijah Robinson, 38, as the new Syracuse Orange defensive coordinator. Robinson comes to Syracuse from Texas A&M, where he most recently served as the team’s interim head coach for the remainder of the 2023 season. Prior to that, he was the Aggies’ assistant head coach, co-defensive coordinator, and defensive-line coach for the past two seasons.

“I think we got the best defensive coordinator in the country,” Brown said in a Syracuse Athletics press release. “He’s someone I grew up with and look up to. I’ve seen how good of a coach he is. He can recruit, he can coach, he’s a great communicator and he’s amazing with the Xs and Os. The kids are going to love him.”

Brown and Robinson each hail from Camden, have deep ties to New Jersey and Northeast recruiting, and were both ranked among the nation’s top recruiters as assistant coaches. The combination is already paying off as Syracuse football secured three verbal commitments the weekend of Dec. 9-10 from well-regarded New Jersey high-school players for the 2024 Orange recruiting class, according to published reports and player social-media posts. A fourth New Jersey commitment followed on Dec. 13.

Boca Raton Bowl

Syracuse football will face the South Florida Bulls in the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl in a matchup set for Thursday, Dec. 21, with an 8 p.m. kickoff, per the bowl’s website. ESPN will televise the game.

The Orange, which finished 6-6 during the 2023 season, will make their second straight bowl appearance and play in back-to-back bowl games for the first time since 2012 and 2013, per a Syracuse announcement.

South Florida, which now plays in the American Athletic Conference, also finished with a record of 6-6. The two teams were once members together in the Big East Conference.

Syracuse and South Florida have played 10 times, including eight meetings when both schools were part of the Big East Conference.

The bowl trip marks the Orange’s 28th bowl game, where the program holds a 16-10-1 record, Syracuse University said in announcing the bowl bid. Syracuse’s .611 winning percentage ranks eighth among FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) teams with 15 or more bowl games played, Syracuse said.

Siblings open folk and fairy tale bookstore in Owego

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OWEGO, N.Y. — A lifetime love of books and reading inspired a new bookstore in the village of Owego, called SpellBound Books. Jennifer Whitmore first got the idea to open the store during the pandemic and its aftermath. “In a previous life, I was a farmer,” she says. “I had a farmer’s market business.” The

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OWEGO, N.Y. — A lifetime love of books and reading inspired a new bookstore in the village of Owego, called SpellBound Books.

Jennifer Whitmore first got the idea to open the store during the pandemic and its aftermath. “In a previous life, I was a farmer,” she says. “I had a farmer’s market business.”

The pandemic hurt her business, especially when many things were closed, so Whitmore started considering other options. With a home that already looks like a bookstore, she jokes, and a lifelong love of reading, a bookstore seemed like a natural fit.

So, she put a post on her Facebook asking what people thought of the idea. “It went sort of viral for me,” Whitmore notes. It also prompted her brother Joseph McElwain to reach out and say, “Let’s make this a family business. Let’s do this together.”

After they talked about it, Whitmore put a lot of thought into the idea before looking up and seeing a shooting star.

“It was quite literally a wish on a star,” she says.

The siblings, who grew up in a family that read books by C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, decided to open a folk and fairy tale-themed bookstore and began looking for a building to purchase. After being outbid on several occasions, they switched gears and looked for a space to lease, ultimately settling on 20 Church St.

The location, right on the edge of the village’s historical district, is ideal, Whitmore says. “People are going by walking their dogs,” she says. “Pole are stopping by after their runs for a coffee reward.”

After a holiday pop-up shop last year and several months of renovating the 3,000-square-foot space, SpellBound Books had a soft opening in May. The opening was right in time to take advantage of the village’s annual strawberry festival in June, which brought lots of foot traffic past the store. A ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Tioga County Chamber of Commerce in November brought even more.

“We’ve had so many wonderful comments from people,” Whitmore says. Along with a selection of new and used books, SpellBound Books carries an assortment of gift items and serves breakfast items like bagels, soups, sandwiches, and coffee from a small kitchen. Much of the store’s start-up inventory came from a library that reached out for help with its influx of donated books, Whitmore notes.

Like the books they sell, the gift items and foods are just as carefully curated with many coming from local vendors and farmers including Everything Bagelry in Sidney, Copper Horse Coffee in Ithaca, and Hillcrest Dairy in Moravia.

“We serve homemade soups. We do a lot of our coffee flavors in house,” says Whitmore. “We’ve gotten really good compliments on how good the food tastes.”

SpellBound Books (www.spellboundowego.com) also offers a range of activities and opportunities, including providing space for book clubs to meet, offering live music, and even holding art and writing classes. Over the summer, the store hosted friendship Fridays where people could come in and do a craft and even hosted a “friendsgiving” event.

“I’m looking to do some classes having to do with my background,” Whitmore adds, noting learning about herbs and how to make coffee flavors at home are two topics she’s considering.

Currently, Whitmore and McElwain staff the store, with help one day a week from Whitmore’s adult daughter.

“We’re looking forward to the new year,” Whitmore says. “We have so many ideas and plans.”

Barclay Damon’s Katz departing for magistrate judge role

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — A partner with the Syracuse–based law firm Barclay Damon, LLP will have a new role in the coming year. Effective January 2024, Mitch Katz will serve as a magistrate judge for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York, presiding in Syracuse. Katz is succeeding retired Chief Magistrate Judge

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — A partner with the Syracuse–based law firm Barclay Damon, LLP will have a new role in the coming year.

Effective January 2024, Mitch Katz will serve as a magistrate judge for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York, presiding in Syracuse.

Katz is succeeding retired Chief Magistrate Judge Andrew Baxter in that role, per the law firm’s Nov. 30 announcement.

“I’m thrilled to step into this new role. After more than three decades serving clients, I am excited to enter into public service,” Katz said in a firm news release. “I’m incredibly grateful for the relationships I’ve forged at Barclay Damon, and it is with a heavy heart that I say goodbye to my colleagues and clients at the firm. However, I’m looking forward to my role as a magistrate judge, and I know I am leaving my clients in excellent hands as I wrap up my private practice.”

During his tenure at Barclay Damon, Katz served as leader of the commercial litigation practice group, pro-bono partner, and was an active member of the firm’s diversity partner committee.

In addition, the firm’s associates considered him a “go-to” partner and mentor and often sought him out for advice and guidance on legal writing, practical litigation skills, and overall professional development, Barclay Damon said.

“From his original time with the firm years ago to more recently, Mitch has become a deeply respected partner, and his outstanding service in various leadership roles has made a lasting impact,” Connie Cahill, Barclay Damon’s managing partner, said in the release. “We’re particularly grateful for Mitch’s excellent training and mentoring of our associates throughout the firm. It’s been a privilege having him on our team, and we congratulate him on such an impressive appointment that involves work that’s critical to the community. We’ll miss seeing him every day but know the people of the Northern District will be well served by Mitch in his new role.”

Katz is a past president of the Federal Court Bar Association for the Northern District of New York; a member of the Onondaga County Bar Association; and has held various leadership positions within the New York State Bar Association. Those positions included membership committee co-chair; commercial and federal litigation section chair; and co-chair of the commercial division committee of the commercial and federal litigation section.

Additionally, Katz is a fellow of the New York Bar Foundation and is a permanently appointed member of the Chief Judge of the State of New York Advisory Council on the Commercial Division, per the law firm’s announcement.

Katz’s client-service work has earned him recognition by Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers Upstate New York, and Martindale-Hubbell. He has also served on the board of directors for the Onondaga County Volunteer Lawyers Project, Inc. and as board of trustees’ president for Syracuse Habitat for Humanity.

OneGroup CEO Morrisseau to accept ‘24 Crystal Ball Award

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Pierre Morrisseau, CEO of Syracuse–based OneGroup, is the 47th recipient of the annual Crystal Ball Award, as selected by the Central New York Sales & Marketing Executives (CNYSME). CNYSME will present the award to Morrisseau on April 17 at the Marriott Syracuse Downtown during the annual Crystal Ball and Sales & Marketing

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CNYSME will present the award to Morrisseau on April 17 at the Marriott Syracuse Downtown during the annual Crystal Ball and Sales & Marketing Excellence Awards presentation and celebration.

Morrisseau leads OneGroup, a risk management, insurance brokerage, and employee-benefits firm. Community Bank System (NYSE: CBU) purchased OneGroup in 2015, adding to its portfolio of services including wealth management, pension services, benefit administration, and more.

Morrisseau has led OneGroup to “unprecedented success,” with the firm growing from $4 million in revenue and 35 employees to nearly $50 million in combined revenue, with more than 250 employees and locations spanning across the East Coast, per the announcement.

“It’s a great honor to accept this award, especially among all of the amazing and impactful leaders in our community,” Morrisseau said in a CNYSME news release. “When OneGroup was formed 20 years ago, I knew that integrating our community into our business model was essential. Business and community thrive together, and by keeping our eyes open, we see the opportunity to do good for both. I’m fortunate to be able to intertwine my missions as an individual with the missions of the company, and feel privileged to be recognized by the Central New York Sales & Marketing Executives.”

About the Crystal Ball Award

Described as an “enduring symbol of the organization’s mission, the prestigious” the Crystal Ball Award is presented annually by CNYSME to a local businessperson or group of businesspeople in recognition of their contributions to the sales and marketing profession and for their accomplishments in the areas of community development and support.

The criteria for Crystal Ball Award recognition includes “but is not limited to” a person whose visibility impacts the progress and prosperity of Central New York and a leader who demonstrates commitment to superior quality and professionalism, fosters excellence in his/her industry, is involved in local community and civic organizations, and demonstrates and practices an appreciation of the sales and marketing industry.

“Pierre exemplifies the spirit and values behind the Crystal Ball award,” Rob Marino, president of CNYSME, said in the release. “His highly impactful and positive role in our community, has been an inspiration to fellow community leaders throughout the years. Pierre’s commitment and compassion to the Central New York community is what makes him an exemplary addition to recent Crystal Ball recipients.”

Recent CNYSME Crystal Ball Award recipients include Stephanie Crockett, president and CEO of Mower in 2023: Ed Riley of Brine Wells Development/Marriott Syracuse Downtown in 2022; Laura Serway, philanthropist, entrepreneur, and former owner of Laci’s Tapas Bar in Syracuse in 2021; Mark Re of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services in 2019; and Howard Dolgon, owner, president, CEO, and team governor of the Syracuse Crunch minor-league hockey team in 2014.

Syracuse Community Health offering services in new building

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse Community Health (SCH) is now offering many of its services in its new building. The new facility at 930 S. Salina St. is replacing the current 70-year-old main office at 819 S. Salina St. The 56,000-square-foot structure joins the already established SCH offices at 1938 E. Fayette St. and 603 Oswego

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse Community Health (SCH) is now offering many of its services in its new building.

The new facility at 930 S. Salina St. is replacing the current 70-year-old main office at 819 S. Salina St. The 56,000-square-foot structure joins the already established SCH offices at 1938 E. Fayette St. and 603 Oswego St.

SCH will also continue to provide health services for students in eight schools within the Syracuse City School District.

SCH on Dec. 1 held a grand-opening event to formally open its new health facility that it says will provide “the latest in patient-centered care and design.” It opened to patients on Dec. 11.

Development of the $23 million facility included funding from a $12.8 million grant in 2016 and an additional $6.2 million in 2018 from New York State.

King + King Architects of Syracuse designed the facility and Hueber Breuer Construction Co. Inc., also of Syracuse, served as the general contractor.

“For many years, it has been a dream of SCH to construct a modern facility with the latest in medical design concepts on the South Side of Syracuse,” Mark Hall, president and CEO of Syracuse Community Health, said in a news release. “Today, this facility is the cornerstone of enhancing the quality of care in our community.”

SCH serves more than 30,000 patients in the Greater Syracuse area.

The new location includes a spa-like Breast Care Center that will provide the latest in mammography imaging in an environment that includes comfortable seating, a fireplace, and other spa-like features, SCH said.

The new medical facility also includes many of the practice’s services, including primary care, dental services, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, eye care and podiatry, as we all operate as the SCH’s anchor administrative offices.

The new facility has 39 patient rooms and two treatment areas. The behavioral health and the Quick Care center will remain at the current offices, which will be renovated in the future, SCH noted.

In addition, the Brady Market will also be providing food options daily in the new café for the entire center.

Felix Schoeller North America completes $20 million project

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PULASKI, N.Y. — In the fall of 2021, Felix Schoeller North America announced plans to build coater line 7, its “most advanced” silicone-coating operation at the Central New York manufacturing facility. Two years later, the $20 million project is complete and is now servicing the company’s North American customers, Operation Oswego County said in a

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Two years later, the $20 million project is complete and is now servicing the company’s North American customers, Operation Oswego County said in a news release.

The firm publicly introduced its new silicone-coating operation at its Pulaski facility during an event held Nov. 15.

Felix Schoeller North America — a subsidiary of the German–based Felix Schoeller Group — manufactures specialty papers and engineered products for various industries.

The new operation expands Felix Schoeller’s global manufacturing footprint for so-called release liners. The company describes them as products mainly for the adhesive-coating industries, such as self-adhesive graphics, tapes, or health-care products.

The assistance provided by the County of Oswego IDA and Empire State Development will help to support the creation of 30 new jobs and retaining 145 existing jobs at Felix Schoeller over the next five years, per Operation Oswego County.

“The County of Oswego IDA was proud to partner with Felix Schoeller on this project,” Austin Wheelock, CEO of the IDA, said in the release. “We are thrilled to help facilitate Felix Schoeller’s growth in the Pulaski area and to support the creation and retention of good paying manufacturing jobs in Oswego County.”

Felix Schoeller launched the new production operation with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and facility tour with employees, business partners, and local dignitaries attending.

“This expansion in a very competitive environment would not have been possible without the support of Oswego County and the State of New York” Michael Szidat, CEO of Felix Schoeller North America, said. “But most of all, thanks go to our great team at Felix Schoeller. From the commitment of our Group CEO Chris Gallenkamp to the local management and engineering teams that have worked tirelessly for two years and sacrificed so much to make it happen. The dedication and passion of our employees is really what made this project a success.”

For the Pulaski facility, this represents a “new strategic orientation” since its founding 60 years ago. It originally started as a papermill that produced photographic papers, but in the 2000s, the site transitioned to become the largest converting and distribution hub for the digital printing market in North America, per the release.

The now-added manufacturing of silicone-coated papers and films is a “strategic” expansion into this growth market and “represents a new direction for the company, outside of imaging products.”

Work wraps up on affordable-housing project in Ithaca

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ITHACA, N.Y. — Work is complete on the 42-unit, all-electric, energy-efficient Marketview Apartments along the waterfront at 102 Cayuga Park Lane, according to a news release from Gov. Kathy Hochul. “This component of the overall Cayuga Park project will serve those most in need in our community” Ithaca Mayor Laura Lewis said in the release.

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“This component of the overall Cayuga Park project will serve those most in need in our community” Ithaca Mayor Laura Lewis said in the release. “It is fantastic that residents will have a new high-quality, energy-efficient home that is close to so many amenities including the newly opened medical-office facilities on the campus.”

All 42 apartments are affordable to households with incomes at or below 60 percent of the area median income. According to the property’s website (marketview.baldwinrealestatecorp.com/), one-bedroom apartments range in size from 743-745 square feet and rent for $794 to $864 per month. Two-bedroom apartments, which have one bathroom and run between 927 and 930 square feet, rent from $957 to $1,039 per month.

Rochester–based Park Grove Development, LLC, developed the $14 million project in alliance with Cayuga Medical Center of Ithaca, Inc. as a nonprofit partner. Cayuga Health began moving practices into its new 65,000-square-foot building there in October.

“Our latest investment in Ithaca continues a pattern of sustained growth and provides an opportunity for more people to enjoy the benefits of this vibrant city and its wonderful waterfront,” Hochul said in the release. “The opening of Marketview Apartments demonstrates that commitment to addressing the housing crisis will benefit residents in communities across the state and ensure more New Yorkers have an affordable, modern, and secure place to call home.”

Each apartment at Marketview has its own patio or balcony. Other amenities include free high-speed internet, on-site laundry, included electric heat and central forced air, a community patio area, on- and off-street parking, a playground, and nearby amenities including local parks, ball fields, and hiking/biking trails. The property is located on the bus line and services such as snow removal, water/sewer, and trash/recycling removal are included. Residents also have plot access at the nearby Ithaca Community Gardens.

Environmental elements include open green space and stormwater-management gardens featuring native plantings.

The Marketview Apartments project received funding from NYSERDA’s New Construction Housing Program to achieve a high level of sustainability and carbon reduction. The all-electric development meets green-building standards required for Enterprise Green Communities Plus certification and U.S. Green Building Council LEED standards. All apartments have energy star-rated appliances, equipment and lighting, low-VOC building materials, and integrated pest management.

Financing for the project includes nearly $9 million in federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits and $2.4 million in subsidies from the New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR). NYSERDA awarded $147,000, the Tompkins County Housing Trust Fund contributed $300,000, and the Community Preservation Corporation provided a $1.8 million permanent loan insured by the State of New York Mortgage Agency.

In the last five years, HCR has created or preserved more than 1,000 affordable homes in Tompkins County, the state says.

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