SCHUYLER, N.Y. — The Herkimer County Industrial Development Agency (HCIDA) recently received $4.37 million from the Focused Attraction of Shovel-Ready Tracts New York (FAST NY) grant program to make improvements at its Schuyler Business Park.

HCIDA will use the funds toward a $5.1 million project to install a 500,000-gallon water-storage tank to ensure adequate water pressure and fire-suppression capabilities, along with improvements to the existing entrance to address traffic concerns. The project will allow for future development on more than 80 acres in the business park. The agency is working to attract clean-tech and renewable energy and interstate distribution and logistics businesses to the park, which is already home to a number of businesses including Wilcor International and The Fountainhead Group, Inc.

“Through the FAST NY grant program, New York is continuing its commitment to investing in and expanding economic growth and opportunity across the state,” 

“This funding will prepare shovel-ready sites that key industries like semiconductors and renewable energy are looking for and will create good jobs and grow local economies for generations to come,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a news release announcing the FAST NY grants across the state.

Herkimer’s award was one of six FAST NY awards in the state totaling nearly $90 million. Other recipients were the Genesee County Industrial Development Agency ($56 million), the town of Coeymans in Albany County ($17 million), the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency ($5.25 million), the town of East Fishkill in Dutchess County ($2 million), and the Counties of Warren and Washington Industrial Development Agency ($4.7 million).

FAST NY, administered by Empire State Development, awards grants for pre-development activities and infrastructure improvements to develop sites to attract businesses in eligible industries including high-tech manufacturing, semiconductors, clean-tech renewable energy, life sciences, agribusiness, optics, transportation equipment, materials processing, industrial machinery manufacturing, other advanced manufacturing, and interstate distribution and logistics.

To date, nearly $130 million has been awarded to 13 locations across the state.