City of Rochester
News Release
(Wednesday, July 30, 2014) -- The “manufacturing community” designation is already having a financial impact in Rochester.
Mayor Lovely Warren announced Wednesday that the city received its first grant under the IMCP designation. Rochester will receive $300,661 for brownfield cleanup from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This money will revive the Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund, which provides low-interest loans to small businesses to clean up brownfield sites in the City of Rochester.
The fund is administered jointly by the Department of Neighborhood and Business Development and the Department of Environmental Services.
In May, the U.S. Department of Commerce chose Rochester as a “manufacturing community” under the Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership, one of just 12 communities in the country to get the designation. The designation gives the city preferential consideration for up to $1.3 billion in federal dollars.
While in Washington in April, Mayor Warren personally advocated for the brownfields grant with the EPA, noting that the city was in the running for the IMCP designation. While the city didn’t have the designation when it first applied for the grant, city officials were later able to cite the IMCP designation to push it through.
“We got the IMCP designation merely months ago, and we’re already seeing results,” said Mayor Warren. “This is just the beginning. We have two years to make the most of this designation, and we plan on aggressively going after every dollar, every grant. We will put our residents to work, and become innovators in next generation manufacturing facilities.” Warren added, “I would like to thank Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, and Congresswoman Slaughter for their continued support in securing these important funds.”
Delmonize “Del” Smith, commissioner of the city’s Department of Neighborhood and Business Development, also applauded the new funds.
“These are dollars which will eventually turn into functioning job sites for Rochester residents,” Smith said. “Cleaning up brownfield sites will add to the number of areas in the city ready for future development.”
The IMCP designation has been described as an “economic game-changer” for the region. http://www.cityofrochester.gov/article.aspx?id=8589961974
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News Media: For more information, contact Press Officer Jessica Alaimo, 428-7135.