Amended Project Description

Upstate Niagara Cooperative has updated its expansion plans for its project in West Seneca. Overall project costs have increased by $105 M with costs of the building addition increasing by over $33M and the cost of the manufacturing equipment increased by $71M. While costs have increased, the total project square footage has decreased (from 250,000 to 165,000 SF) with the elimination of some vacant space (set aside for future development), a decision not to construct a fully automated cooler space and by reducing the size of the filling room. These decisions combined with adding certain efficiencies allowed the company to maintain a similar throughput in less overall space.

Factors contributing to the increase in construction costs include a rise in material costs, fine tuning of original estimates (initial budget was prepared based upon rough estimates), and some new / unanticipated costs including the need to add a new sewer line.  

This request for incentives includes a mortgage recording tax benefit that was not pursued in the original request.

Previous Project Description 

A sales and real property tax abatement associated with a 250,000 SF expansion to an existing plant in West Seneca.  The additional space will primarily be used for manufacturing purposes with some additional SF allocated to warehouse and office space.

Project ECIDA History

• 6/30/25: Public hearing held.
• 9/24/25: Inducement Resolution presented to Board of Directors adopting a Neg Dec in accordance with SEQRA
• 9/24/25: Lease/Leaseback Inducement Resolution presented to the Board of Directors

Company ECIDA History

• 9/25/24: $150M Private Investment Additional 250K SF to existing plant in WS. Inducement Resolution presented adopting a Neg Dec per SEQRA. Lease/Leaseback Inducement Resolution presented to the Board of Directors (Pending)
• 10/21/2013: $2.9M Building Addition = 8,600 SF. Sales Tax Incentive – West Seneca (Inactive)
• 3/10/2004: $38M Construction of 165,000 SF manufacturing facility. Property & Sales Tax Incentives – West Seneca (Inactive)
• 6/12/2002: $1.03M Equipment Purchases. Sales Tax Incentive – Cheektowaga (Inactive)
• 8/16/2000: $ 1.16M Construction of 20,400 SF cold storage & dry room. Property & Sales Tax Incentives – Cheektowaga (Inactive)
• 8/16/2000: $ 8.14M Renovations 34,000 SF management & admin building, Property & Sales Tax Incentives – Cheektowaga (Inactive)