The proposed Broome Technology Park could bring $1 billion of economic impact to the county each year, according to The Agency — formerly the Broome County Industry Development Agency. Spanning the towns of Maine and Union, the project aims to provide jobs and significant tax revenue for the community.
The 526-acre park will look to draw industries to settle in a location previously underutilized. It could host businesses in advanced electronics, semiconductors test packaging and related industries, as well as life sciences and agricultural processing.
The technology park would mark the first created since the 1980s, which saw the creation of the Broome Corporate Park site in Conklin.
With upstate New York receiving multiple tech hub designations, Broome business leaders believe companies are looking to the region as a space to set up for the foreseeable future. With the Conklin park nearly completely full, Broome County has a lack of shovel-ready sites for companies to expand into, a problem Broome Technology Park leaders hope to address.
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The park will use sustainable building materials, have access to renewable energy and be built to benefit employees as well as the greater community with walking trails and art. According to Stacey Duncan, executive director of The Agency, the new technology park will fulfil multiple purposes, including offering new space for development, as well as providing community enrichment.
“It’s not just about needing sites to locate companies,” said Duncan. “We want to make the Broome Technology Park a place that is also community facing, and a place employees and the community at large can enjoy.”
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According to Duncan, upstate New York, and especially Broome County, has historically been at the forefront of technological and agricultural manufacturing. A new technology park, Duncan says, would allow Broome County to participate in a “New York State renaissance” when it comes to manufacturing.
Duncan said that according to an IDA analysis, the proposed park could boast a similar annual economic impact as the Conklin location — that is, one billion dollars each year. A full economic impact study will be conducted as part of the planning for the new location.
