MARK GEISE

Latest Action helps Bring new Downtown Business One Step Closer to Finish LineJAMESTOWN, NY: — At its April 23, 2024 meeting, the County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency (CCIDA) Board of Directors approved incentives for Wicked Jimmy’s LLC, to support the purchase and renovation of property at 115-121 West 3rd Street in Jamestown, the site of the former Jamestown Brewing Company. The incentives include exemptions from mortgage recording taxes, sales and use taxes, and property taxes.  Earlier this year in January, the board also approved $950,000 low-interest loan for the project. Once open, Wicked Jimmy’s will be the LLC operating the business as Wicked Warren’s. It will be operated by Robert Roth, who is also majority owner of the initial Wicked Warren’s, already in operation in Warren, Pa. Roth will serve as president of the Jamestown operation and has 27 years of experience running his own business. A total of 26 positions will be created once fully open. The project would also result in 15 temporary construction jobs. “We’ve done considerable planning and are looking forward to getting this business up and running as soon as possible,” Roth said in January, when the CCIDA board approved the initial loan for the project. “Once open and operational, Wicked Jimmy’s will brew craft beer, serve food, and host corporate meetings and ball room events. It will also provide live music, feature a ‘Speak Easy Room,’ and in the future open a roof top bar. Our goal is to make 119 West 3rd St, Jamestown’s premier entertainment destination.” “The property is at a prime location for this type of operation, in close proximity to the National Comedy Center, Northwest Arena, and other downtown Jamestown attractions. The former Jamestown Brewing Company, which was located in the facility, steadily grew its customer base until the onset of the COVID pandemic. We are confident that Wicked Warren’s will do the same, based on what they’re doing in Warren, and bring new life to Downtown Jamestown,” said Mark Geise, Deputy County Executive for Economic Development and Chief Executive Officer of the CCIDA. “We’re excited to see new life come into this property after being vacant for nearly four years,” said Jamestown Mayor Kimberly Ecklund in January. “Having a craft brewery, restaurant, and banquet facility located in the core of downtown Jamestown will help to boost both visitor and local foot traffic, while also providing additional job opportunities for our local residents.” The total estimated cost of the project would be $2.35 million. The financial assistance provided by the CCIDA will be up to $63,124 in sales tax exemptions, up to $23,250 in mortgage tax exemptions, and $156,670 in property tax exemptions over ten years, with $446,820 in total PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) being paid to the affected tax jurisdictions during that same time period. About CCIDA - The CCIDA is an economic development organization authorized and empowered by the State of New York to make Chautauqua County a better place to work, live, and visit. It facilitates development by attracting new businesses, while promoting the retention and expansion of existing businesses. Assistance in the form of incentives – tax abatements, low interest loans, and bond financing – enhances the opportunities for job creation and retention by our businesses. For more information visit ChooseCHQ.com.

New Website and Advertising Effort to Focus on Talent Attraction and Retention in Chautauqua CountyJAMESTOWN, NY: -- The Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth (CCPEG), along with the County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency (CCIDA), is announcing the launch of a new, multi-year marketing campaign. The effort, called Live CHQ, will focus on talent attraction and retention by highlighting quality of life aspects and career opportunities available in Chautauqua County.  “Live CHQ is primarily intended to market our county to people living outside of our county in order to attract new and professionally talented residents by focusing on the best our county has to offer – including affordability, job opportunities, our cultural and entertainment attractions, and a wide variety of outdoor recreation options,” said Mark Geise, Deputy County Executive for Economic Development and CCIDA CEO. “As part of the talent retention effort, we will also remind current residents of the benefits of living in Chautauqua County.” WATCH THE APRIL 16 PRESENTATION The campaign is modeled after a similar talent attraction and retention marketing effort in Buffalo, known as the Be in Buffalo campaign. That effort was spearheaded by Invest Buffalo Niagara, which also provided assistance with initial planning of the Live CHQ campaign. A major component of Live CHQ is a new website – LiveCHQ.org - that will inform the public about the various quality of life aspects the county has to offer, along with employment resources and business development opportunities found across the county. The campaign is also intended to assist local companies, businesses, and nonprofits across all sectors by helping to inform their prospective employees about what the county has to offer. “Many of our local businesses and nonprofits need more skilled, talented, and experienced employees to fill vacant jobs. But it can also be challenging to recruit individuals to fill those positions, due to a high demand for skilled workers, compared to the number of candidates currently living in our county. We are encouraging the business community to use the website to assist with their recruitment efforts, especially for talent located outside of the area who may be unfamiliar with what Chautauqua County has to offer,” explained Nate Aldrich, Chautauqua County Economic Development Coordinator and CCPEG Manager. CCIDA and CCPEG contracted with Buffalo-based Block Club to develop the Live CHQ campaign following an RFP process in late 2022. Throughout 2023, Block Club then worked to develop Live CHQ by visiting the county and meeting with key stakeholders during the “discover phase” of the campaign, to determine its focus – young families, active adults, and professionals with a passion for outdoor recreation and cultural/community experiences who currently reside outside of Chautauqua County. Current county residents are a secondary target audience. Block Club also designed a “choose your adventure” theme, incorporating “CHQ” into the messaging of each ad. The company also designed specific digital ad assets for the campaign, along with a promotional video advertisement. The website was designed by Clevermethod, also based in Buffalo. In addition to designing LiveCHQ.org, Clevermethod also developed ChooseCHQ.com, the new website for CCIDA and CCPEG, along with the other affiliation agencies – the Chautauqua Region Economic Development Corporation (CREDC) and the Chautauqua County Capital Resource Corporation (CRC). Funding for the Live CHQ campaign was derived from American Rescue Plan Act funding provided to CCPEG by Chautauqua County, a multi-year grant from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, and from the CCIDA’s general marketing budget. Assistance in developing the campaign was also provided by Chautauqua County Government and the Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau, along with a variety of organizations and attractions found across Chautauqua County. “We want to emphasize that this is not a panacea that will suddenly reverse decades of population decline experienced in our county and across the Western New York region. Our hope is that it will be a valuable tool that, when combined with other efforts, will help to move the population needle in a positive direction,” explained Geise. “The launch of Live CHQ is the culmination of a year’s worth of planning and development, and we’re excited to see it rolled out and implemented.” Chautauqua County Executive PJ Wendel said he is encouraged on what this new rollout program can and will do. “‘Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.' That’s my new motto as we move forward,” Wendel said, quoting Colin Powell. More information about the Live CHQ marketing campaign will be announced in the coming weeks. # # # About Live CHQ – Live CHQ is a joint marketing campaign launched by the County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency and the Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth in 2024 to assist with talent attraction and retention efforts across Chautauqua County, NY. The overall goal of the campaign is to help raise awareness of Chautauqua County as a viable place for individuals and families to live by speaking to the sensibilities, desires, and expectations of people who are considering the county as their primary residence. For more information visit www.LiveCHQ.com.

Silver Creek Apartments Project will Remove Derelict School Building, Construct New Housing UnitsSILVER CREEK, NY: — At its February 27, 2024 meeting, the County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency (CCIDA) Board of Directors approved incentives to Silver Creek Apartments, LLC. The incentives, which include a Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreement along with exemptions for both sales and mortgage tax payments, will assist the company with a multi-million dollar project to remove and redevelop the abandoned, former Silver Creek High School building at 60 Main St. in the village of Silver Creek and Town of Hanover. The building has sat vacant for more than 40 years and while several attempts to renovate it have been made during that time, those efforts were unsuccessful. In October 2023, representatives from Southern Tier Environments for Living, Inc. (STEL) and Park Grove Development, LLC appeared before the CCIDA board to provide initial details of the new Silver Creek Apartments project. Under those plans, the developers would demolish the long-abandoned, three-story school building (57,070 square feet) and replace it with a three-story, 50,574 square-foot apartment building. “The abandoned school really does send the wrong impression of what Silver Creek is,” said Allen Handelman, Vice President of Park Grove Development. “So this project goes a long way towards both providing affordable housing for members of the community, but also sending a message for the people that live in Silver Creek and people that visit there that this is a growing community that is poised to reach its full potential.” The demolition would include long-needed environmental remediation, including the removal and disposal of hazards including asbestos, PCBs, and lead paint. Once constructed, the new apartment building would provide 54 safe and affordable apartments for seniors age 62 and up, with 15 units set aside for supportive housing. Of those units, 51 would be one-bedroom apartments, and three would be two-bedroom apartments. Within the building there would also be a community room, fitness room, laundry facilities and an onsite property management office.  The facility would also include a large parking lot for up to 70 vehicles, along with a patio and shed. The project would provide 180 construction jobs and, once complete, 4.75 full-time equivalent jobs. The total cost would be $20,155,262, with the project also receiving $1 million in assistance from the village’s Restore NY award. Developers have also applied for additional financial support from New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) in the form of housing credits and are awaiting notification on whether or not they will receive those credits. “We are applying for funding from HCR and it’s a very competitive process. When it comes to scoring projects, the benefits that the IDA has the ability to provide will keep our development budget competitive and viable, when compared to other projects coming in from across the state. So a competitive PILOT from CCIDA is critical in terms of scoring and increasing our chances of receiving additional state funding,” said Ashley Switzer, STEL Project Manager. In December 2023, the CCIDA held a public hearing on the project and its related financial assistance, with Silver Creek Mayor Jeff Hornburg speaking in favor of the project. A letter of support was also provided by Louis Pelletter, Silver Creek Village Historian and newly elected Hanover Supervisor. No opposition to the project was expressed. “As we all know, the old Silver Creek High School has been abandoned and vacant for many decades. There have been several attempts over the years to renovate and preserve the building – including as recently as 2022, but it never worked out,” said Mark Geise, Deputy County Executive for Economic Development and Chief Executive Officer of the CCIDA. “Now we’re looking at a project that involves the demolition of the old school building, and developing a brand new facility. I couldn’t be more thrilled about it. If we can make this work it will fulfill a need in the community, while removing an unsightly and dangerous influence in the community.” “The village is excited to see another effort involving the former school building moving forward,” said Mayor Hornburg. “Due to the limited availability of housing units in our community, many of our local seniors have had to leave the area in order to find adequate housing and services. This project will not only help to remove an eye-sore in the heart of our village but also finally offer additional modern housing for our older population.” “We are very happy to see STEL and Park Grove Development come back to the table with this new plan. That building has sat vacant for many years, in spite of efforts to do something with it. We never gave up hope on that site and now new development is looking more and more like a reality,” said Paul “PJ” Wendel, Chautauqua County Executive. “This is an effort I’ve championed for more than a decade. Even as previous efforts fell through, I never gave up on the potential of this project and have remained engaged in the efforts to bring it to fruition,” said State Senator George Borrello, who previously served as Chautauqua County Executive and also as a representative of Silver Creek and Hanover in the Chautauqua County Legislature. “The affordable senior housing that is planned represents the culmination of a long-held vision and is a huge ‘win’ for our seniors, the Silver Creek community and Chautauqua County. My thanks go out to all the public and private sector partners who played a role in this great outcome.” The CCIDA-approved PILOT agreement is for 30 years and will result in payments to the Village of Silver Creek, Town of Hanover, Silver Creek Central School District, and Chautauqua County totaling $347,486. Silver Creek Apartments will also save up to $497,261 in sales tax and an additional $191,574 in mortgage recording tax. Construction on the project is expected to begin later in 2024. About CCIDA – The CCIDA is an economic development organization authorized and empowered by the State of New York to make Chautauqua County a better place to work, live, and visit. They facilitate development by attracting new businesses, while promoting the retention and expansion of existing businesses. Assistance in the form of incentives – tax abatements, low interest loans, and bond financing – enhances the opportunities for job creation and retention by our businesses.  For more information visit ChooseCHQ.com.

Wicked Warren’s to feature Craft Brewing, Restaurant, Banquet Facility and MoreJAMESTOWN, NY: — At its January 23, 2024 meeting, the County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency (CCIDA) Board of Directors approved a $950,000 low-interest loan to Wicked Jimmy’s LLC, to support the purchase of property at 115-121 West 3rd Street in Jamestown, the site of the former Jamestown Brewing Company. If the project comes to fruition, Wicked Jimmy’s will be the LLC operating the business as Wicked Warren’s. It will be operated by Robert Roth, who is also majority owner of the initial Wicked Warren’s, already in operation in Warren, Pa. Roth will serve as president of the Jamestown operation and has 27 years of experience running his own business. In addition, the proposed Jamestown business will include a vice president and head brewer with over 15 years of brewing experience, along with a front of house and banquet manager with 12 years of experience, both of whom currently work at the Wicked Warren’s location in Pennsylvania. “We’ve done considerable planning and are looking forward to getting this business up and running as soon as possible,” Roth said. “Once open and operational, Wicked Jimmy’s will brew craft beer, serve food, and host corporate meetings and ball room events. It will also provide live music, feature a ‘Speak Easy Room,’ and in the future open a roof top bar. Our goal is to make 119 West 3rd St, Jamestown’s premier entertainment destination.” “The property is at a prime location for this type of operation, in close proximity to the Comedy Center, Northwest Arena, and other downtown Jamestown attractions. The former Jamestown Brewing Company, which was located in the facility, steadily grew its customer base until the onset of the COVID pandemic. We are confident that Wicked Warren’s will do the same, based on what they’re doing in Warren, and bring new life to Downtown Jamestown,” said Mark Geise, Deputy County Executive for Economic Development and Chief Executive Officer of the CCIDA. “We’re excited to see new life come into this property after being vacant for nearly four years,” said Jamestown Mayor Kimberly Ecklund. “Having a craft brewery, restaurant, and banquet facility located in the core of downtown Jamestown will help to boost both visitor and local foot traffic, while also providing additional job opportunities for our local residents.” “It’s great to see the further expansion our beverage and service industry in Chautauqua County, especially by a team with a proven track record. Once open, the Wicked Warren’s Jamestown location will help to encourage both area residents and out of town visitors to come to the downtown,” said Chautauqua County Executive Paul “PJ” Wendel. The total estimated cost of the project would be $2.35 million and would result in the creation of 40 jobs. Terms of the CCIDA loan are $950,000 at 4.00% for 20 years, and is contingent on the company’s ability to secure additional funding for the project. The opening date is planned for March 2024. About CCIDA – The CCIDA is an economic development organization authorized and empowered by the State of New York to make Chautauqua County a better place to work, live, and visit. They facilitate development by attracting new businesses, while promoting the retention and expansion of existing businesses. Assistance in the form of incentives – tax abatements, low interest loans, and bond financing – enhances the opportunities for job creation and retention by our businesses.  For more information visit www.CCIDA.com.