Schumer Pushes for Development at Seneca Army Depot
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They were originally built to store weapons and munitions, but Finger Lakes Technologies Group, Inc. says the refurbished old bunkers at the former Seneca Army Depot are perfect to house servers.
"They’re triple fenced, you can't get in. No one can get in here during the day or night or anything else. There's cameras here, it’s all secured down, so it’s a perfect place to put this thing," President and CEO Paul Griswold said.
The fiberoptic, data networking solutions company is one of a half dozen that have moved onto the more 10,000 plus site since the Seneca County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) took it over in 2000.
While the former munitions storage and disposal facility has useful infrastructure – like rail, water, sewer, a functional airfield and fiber connectivity – firms that promote business growth in the region say that's not enough.
They say the depot's power lines need to be replaced to produce enough power to attract big business.
"We've had inquiries from major manufactures and one of their key needs is to draw large amounts of power,” Matthew Hurlbutt, Greater Rochester Enterprise managing director of business development said.
U.S. Senator Charles Schumer met with local leaders in government, business and business development at the depot Thursday.
He said he will propose making investment in the depot part of NYSEG's economic development plan.
"NYSEG was taken over by a big company they made commitments that they were gonna pay attention to upstate New York. Well, this would be the best way they could show that, or one of the best ways they could show that by wiring here, so we have adequate electricity. If we have electricity and we broadband we can bring some jobs here,” Senator Schumer said.
NYSEG is currently negotiating rate increases with the Public Service Commission.
Seneca County IDA