The Broome County Industrial Development Agency today announced that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has designated the IDA as the Lead Agency for a New York State Environmental Quality Review (SEQRA) environmental impact assessment of the proposed Broome Technology Park spanning the towns of Maine and Union.

The ruling allows the IDA to begin a comprehensive, multi-step process for developing a Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) analyzing the potential environmental impacts of a proposed sustainably designed technology park on approximately 526-acres. The GEIS will analyze potential impacts to the environment on and surrounding the site — such as to the land, air, water, traffic and local utilities — and detail potential mitigation measures to avoid and/or minimize any adverse impacts. The GEIS is an important step in preparing a shovel-ready site on which businesses want to locate and bring good-paying, long-term jobs for area residents, helping restore the Southern Tier as a leader in technological advancement and business growth.

While the IDA will lead the review, it plans to undertake a community-oriented process in which there will be multiple opportunities for public comment and input that can help shape the vision for a sustainable shovel-ready tech park.

“This project is focused on securing a bright economic future for Broome County as technology-related development booms across upstate,” said Stacey Duncan, CEO of the Leadership Alliance, the strategic partnership between the Broome County Industrial Development Agency/Local Development Corporation and the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce. “We believe that Broome County not only can lead the state in achieving sustainable development, we also can create a site that maximizes generational economic opportunities and makes a positive impact on the region. Our focus in the months ahead is on working with the community to hone a shared vision for the site that will meet diverse needs.”

“As lead agency, the IDA takes very seriously the need for a thorough site review that includes community engagement to ensure we’re making the greatest possible positive impact with this project,” IDA Board Chairman John Bernardo said. “We can’t allow the economic growth other communities are experiencing — and, more importantly, the significant opportunity it’s bringing for those currently in the workforce and for future generations — to pass Broome County by. We’re excited to get to work.”

A timeline for the environmental review process will be set by the IDA and communicated with the public in the weeks ahead. The process is expected to start immediately and continue into 2025. During that time, the IDA intends to hold a variety of public input sessions. This public input will be crucial in shaping a plan for a sustainably designed technology park that makes the greatest positive impact on Broome County and the Southern Tier.

“Our region is not defined by where we’ve been, but where we’re going, and now is our opportunity to set a shared vision for a strong future,” said Jon Sarra, chairman of the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. “The next steps for the Broome Technology Park are essential to defining our economy and how we meet the needs of our communities. I’m excited to work with the Broome County IDA and the community on a viable path forward that strengthens the region for decades to come.”

“The Broome County IDA has given us a framework idea for what a technology park can be, and now we have the chance to help mold that into the best site for businesses and the needs of the community,” said Kevin Blake, chairman-elect of the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. “Building consensus is not an easy task. But we all should be able to agree that taking the next steps toward setting the region up for growth is well worth the hard work ahead of us.”

“Broome County needs good-paying jobs to be able to thrive well into the future. Without these opportunities, we will continue to lose population and our workforce will stagnate,” said Scott Kurkoski, Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee member. “I’m looking forward to a community engagement process that will help ensure this project best meets the needs of our neighbors and promotes sustainable growth that benefits current residents and generations to come.”

About the project

The Broome Technology Park is a proposed 526-acre development aimed at creating a new sustainably focused technology park that attracts businesses in advanced electronics, semiconductors, test packaging, and related supply chains, as well as life sciences and agricultural processing. It would be Broome County’s first new business park since the Broome Corporate Park site in Conklin was put together in the mid-1980s. That development is nearly 100 percent occupied, and Broome County lacks other sufficient space large enough to accommodate the needs of high-tech-related development. The IDA’s vision is for a site that features facilities built with sustainable materials, has access to renewable energy resources, utilizes green infrastructure, and incorporates amenities that benefit both on-site workers and the community, such as walking trails and public art.

For more information on the proposed tech park and the state environmental review process, community members can visit broometechpark.com.