Democrat & Chronicle: Warring sides praise photonics deal

Democrat & Chronicle: Warring sides praise photonics deal

Published:
Thursday, September 17, 2015 - 16:08
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wp-ROC-VoteUp-36967-Kaloyeros-Flickr-580x380.pngThe dust has settled, and the dueling officials that battled over where to locate a $600 million photonics center said today that they are pleased with the deal brokered by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The fight pitted top Rochester and state officials against one another as the sparred over whether to put the headquarters: at the Sibley Building or nearby at the former Bausch & Lomb headquarters.

But the argument wasn't just about physical space: It was about control over the massive project that is expected to create thousands of jobs across the region.

So the sides say they are walking away with a reasonable compromise after weeks of behind-the-scenes negotiations in Albany and Rochester.

"The governor and I had spoken, and he immediately recognized that he was concerned that Rochester hadn’t had enough voice at the table, which is what I’ve been saying," Assembly Majority Leader Joseph Morelle, D-Irondequoit, Monroe County, said.

"Truthfully, the location of the headquarters I think we’ve been saying all along wasn’t really the issue," Morelle continued. "There were two issues for me: One was the degree to which we were going to have a partnership that was truly a partnership that included Rochester’s voice. And the second thing, the most important thing about the facilities, was where is the manufacturing going to occur."

Morelle and local officials are touting that the manufacturing work for the photonics effort will be done at the Eastman Business Park, the former sprawling home to Eastman Kodak Co. that has been a major focus of redevelopment efforts.

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