SCHUMER STATEMENT ON THE COMMISSARY KITCHEN INCUBATOR’S RIBBON CUTTING AT ROCHESTER’S SIBLEY BUILDING

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer released the following statement regarding the Commissary Kitchen’s ribbon cutting at Rochester’s Sibley Building:

Senator Schumer said, “For decades the Sibley building was a gathering place for the Rochester community and an anchor for jobs and the economic prosperity of downtown. That’s why I was proud to secure a $1 million federal grant to create the Commissary Downtown Kitchen Incubator, which together with The Mercantile on Main, are leveraging their rich history to bring the Sibley building and downtown Rochester to new heights. This investment is a key ingredient to serving up economic development and new jobs, and proves that if you cook it, jobs will come!”

The Commissary is a first-of-its kind food business incubator, which when partnered with “Mercantile on Main” located right next door, will create expanded access for entrepreneurs who would otherwise not have access to a commercial kitchen. Schumer visited the site in October of 2018 and worked to secure a $1 million grant from the Economic Development Administration (EDA) in support of the Commissary.

Schumer has also long supported the revitalization of the Sibley Building, including securing $42.5 million in federal New Market Tax Credits needed in 2015 to kick start the $200 million redevelopment of the Sibley Building.  He also secured a $2.6 million EDA grant in 2016 to construct the NextCorps High Tech Business Incubator and Accelerator ($2.6 million) on Sibley’s 5th and 6th Floors and a $1.5 million federal DOT grant in 2014 to reconstruct East Main St with new on-street parking and pedestrian amenities so that customers can easily access the Sibley Building. Next door to Sibley, he also secured a $1.5 million federal EDA grant in 2013 to construct RIT’s Center for Urban Entrepreneurship, which like Sibley, is an anchor for downtown Rochester’s Innovation Zone. Schumer said the revitalization of the Sibley Building is a boost for downtown Rochester – bringing investment and jobs – and a return to form for an iconic Rochester landmark.

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