By RICK MILLER
rick@oleanstar.com
CattCoNews&Photos
ELLICOTTVILLE — Two applications for projects valued at nearly $35 million were submitted to the Cattaraugus County Industrial Development Agency Tuesday.
They include a $32.5 million dairy farm project in the town of Freedom and a $2.45 million project at Holiday Valley Resort in Ellicottville.
A 120-stall rotating dairy parlor and four free-stall barns with 656,000 square feet of space for dairy cows are central parts to Edelweiss Farms plan for expansion to meet increased demand by the new Great Lakes Cheese Co. plant in Franklinville.
The $32.5 million proposal from Edelweiss Farms LLC, includes replacing the existing 50-year-old facility that has become outdated.
Besides the $16.5 million cost of the materials for barns and another $12 million for infrastructure, $2.4 million is for manufacturing equipment and $3.5 million for construction.
The new facility at 10826 Osman Road, Freedom will include a manure processing facility to recycle bedding
The Edelweiss Farms proposal is seeking $17.5 million in bank financing and $15 in industrial revenue bonds.
No sales tax exemption is being sought. The IDA application by Edelweiss Farms seeks a mortgage tax exemption valued at $4,062,500.
The dairy farm has 20 full-time and one part-time employees. The application calls for adding 10 full-time and two part-time employees over the two years after the project is completed. It will have an annual payroll of $2.75 million with full-time jobs ranging from $65,000 to $110,000.
The IDA board of directors agreed to set a public hearing later this month in Freedom on Edelweiss Farms’ project. No date was set for that hearing.
The $2.45 million Holiday Valley project application by Win-Sum Ski Corp., seeks sales tax exemption only. The amount of the exemption is estimated at $196,730, according to the application.
Upgrades and improvements and equipment purchases in the proposed project are designed to increase the resort’s efficiency. Included are new snow guns for snowmaking, renovations at The Inn, tech projects and new pickleball courts.
Holiday Valley has 160 full-time employees and 580 part-time workers with an annual payroll of $10.7 million and $798,402 in property taxes.
