WCDO Radio News

SUNY Delhi is receiving a $32 million investment from Empire State Development, and the SUNY Construction Fund to build a new mechatronics facility. SUNY Chancellor John King announced that many mechatronics students at Delhi can secure jobs at major local companies like Chobani and IBM. SUNY Delhi’s North Hall will be the site of the program, which will prepare students for careers in advanced manufacturing. The 15,000 square-foot facility is expected to open in 2030.

The demolition of the IBM Old Building Group in Endicott should be completed shortly, as Gorick Construction has been tearing down condemned building along McKinley Avenue. After the structures have been leveled, the rubble will be removed, and there will be some preparation of the site for potential future development, The IBM buildings have been condemned for 20 years. The cost of the demolition was about $8 Million dollars, paid for by the State & Broome County’s ARPA funds.

The Binghamton Rumble Ponies announced that the 1992, 1994, and 2014 Binghamton Mets championship teams will be the 2024 inductees to the Binghamton Baseball Shrine, presented by IBM. The Binghamton Baseball Shrine induction ceremony will take place this Saturday at Mirabito Stadium ahead of the Rumble Ponies game against the Somerset Patriots.

On Saturday at 2pm, the Greater Oneonta Historical Society will tour the Fairchild Mansion, which is now the Masonic Lodge at 322 Main Street. George Fairchild was a U.S. Congressman and the first chairman of the Board of IBM, he was also the founder of Fairchild Camera, Fairchild Aviation, and funded the founding of Fairchild Semiconductor. The tour is by donation and reservations are not required.

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced more than $102 million awarded to 64 projects through the Restore New York Communities Initiative. The Southern Tier was awarded more than $15.7 Million in support of 8 projects, including in the Village of Endicott with $6 Million for the IBM North Street Demolition Project: almost $3 Million Dollars for the City of Binghamton for the development of vacant site into a multi-story building with 102 rental units & $1.8 million dollars for the Town of Roxbury for the Inn at Kirkside, to re-purpose the historic site into a hotel/restaurant with an integrated educational program.

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, announced support of the bipartisan Senior Financial Empowerment Act, to protect seniors from fraud and targeted financial scams, and is urging the Federal Trade Commission to strengthen protections for seniors:

(Gillibrand 9-23-21)

Gillibrand said that Millions of seniors have been victims of financial scams and abuse every year, with a noticeable increase in those scams throughout the pandemic, in New York State alone, seniors are estimated to lose as much as $1.5 billion per year to financial fraud and abuse.

A.M. NEWS THURSDAY 9-23-21

Governor Kathy Hochul announced Ubiquity Solar will establish its U.S. solar photovoltaic manufacturing operations at the former IBM site in Endicott.  The company expects to repurpose 800,000 square-feet of space at the former campus, representing an approximately $61 million investment, Ubiquity Solar expects to create up to 150 highly skilled jobs, they expect to be fully operational at the Endicott campus by the end of 2022.

Governor Cuomo announced $20 million to support Binghamton University in its leading role as home to new NextFlex Flexible Hybrid Electronics Manufacturing Innovation Institute. The state’s $20 million commitment, from the Southern Tier’s $500 million Upstate Revitalization Initiative, will support the retrofitting of space in the former IBM facility in Endicott, it is expected to create up to 200 academic and private sector jobs, & up to 1,000 new jobs over the five years of the Flex Tech Alliance Program.

IBM and a group of Endicott residents have agreed to settle a lawsuit over the toxic plume. IBM has acknowledged a spill of trichloroethylene in 1979, which was used in the circuit board manufacturing process. In the early 2000's, it was discovered that vapors from the underground chemicals were entering basements. Financial terms for the 1,000 plaintiffs were not disclosed.