After averaging 13 points per game in 2023/24 for Oakfield-Alabama, Gavin Armbrewster had high hopes for his senior hoops season, says his coach Ryan Stehlar.
Then he suffered a complete tear of his ACL during the 2024 football season.
Rather than undergo surgery, Armbrewster decided to tough it out, try to help his team and compete in 2024/25.
"Although this injury happened, he still wanted to end his basketball career on his own terms, trying what he could," Stehlar said in an email calling attention to the point guard's efforts this season for the Hornets.
"He missed four total games out of 22 due to his leg giving out at practice and needing time to recover to play again," Stehlar said. "This happened a night before a game, and he still elected to play the next game in a ton of discomfort because he didn't want to let the team down."
Here are the highlights of Armbrewster's senior season, Stehlar said. p
Points Per Game: 10.7 (2nd leading scorer on our team and came off the bench the majority of the year)
Rebounds Per Game: 1.9
Assists Per Game: 2.2
Steals Per Game: 1.6
"In his last six games, including sectionals, he averaged double digits in points, averaging a PPG of 16.8," Stehlar said. "He hit 30 total 3-pointers and even had a game where he hit 6. He was our leader in this category for the season and one of our best free-throw shooters."
Stehler called Armbrewster "a great kid."
"(He) did something I have never seen in my 17 years of coaching. He showed amazing poise each night, learned how to play differently, never wanted to let his teammates down, but, more importantly, persevered under extremely difficult circumstances. "
After jumping to an early lead, East High dominated the Batavia Blue Devils through four quarters of the Section V Class A semifinal at Finger Lakes Community College on Monday.
And another one's gone, as a block of properties -- from the former Gentleman Jim's and Palace of Sweets to The Hiding Place -- has been taken by business owners Eric and Sarah Jones for their Game of Throws, expected to be moving into the Batavia City Centre site by this summer. Photo by Howard Owens
Something seems to be happening in downtown Batavia, at City Centre in particular, as properties are either bought or leased and business owners are taking a chance on investing in what city officials are hoping is becoming an economic revival of the former mall.
One of the latest merchants to be entering the scene in the near future is another moveover from Harvester Complex. Eric and Sarah Jones, owners of Game of Throws, are planning to initially build two escape rooms and eventually have three, plus axe-throwing in the space formerly occupied by Gentleman Jim’s, Palace of Sweets, Shortstop and The Hiding Place.
“We're hoping by June or July we'll be able to move in and be ready to open for business, at least with our lanes and our axe throwing. We're hoping that at least one, if not two, of the Escape Rooms, will be ready to go,” Sarah said during an interview with The Batavian. “But Escape Rooms are a lot; they're a lot of work, a lot of planning. There are a lot of their prop-making props.
The Jones couple of Oakfield had wanted to have escape rooms at the Harvester location, but the physical set-up, with high ceilings and poor acoustics, didn’t allow for what was needed to make it work well, Sarah said. Game of Throws survived the pandemic since opening in early 2021, and now it’s time to push past those limitations and get into the fun creativity — albeit more expensive — work of pulling together an hour’s worth of brain-teasing props, clues and puzzles that stretch one’s imagination and prompt teamwork to meet the objective: escape.
Sarah offered a hint that the first room being assembled is a pirate theme, and visitors will have to free themselves from a ship jail before time is up for them to walk the plank. If you think this might be a lame Monopoly-type board game, these rooms come at great expense ($10,000 to $20,000 and up) and endless hours of labor to craft the related lifelike props and clues — perhaps keys and maps and items that hint at the next needed steps to take.
“Basically, we take you in, we literally lock you in prison. So there's a jail cell in the very beginning that you're all in. You have to figure out how to get out of the prison to get into the other part of the room, where there's all kinds of pirate stuff, and there's maps, and there's clues, and there's things that you're going to find, you're going to figure out, you're going to put together locks and keys, and then eventually you will find the final key to escape,” she said. “And there's a big clock counting down for 60 minutes, so you'll know how long you're taking. And we always have someone watching you and working with you. So if it takes you too long to get out of the first part of it, we'll start to talk to you and say, ‘Okay, you guys are on the right track, but look for, you know, whatever, keep your eyes open for this,’ so that we can sort of walk you through better ways to figure out and get out of certain things.
“We want everyone to be able to get out, but we also don't want to be like, the whole time telling you hints and clues. You have to see for yourself,” she said. “So with that being said, there's a lot of interesting things, like different riddles that you have to sort of figure out different combinations of things you have to do in order for a door to unlock with a mag lock, which means there's a lot of wiring, and there's a lot of mechanical things that we have to put in there to trigger things. So it's a lot, but it's fun.”
Why escape rooms? Sarah and her husband seek out and do escape rooms “all the time,” she said.
“Every time we go somewhere or go on a trip or wherever we’re somewhere, we always look for escape rooms. We’ve gone to basically all the escape rooms in Buffalo and Rochester that we have been able to find; we love escape rooms,” she said. “We go with friends. We go with different people that do an escape room. We do it with our kids; they love them too.”
Why, what is it about escape rooms that you like so much?
“They're all different. You never know what's gonna happen, what's gonna be in them. Some of them are amazing, some of them are terrible. And we're like, well, that was just stupid. But even just getting together, and all of you working together as a group, it's really interesting to see the dynamics even of the way people think, the way people figure things out,” she said. “Some people that are really good at noncommon sense things, really smart things, figure out the stuff that I would never be able to figure out. I'm more of a think-outside-the-box: look, I found this, how does this work? Where other people are like, oh, there's numbers. They see combinations of things because they get numbers, where I don't get numbers.
She talked about how she usually butts heads with her daughter Marissa, so it would seem natural that when the family goes to an escape room, Marissa would pair off with her dad, and Mom would go with her son Ryan. But that’s not how it works when solving these types of reality puzzles, she said.
Ryan and Eric work super well together, and the way their minds work, and Marissa and I tend to work super well together. So it's really neat to do escape rooms with people because it's a whole different experience,” she said. “When I first heard about escape rooms, I was like, I want to do one of those. It sounds so cool. So we've done them years and years and years ago. And I had said to my husband, I want to open up escape rooms. That would be the funnest job ever. I love everything about them. And then my brother-in-law in Pennsylvania, years later, had opened up the escape rooms, and I'm like, you understand, that's my dream come true.”
Sarah has been able to, at least in part, experience the operational side of these rooms by helping out her in-laws when possible, from building props such as a full-blown monkey body, face, and limbs, down to its fingernails to offering hints to misguided participants. As she puts it, “It's not like we're coming into this with no experience, but we also are coming into this with no experience.”
“And we're just like, we got this, but it's something super new,” she said. “And so it's gonna be so much fun. I'm super excited about it.”
The market is hot for this too, she said, as they are extremely popular and exist all over the country. She and Eric have done several in Florida and even found them in the Dominican Republic, she said.
The glitch may be that this business doesn’t often get repeat customers unless it’s people bringing others to experience the escape room. One solution the Jones’ have that others may not be so fortunate to have is that connection with the in-laws in Pennsylvania. They know that their customers aren’t likely to have seen the escape rooms here, and vice versa, so they plan to swap with each other at some point and continue a rotation with fresh themes the next time around.
It will still mean a major investment of thousands of dollars but it saves them at least a couple of times before they need to invest in brand-new themes again. For customers, it will be an updated adventure. There’s a Facebook marketplace, sort of a co-op for escape room goods, and these used packages can still cost $20,000 to $30,000, she said. And it’s not like once you’ve purchased it, you’re done: these rooms have to be refreshed to keep customers coming back.
Being a small business owner has come with its share of frustrations, including a lack of funding options that are more often available to large developers and corporate businesses, she said. She credited Batavia Development Corporation and Executive Director Tammy Hathaway for pursuing avenues for small grants or low-interest loans, but so far, nothing has been available or suitable for their situation, Sarah said.
The Jones couple is grateful that the property owners and city have allowed them to begin working on the space before officially moving in — with flashlights and lanterns in tow since there’s no electricity or HVAC hook-up yet and a leaky roof is to be repaired. That gives them some time to get set up while still being at their current location at 56 Harvester Ave., Sarah said.
“So that when they do say, ‘ok, it’s time,’ we can have basic stuff that we need done so we can actually get in there as soon as possible. Because once they say it’s ready, then we have to start paying rent,” she said. “And we’re willing to pay rent to both places until we can get into the other one, so we’re hoping that by the time we can get in there and have to start paying rent, we’ll have it so much done that we can literally just move our lanes from Games of Throws into Gentleman Jim’s and get it up and running, that’s what we’re hoping for.”
How does she feel about the big move? "Excited and terrified."
She asks if she’s crazy. Well, yes. Then again, former Apple co-founder Steve Jobs said, “The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”
The Jones’ vision goes beyond the walls of their future business and spills (hopefully) onto the outer concourse in the form of community events, such as square dancing, cornhole tournaments, karaoke nights, and other fun events. In other words, they may do a little world-changing in downtown Batavia.
“I feel like that is going to bring so many people out because there is nothing to do in Batavia. So what we’re hoping is that we will bring more business to Batavia, too. We have a lot of people who come throw axes at our place from Buffalo and Rochester. They literally drive by the places in Buffalo to get to us. So we’re hoping that we can bring business to the other businesses,” she said. “A lot of times, people are like, we’re not from around here, but where is there to go eat? And we definitely try to tell them of locally owned businesses as opposed to chains. So I hope that we’ll all work together to bring more business to Batavia.”
The corner property formerly occupied by Gentleman Jim's, Palace of Sweets, Shortstop and The Hiding Place will once again be occupied and busy, as Game of Throws axe throwing and escape rooms moves in at Batavia City Centre. Photo by Howard Owens.
Elizabeth Jarnot of Batavia is the first homeowner to complete a home repair project through a new PathStone Self Help home repair program. Ms. Jarnot remodeled two bathrooms, installed new flooring, replaced windows and made other improvements to the home she shares with her 4-year-old son. PathStone, through its affiliate Rural Housing Opportunities Corp, provided all the materials for the job, loaned her the needed tools and provided hands-on training and support with completing all the work.
“This has been such a wonderful program to be a part of -- it really has been life-changing for me and my son,” said Ms. Jarnot. “Not only were we able to make needed repairs that I couldn't have done alone but I also got help from the most amazing people who really care about their community. On top of all that, I learned about home repair and responsible homeownership. I am so thankful that this resource exists because it's going to have such lasting and positive impacts for so many -- I know it did for my family!”
PathStone received a 2-year grant from USDA Rural Development to complete 20 similar home repair projects in Genesee and Orleans Counties. Eligible households must earn below 80% of the median income for the area by household size, agree to do most of the work themselves and meet other requirements.
“We’ve been operating home repair programs in the area for 30 years and the demand for our limited government grant funds is so high, we decided to add the Self Help program as a way to serve more families in need. Our regular home repair grant program has a 3-5 year waiting list but now folks can jump to the top of the list if they qualify for Self Help and are willing and able to do most of the work themselves with our help,” said John Wiltse, senior operations director at PathStone and president of Rural Housing Opportunities Corp.
Participant households can enlist the help of family and friends to meet their labor contribution. Eligible work must address building deficiencies and health and safety concerns such as plumbing and electrical problems, lead-based paint and obsolete fixtures and finishes.
Low and moderate income homeowners in Genesee and Orleans Counties who want to learn more about the program, please call 585-546-3700 ext. 3026 or email homerehab@pathstone.org.
Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia) visited the National Susan B. Anthony Museum and House in Rochester today in commemoration of Susan B. Anthony Day earlier this month. Western New York has a long history in the women’s suffrage movement, including one of Hawley’s relatives, Ella Hawley Crossett.
Ella was an influential leader at the local level and was a long-tenured member of the executive board of the New York State Woman Suffrage Association (NYSWSA). Hawley is proud of Western New York’s history during the suffrage movement and hopes these local heroes will serve as an inspiration for future generations.
“It was an honor to be able to visit the Susan B. Anthony house today,” said Hawley. “Our region has a rich history in the fight for women’s suffrage and equal rights. I hope everyone takes time to learn more about our history and the impact figures like Susan B. Anthony and my relative, Ella Hawley Crossett, had on our nation.”
Batavia Muckdogs, and CAN-USA Sports Ownership are back for their fifth season at Dwyer Stadium and are incredibly excited to announce plans for the upcoming summer!
The 2025 PGCBL schedule has been released with the Muckdogs home opener scheduled for Saturday, May 31 at 6:35 p.m. vs the Elmira Pioneers. The PGCBL welcomes a new opponent north of the border, as the city of St. Catherines in Ontario Canada will have a new franchise for 2025.
Batavia will host 4 fireworks nights this season. Be on the lookout for our 2025 promotional schedule and be sure to check out our social media pages for more updates.
If you are interested in bringing your group or business out to a game at Dwyer Stadium, email General Manager Marc Witt (mwitt.canusa@gmail.com). A complete schedule is available at www.canusamuckdogs.com.
The Muckdogs finished in first place during the regular season for the third season in a row in 2024. Batavia finished with a franchise record .802-win percentage posting an incredible 34-8 record. The record setting season was cut short in the PGCBL Western Conference Championship game as the Muckdogs fell to Elmira.
“Last season we enjoyed so much success on and off the field in the community and I am so grateful and proud of what this team did here in Batavia. I know Skip Martinez can’t wait to get the Muckdogs back on the field in 2025 and bring this city a championship” – Owner Robbie Nichols.
If you have not bought season tickets, make sure to get them by calling their offices at 585-524-2260 or www.canusamuckdogs.com. Season tickets start at just $99!
CAN-USA Sports is also excited to announce the return of Xtreme International Ice Racing on Saturday March 29 at 7 p.m. at the David McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena presented by Casella Waste Systems.
XiiR (Xtreme International Ice Racing) is a motorcycle racing tour…ON ICE! Man and machine going from 0-60mph in under 3 seconds, with speedway bikes and quads that are modified to compete on an indoor ice arena. There are over 2000 metal studs added to the tires and there are no brakes. It is the fastest sport on ice and one of the fastest sports in the world. The event will be making its third appearance to Batavia and each year’s event sold out at the McCarthy Ice Arena so get your tickets early online at www.mccarthyicearena.com or in person at the rink (22 Evans Street Batavia).
Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) introduced the State-Level Departments of Government Efficiency Establishment Act or the State-Level DOGE Establishment Act to crack down on waste, fraud, and abuse in state governments.
Specifically, this legislation conditions the disbursement of federal financial assistance, except for security-related funding, on states establishing an independent DOGE commission.
"DOGE is working diligently at the federal level to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse. It’s time for state governments to follow suit. States like New York receive billions in federal aid annually, yet waste it on DEI initiatives and woke programs that are out of touch with the vast majority of Americans. It is imperative that these tax dollars are used properly and efficiently. The State-Level DOGE Establishment Act ensures that states create a DOGE commission to oversee the use of taxpayer funding and cut back on wasteful programs. If they refuse, they should not receive a dime of taxpayer money from the federal government,” said Congresswoman Tenney.
Student Council organizing donation table. Photo by Ayn Gardner.
Press Release:
On Valentine’s Day, the Byron-Bergen Elementary School sent a whole lotta love to the Genesee County Animal Shelter in the form of 1,173 donated items. The items were collected by grade level for the annual 100 Days of School Community Service Project.
Each year, each grade level is challenged to collect 100 of a certain item for donation to a local non-profit or charitable organization.
The items collected are as follows:
UPK: 102 Q-tips
Kindergarten: 183 cat and dog toys
First Grade: 138 cat and dog treats
Second Grade: 136 dog leashes
Third Grade: 160 rolls of paper towels
Fourth Grade: 316 animal waste bags
Fifth Grade: 138 bags of cotton balls and bottles of rubbing alcohol
This year’s project involved the students in more ways than ever. The students voted on which organization they wanted to work with this year, Student Council worked on planning and made one-of-a-kind folders to be presented to new pet owners upon adoption.
“This project is a wonderful way to teach children to think about the greater community that they live in,” said Kindergarten Teacher and project organizer Ayn Gardner. “There is always someone in need in a community and it is important for students to learn to help when they can. The Byron-Bergen community is incredibly generous, and I am grateful that they continue to support this project, year after year.”
100 Days of School donation collection table. Photo by Gretchen Spittler.
Custom adoption folders created by Byron-Bergen students. Photo by Ayn Gardner.
Batavia police officers and firefighters clashed on the ice on Sunday in the Third Annual Battle of the Badges hockey game.
The annual event is a David McCarthy Memorial Foundation fundraiser and is sponsored by CAN-USA Sports.
“Having some fun on the ice, highlighting these great city departments, and raising money for charity has been great these past few years. The David McCarthy Memorial Foundation has helped so many families in our community over the years and we are excited to donate the proceeds to such a meaningful organization again this year," said Detective James DeFreze and firefighter Mark Sacheli in a joint statement.
The police roster: Connor Borchert, Matthew Lutey, Felecia Martinez, Matthew Smith, Chance Hutson, Steve Quider, Adam Tucker, Richard Messmer, Steve Cronmiller, Aric Perkins, Bryan Moscicki, and John Gombos.
The fire roster: Josh McCarthy, Ryan Whitcombe, Chris Morasco, Matt Morasco, Mark Sacheli, Bob Tedford, Jeff Whitcombe, Colin Cooper, Nick Call, Noah Whitcombe, Andy Laforce, Frankie Falleti.
Statement from Mark Masse, CEO of the Genesee County Economic Development Center:
“The Genesee County Economic Development Center staff and the STAMP technical team, which is comprised of legal, engineering and environmental professionals are recommending that the GCEDC Board of Directors advance a proposal from STREAM US Data Centers, LLC to build a new data center at STAMP.
“The first step in this process is for the GCEDC STAMP Committee to review all the supporting materials that accompany the recommendation to the Board, and if they agree with the conclusion, approve moving the recommendation to the full Board at the March 6, 2025 Board meeting. This matter will be discussed at the STAMP Committee meeting on Wednesday, March 5, 2025.
“The staff and technical team assessed several factors in our recommendation to the Board, including thorough review of the responses to relevant comments raised at the February 3, 2025 public hearing. We also took into consideration the number of good-paying jobs that would be created, the footprint of the project, including electric and water needs and impacts on the local community.
“Another factor that was considered in our recommendation was which project would have the least impact to the STAMP footprint as GCEDC staff continues to focus on bringing advanced manufacturing and semiconductor supply chain companies to STAMP.
“Staff ultimately concluded, in close consultation with the technical team, that STREAM US Data Centers, LLC project had the fewest impacts, particularly from an environmental standpoint, and provided the best overall fit at the STAMP site.
“GCEDC staff and the technical will be prepared to discuss our recommendation to the GCEDC board at the March 5th STAMP Committee meeting.”
Statement from a group calling itself Allies of Tonawanda Seneca Nation:
Local residents are highlighting the Genesee Economic Development Center (GCEDC) staff’s recommendation to approve the data center codenamed Project Double Reed. The GCEDC STAMP Committee will vote on this recommendation, as well as the staff’s recommendation to prepare a State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) resolution for Double Reed, at a meeting on March 5. The full Board meets on March 6.
Among the three data centers currently under consideration for the WNY Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP) mega industrial site, Double Reed has requested the largest amount in tax breaks - $472 million in combined sales and mortgage tax exemptions. Double Reed is projected to produce 122 jobs, for a per job subsidy of $3.9 million.
Backed by STREAM U.S. Data Centers, Double Reed will use 250 megawatts of electricity per year - significantly more than either competitor. This electricity would be drawn primarily from low-cost Niagara River hydropower, which the New York Power Authority (NYPA) allocates to STAMP even though the site lies outside the designated radius for this subsidy. In addition, Double Reed would have the potential to burn over 20,000 gallons of diesel fuel per day..
According to their report, GCEDC staff chose Double Reed despite its high energy usage and requested tax breaks because the other two applications lack credibility and would have faced significant challenges and delays in obtaining permits. However, the staff also acknowledges that Double Reed lacks a firm commitment from a tenant, meaning it is not known what company would locate there, when, or what its operations might entail.
GCEDC staff are advocating that the full Board approve Double Reed despite strong and ongoing opposition from residents as well as previously stated internal questions regarding the ‘fit’ of a data center at STAMP. At public hearings held on February 3, dozens of speakers voiced concerns about environmental harms, quality of life issues, impacts to the Tonawanda Seneca Nation, misallocation of taxpayer dollars and misuse of low cost hydropower, as well the agency’s repeated refusal to answer basic questions about the project applicants. GCEDC also received 618 written comments.
Since the hearings, CEO Mark Masse has received at least 379 emails demanding that applicants conduct additional research regarding noise, traffic, hydrology, economic impacts to the Oak Orchard watershed, and EMS services. GCEDC has also refused repeated requests from the Tonawanda Seneca Nation Council of Chiefs for a new set of hearings, even though the February 3 hearings were held during the Nation’s Midwinter Ceremonies. The Nation has raised extensive concerns about the SEQR environmental review process, for which GCEDC is acting as lead agency. GCEDC appears poised to dismiss those concerns.
Despite 15 years of effort and more than $410 million in taxpayer subsidies, GCEDC has struggled to attract viable tenants or construct basic infrastructure at the rural site proposed to become a “mega industrial park.” The agency pivoted to data centers to fill a gap in financing for the onsite electrical substation following the withdrawal of funding from Plug Power, which paused construction on its green hydrogen manufacturing facility in 2023. Each of the three data center applicants pledged contributions toward completion of the substation; Double Reed would pay $50 million. Its requested $3.9 million per job approaches the $4.3 million per job allocated to Plug Power. Edwards Vacuum is the only tenant under construction at STAMP.
GCEDC has not filed a new permit application for the proposed “Big Water” pipeline that would bring 6 million gallons of water daily to the site from the Niagara River, raising questions about the source of Double Reed’s proposed 10,000 gallons of water per day. The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Region 8 Office rejected GCEDC’s previous application as incomplete in August 2024. GCEDC recently filed a Basis of Design Report for a reroute of the Wastewater Treatment Pipeline that would pump raw sewage from STAMP uphill and under multiple waterways to the Oakfield Wastewater Treatment Facility; treated wastewater would be discharged into a tributary of Oak Orchard Creek. Construction of the original pipeline was halted in September 2023 following fracouts of 500-700 gallons of hydraulic drilling fluid into the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge.
‘Data center’ is a generic term that can refer to operations ranging from cryptocurrency mining to Artificial Intelligence processing. Data centers create minimal jobs, use massive amounts of water and energy, and face opposition from other WNY communities concerned about their noxious public health and environmental impacts. The proposed data center would be sited on a parcel of land characterized by wetlands and located immediately adjacent to the Reservation Territory of the Tonawanda Seneca Nation, whose Council of Chiefs opposes STAMP.
GCEDC STAMP Committee Meeting March 5, 2025 at 8am
GCEDC Board of Directors Meeting March 6, 2025 at 4pm
Location: 99 MedTech Drive, Innovation Zone. Batavia, NY 14020 Meetings are open to the public.
The public hearing was held on Feb. 3 in the town of Alabama.
More than two dozen people spoke, raising a range of objections to the construction of a data center on the site.
On Thursday, the GCEDC board may consider whether one of three potential projects -- from STREAM U.S. Data Centers, LLC, Project Rampart, LLC, or Potentia Holdings, LLC -- should be welcomed into the technology park.
Q. We asked Masse to respond to the appearance that the data center projects don't seem to generate as many jobs per square foot as a project like Edwards Vaccum. Masse: "I think if you look at the average salary, I think these jobs are in the triple digits, $100,000 average, $80,000 to $100,000. With the way technology is going in AI, I think that those are high-value, high-technology jobs. Now, are those the number of jobs that we would like to see? And again, all of these applicants are very conservative on their numbers, because they're concerned about clawback and not meeting numbers. So our anticipation is they would come in higher than what they pledged, but what they pledged is a number that they feel is easily achievable for them. And data centers were proposed way back in 2012 as one of the original uses at the site, along with all of the other advanced manufacturing when we did the technology districts.
Q. Data centers have been controversial in other communities. People mentioned North Tonawanda. Have you looked at those data centers and how they've been received in those communities, and whether that's a concern for you? Masse: "I think it really depends upon a lot of variety of factors. So our board has been very clear that they don't want any crypto or any bitcoin, absolutely none. And if you look at a lot of the louder, noisier ones, they tend to be the crypto Bitcoin operations. So we would actually put into the documents that if we come to find out you're doing Bitcoin or crypto, we would terminate benefits and claw back. And that clawback would obviously include a very significant sales tax exemption, so we feel pretty good about the penalties that would be in place, but our board's been adamant that we don't want crypto in that technology has also come a long way. And I don't think the building in Tonawanda was originally built as a data center. It was an adaptive reuse. So the facility that they're going to be building (in STAMP) is going to be brand new. It'll have all of the lessons learned from previous projects, such as noise mitigation and things like that. So we anticipate it to fit within the parameters of what was analyzed for the EIS, and we would anticipate them to propose and follow through on any potential mitigation that we would suggest for noise or that the town board planning board may suggest for noise. If we decide to go through our board would decide on either one or none. I think there's no desire to do more than one data center at STAMP."
Q. What about excessive greenhouse gas emissions? Masse: "Again, we've done our analysis on the air emission side of that. We're following all of the permitting requirements by the DEC. The GCEDC does not meet the definition of a state agency under the CLCPA guidelines, but we do an analysis for that under the CLCPA, and the DEC would also do an analysis of that if a company were to move forward with air permitting. So we feel that it's within the parameters that would have been previously analyzed under the EIS, and that any of those air emissions would be permitted through the DEC process."
Q. One speaker spoke about hydrology in the region, in the wetlands and surrounding areas. What are the concerns there that you are looking at? What is your response? Masse: "Again, the sanitary sewer would be force main discharged into the village of Oakfield wastewater treatment facility where it would be treated and discharged. Any on-site stormwater would be captured on-site. The DEC requirements for that are that the water can't flow off of the site at any greater rate after development than it did before development, so any cause concerns for flooding or things like that wouldn't happen. And they do enforce bioswales, green infrastructure, and things like that to ensure that the water quality on site is maintained. If there is runoff from parking lots or things like that, that it's contained on-site and treated on site before any of that would be potentially discharged."
Q. A letter read at the hearing stated that the project contradicts New York State's international commitments to environmental sustainability, social responsibility, and long-term stewardship of the wetlands. Any response? Masse: "So again, everybody seems to be talking about the wetlands on site, as if they are like a wildlife refuge. This is agricultural land that has been farmed for a number of years. Our EIS originally proposed only impacting, I think, nine acres of wetlands, and then when we revised it. We're down to six, and they are classified as wetlands. But if you go out there, a lot of them are just drainage ditches through fields, a depressed area in a field. That's not year-round; they dry out, so I don't understand. And same thing when they talk about like pristine habitat. It's been farm fields. It's been farmed. It hasn't been good habitat. They rotate crops. Many of the crops there are not what the birds would use to do their hunting. So again, it's been farm fields for over 200 years. We do comply with all regulations that are out there. We've had a jurisdictional determination done between Army Corps as far as what wetlands they take jurisdiction over. We're complying with all of those. That was last updated in 2023, I think, and they're good for five years. I know the state regs are changing where they're going to drop their jurisdiction to anything greater than seven acres, but that doesn't affect what we're doing on-site. So, again, I understand their concerns, but I just don't think they understand the land that's out there and what it really is."
Q. People mentioned the Big Woods (on the reservation). Does that the neighbor the site, or is it just close by? "If you look on the map there, you see the power line kind of rerouted. The yellow area is 310 acres; if you go directly to the west at the edge of that line, that is the Big Wood. So that power line reroute, there'll be no development to the west of that. That's a 115 kV line, and we rerouted it that way to help provide a visual buffer so you can't go past that, so to speak. And as part of our agreement, the settlement agreement with the nation, we did provide for the green area, basically, aside from that 80 acres on the south, the majority of that green area there is a buffer area and wetlands that are basically not going to be touched, so that's just going to be grown forever wild."
Q. There was a statement that a data center will consume 200 megawatts of electricity annually, training the regional system, and the center would use 800,000 gallons of fresh water daily. Are those numbers accurate? Are those legitimate concerns? Masse: "As far as the power goes, it's not going to strain the system. Anybody in New York State who tries to draw down more than 10 megawatts off of any power line anywhere is required to undertake a study with a New York independent system operator, where they will take your request and they will do an analysis of the entire grid and bring in all the operators, so National Grid. RG&E NYSEG, NextEra, and they'll run a model to say, if you were to draw X amount of megawatts off, how does that affect everything in the system? And if it requires some improvements in what they call remote ends or other substations before you draw down the power. Those improvements have to be made. So we did two different studies, each one for 300 megawatts, and it took us about four to five years to get through that study. So the NYISO has given us, I think, there was $6 million of potential improvements at a station up in Rochester, and that was it for us to get the 600 megawatts. So, according to the NYISO and the study they've run, there is no degradation or problem on the overall grid to draw down 600 megawatts. Those studies are all being done in conjunction with a lot of solar projects because they're trying to put power on the lines while we're trying to draw it off. So, all of those are being taken into consideration across the state in various studies at various times. So as far as the power not being available, it's there. The NYISO has confirmed it for us. And as far as causing issues on the grid, it will not.
"As for us, the 800,000 gallons per day of water, that was what one applicant put in with their first application. After reviewing and discussing with them, they came back with a revised, I think, 30,000 gallons per day. So, all three of them are probably between 20,000 and 30,000 gallons per day of water, which is not a significant use. A lot of them are going with closed-loop cooling systems. The ambient air temperature here obviously is very helpful for them to be able to use air for cooling."
Q. Evelyn Wackett brought up threatened species, the short-eared owl, northern Harrier Hawk, monarch butterfly and bog turtles, any threats to these species? Masse: "We did receive what's called a part 182 incidental take permit. We did propose a net conservation benefit. So, we created 58 acres of grassland habitat on the site that'll be maintained in perpetuity. Part of that will be a 33 acre site that'll be turned over to the DEC to be merged into the John White game farm, as far as the others, they were not identified in any of the studies we've done. I do know that as part of the construction of the substation, there is a berm there, and I've talked to our environmental company about using that berm as a pollinator field, specifically to help monarch butterflies and other pollinators. It'll also help us maintain that berm and also give it more coverage on that as well."
Q. One of the more dramatic moments, Kristen Moser, with her recording from in the Big Woods of birds and then a truck going by. What do you say to that? Masse: "Number one, it's hard because I don't know her data points, right? I don't know where you were when you did the recording or what time of day. It's hard to say any of that. I mean, if you go to (Route) 77, there's heavy truck traffic on 77 all day long, coming up and down that road. So there's not much I could really comment on that without knowing more details about where those recordings were taken and what the time was and the distances involved."
Q. I think she's equating the truck traffic that's there for construction with -- and we've kind of discussed already -- the sound issue of the plants. Masse: "My question would be, I don't know where she was when she recorded the truck traffic. That's the point. If she was in the Big Woods, I doubt it because all truck traffic right now comes in off STAMP Drive and then goes right down the hammerhead to the Edwards site. You know, the town has received some complaints from some truck traffic coming down the north end of Crosby. I think those were mainly concrete trucks or gravel trucks coming from Orleans County down Salt Works Road. So the town made sure that they've got to come around and come in off a 77."
Q. More than one speaker questioned whether public funds should e used to incentivize uncertain benefits, without first conducting an independent economic analysis of costs and benefits. Response? Masse: "First of all, this is a common misconception. Public funds are not being invested in this. Companies do not receive cash. They receive abatements of taxes that they would normally pay. In this particular case, two of the three data centers would be paying about 105% to 110% of the property tax rate under a pilot. They would get a PILOT, but they would be paying more than market rate for what the property taxes are. The significant abatement is the sales tax exemption. Now, what people probably also don't realize is that in 2012, the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance issued an opinion that servers are tax-exempt from sales tax. If I think something along the lines of, if a company is using the internet, broadband is part of it. So basically, that was done to, I think, attract the Yahoo facility up to Lockport. Now, if data centers start becoming extremely interested in New York State, there is a chance that the Department of Taxation and Finance could revise that opinion and say that servers are tax-exempt altogether, in which case it's a moot point. So my guess is that these companies would ask for the abatement, and then they would probably apply to the Department of Taxation and Finance for an opinion, and if the opinion comes back and says they're tax-exempt, then really all we've given up is a mortgage tax exemption to get somebody to pay 110 or 105% property taxes on the site."
Q. They're paying 110% of the property tax rate? Masse: "We do a fixed dollar pilot, so we calculate based on the square footage and choose a rate per square foot. We actually had the companies make us their offers. So they independently submitted their final investment offers, and it was calculated on a per square foot basis, times the square footage. And then there was, and I think some of them had an escalation rate every year, whether it was two, two and a half percent, something like that. So it would start at a fixed dollar, and then it would go up after that. So when we do a fixed dollar pilot, they pay the dollar value in the pilot. It's not 10% or 100% of whatever the current value is, which is what some of them are when they do the abatement."
Q. Okay, so, I guess I'm kind of confused. If they're paying more, they're paying what their taxes would be without the pilots ... Masse: "They're paying more than what the taxes would be."
Q. Without a PILOT. Why would they do that? Masse: "That's how much they want to come to the site, and that's why power is such a scarce resource for companies like this."
Q. I know it's been the practice for GCEDC to be the lead agency, but given the the wide range of environmental concerns here, is it best for GCEDC to be lead agency on this, or should somebody else be lead agency? Masse: "We did the original EIS, and usually whoever was the lead agency for the EIS should remain as lead agent for that. We did all the original studies. We've done the appropriate ones. And again, we're required as lead agency to send out a notice every time we want to re-establish ourselves. It goes out to all interested, involved agencies, which includes the Army Corps of Engineers and the DEC. We receive comments from the Army Corps and DEC on any of the SEQR analyses we do; they get copies of it. So, there is appropriate other parties that have a significant investment and interest in the site, who are actively involved in the review and commenting on the overall environmental review."
Q. How does the general public have confidence that all the environmental concerns have been addressed through the SEQR process? Masse: "We have at least 7,000 pages of studies, reports, documentation, comments from DEC, and responses to DEC. And again, at the end of the day, any company that wants to build there has to get a permit from the DEC. So if there were something inappropriate or something that wasn't there, then the DEC probably wouldn't issue a permit. We would hope we would hear if they had concerns before that. And again, they've expressed their comments on some of our SEQR things."
While Plug Power has paused construction of its $290 million green hydrogen plant at WNY STAMP it has continued to make full PILOT payments to local taxing jurisdictions, according to Mark Masse, CEO of the Genesee County Economic Development Center.
According to the tax agreement between GCEDC and Plug Power, the payments are $147,599 annually to Genesee County, $308,368 to school districts, and $42,805 to the town of Alabama.
The project has been on pause since January 2024, Masse said, and that pause led GCEDC to take over the construction of a $55 million 450-megawatt substation electrical transmission to STAMP projects, which Plug Power originally agreed to fund.
Empire State Development agreed to allow GCEDC to tap into a $56 million grant to help pay for the substation. The grant was intended for other infrastructure at STAMP. Masse said that once completed, the substation will generate fees for electric delivery that will enable GCEDC to recover the funds and return the expenditure to the grant account.
"As companies come online, they will buy into the substation on a per megawatt charge," Masse said. "So, we'll take the total cost of the station divided by 600 megawatts and come up with a per megawatt charge. So, for ballpark, if it's $200,000 a megawatt, somebody wants 200 megawatts, it's a $40 million pay-in to buy into the substation, which will enable us then to basically get that money back for New York State, so we can use that to pay for the substation, and then repurpose the FAST New York funds back for what we originally wanted to use them for on infrastructure."
Masse said he has no insight on what Plug's long-range plans are for the project.
Each year, projects that receive GCEDC assistance must submit Annual Performace Reports that detail the number of jobs created and the amount of capital investment.
"We summarize all of those. We share them with the board," Masse said. "The board reviews them every year, and then the board makes a determination, did they meet their job requirements? Do they have the insurance requirements? And where are they in that one plus three."
The "one plus three" means a project has one year to complete construction and three years to complete its job creation promise.
"Then the board would make a determination -- do we want to ask them to come in and explain anything? Do you want to move forward with a termination? Any of those things are always on the table," Masse said. "In Plug's case, they are current with all of their PILOT payments, and the payments they're making to the municipalities are significant, which is the other thing to balance in the whole piece of it as well."
An important potential path for Plug Power is producing more of the hydrogen it distributes. If ever completed, the WNY STAMP plant is expected to produce 45 metric tons of green liquid hydrogen daily. It would be fair the most product plant under the company's control so its surprising that there is no clear indication that Plug intends to complete the plant.
Plug Power's representatives have never responded to The Batavian's requests for comment on the future of the plant.
Just before Donald Trump took office in January, the Plug Power secured a $1.7 billion loan guarantee from the Department of Energy. After taking office, Trump froze DOE grants and loans for green energy.
"I see that the DOE loan will be supported," Marsh said. "It’s a contract with the government. I’m not too worried; it’s not out of line with the goals of the Trump administration. So, you know, from a policy environment point of view, it feels hectic at the moment, but I’m really not that concerned that these things will all work themselves out."
Oakfield-Alabama beat Arkport-Canaseraga 54-40 in the Class C2 Girls Basketball quarterfinal on Saturday.
Scoring for the Hornets:
Alea Groff, 17 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists
Alexa Clark, 11 points, 8 rebounds
Piper Hyde, 9 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists
Allie Williams, 8 points, 6 rebounds, 5 blocks
Jessica Sosnowski, 7 points
Allison Harkness, 2 points
"I can't begin to describe the defensive effort our kids came through with today," said O-A Coach Jeff Schlagenhauf. "Our team defense was incredible, and Alexa, Piper and Alea were tasked with some challenging defensive assignments as they are a high-powered offensive team. We showed great discipline and composure. I am incredibly proud of our kids. A total team effort."
The Hornets are the #5 seed in Class C2 and next face #1 seed Keshequa in the semifinal on Wednesday at Avon at 7:45 p.m.
Notre Dame defeated Andover Whitesville 41-16 in a Class D quarterfinal game in Girls basketball on Saturday.
Sofia Falleti led the Irish with 10 points and eight rebounds. Also scoring was Emma Fitch with six points and four steals, PennyJo Thompson with six points and five rebounds and Gianna Falleti with four points and four steals.
“The whole team played an equal amount today and was able to contribute on both ends of the floor. I was so proud of all our girls' defensive efforts and how hard they played,” said Coach Vinny Falleti.
The win for the Irish sets up a finals match-up in Class D between arch-rivals Notre Dame, the #4 seed, and Elba, the undefeated #1 seed. That game will be at 7:45 p.m. on Tuesday at Mount Morris.
Notre Dame prevailed in the Class C2 Boys Basketball quarterfinal on Friday over Oakfield-Alabama 68-64.
Scoring for the Hornets:
Avery Watterson, 21 points
Gavin Armbrewster, 17 points
Jack Cianfrini, 9 points
Gabe Smith, 8 points
The Batavian did not receive stats for Notre Dame.
"I’m proud of this group and how hard they played tonight," said Hornets Head Coach Ryan Stehlar. "This group has been one of the most special groups I’ve coached, and it’s tough to say goodbye to them. These seniors have been amazing to coach and I can’t thank them enough for their dedication over the years. I hope they hold their heads high for the season they had. They fought until the closing seconds, which embodies their identity as a team."
Notre Dame (#3) meets York (#7) at 6:30 p.m. at Letchworth on Monday in the Class C2 semifinal.
NOW HIRING seasonal agribusiness positions. CDL A & B Drivers to deliver bulk crop nutrients. Potential long-term opportunities. Great for retirees! GENERAL LABOR positions. Daily variety of indoor/outdoor responsibilities. Loader experience a plus. SIGN-ON BONUS and plenty of OT during spring/summer months. Apply in person at: 8610 Route 237, Stafford, NY www.cecrocker.com
