SCHUMER ANNOUNCES: CORNING INCORPORATED WILL INVEST $139 MILLION IN MONROE COUNTY; SENATOR SAYS INVESTMENT WILL BRING OVER 270 GOOD-PAYING JOBS TO REGION, BOOSTING NY’S SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING GROWTH, & FURTHER CEMENTING ROCHESTER AS THE WORLD LEADER IN OPTICS TECH

 

Schumer Says Corning Will Expand It’s Fairport Advanced Optics Center & Construct A New Laser Optics Production Facility In The Town Of Gates To Grow Upstate NY’s Booming Tech Ecosystem

Senator Has Been The Leading Champion To Expand Rochester’s Optics Industry And The Domestic Chip Supply Chain, Paving The Way For Corning’s Expansion

Schumer: Corning Incorporated Investment In Greater Rochester Optics Industry Will Bring Eyes Of The World Onto Upstate New York For Future Of Tech Manufacturing

Longtime champion of Rochester’s optics industry, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer today announced that Corning, Incorporated will invest $139 million in Monroe County and create over 270 new, good-paying jobs in the Finger Lakes region. Schumer said that Corning is both expanding its advanced optics administrative and manufacturing facility in the Village of Fairport and building a new state of the art Laser Optics production facility in the Town of Gates.

“270 new, good-paying jobs and a historic $139 million investment by Corning will supercharge Monroe County, positioning the Finger Lakes as a continued global leader in laser optics and further cementing Upstate New York as a semiconductor manufacturing hub. Rochester’s powerhouse workforce is second to none and ready to build the future of American manufacturing,” said Senator Chuck Schumer. “I applaud Corning for this major investment that will help drive Monroe County and America’s economic future in tech manufacturing. Rochester is unquestionably already a world leader in the optics industry and this new expansion will lay the foundation to create more jobs, to better secure U.S. supply chains, and to boost the country’s competitiveness for years to come.”

Specifically, with the $139 million investment, Corning will expand operations at sites in Fairport and Gates within Monroe County to produce equipment needed by major semiconductor manufacturers to expand their chip production output. Corning’s semiconductor and optics products are embedded and critical at nearly every step of the chip manufacturing process from Metrology Instruments to Laser Optics used for the precision assembly of semiconductor chips and more.   Through this expansion, Corning will add over 270 new jobs at its advanced optics facility in the Village of Fairport which is currently being expanded. Corning will also establish a new laser optics production facility in the Town of Gates by the end of 2023.

Schumer said that Rochester and the Finger Lakes is already a world-renowned hub for the optics, photonics, and imaging (OPI) industry.  The Rochester Finger Lakes region is a global optics powerhouse, with over 150 advanced OPI companies employing an estimated 17,000 local workers. The region is also home to University of Rochester’s (UR) Institute of Optics, the UR Laboratory for Laser Energetics, AIM Photonics, Rochester Institute of Technology, Monroe Community College’s (MCC) Optical System Technology Program, and more. Schumer said that Corning’s investment will spark the further growth of this in-demand industry locally. Schumer has long helped advance Rochester’s optics industry.  In June 2021, Schumer helped deliver a five year $34 million grant from the Department of Defense for the Rochester-based American Center for Optics Manufacturing (AmeriCOM) to ensure the DoD has a secure and robust domestic supply chain for our nation’s optical technology needs. AmeriCOM’s activities include supporting the growth of new technology and work for Rochester-based defense optics suppliers, as well as supporting programs like MCC’s Optical System Technology Program in order to attract and train skilled optics workers needed by Rochester optics employers like Corning.     

Schumer has long been an advocate for helping Corning to grow its presence in Upstate New York. In June 2020, Schumer announced that Corning received over $204 million in federal funding, more than doubling employment at their Big Flats facility, thanks to the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to expand Corning’s manufacturing capacity of Valor® Glass vials for the rapid production and secure delivery of the COVID-19 vaccines and other critical drugs. Later that year, Corning was also awarded an additional $57 million from BARDA to further increase the domestic manufacturing capacity of pharmaceutical glass tubing and vials to support the accelerated mass vaccination effort. Corning Incorporated is one of the world’s leading innovation companies with specialties in everything from glass to optical communication. Corning is one of the largest employers in New York, with over 7,000 employees across the state, and more than 62,000 worldwide.

Senator Schumer also has a long history of championing the resurgence of semiconductor manufacturing in the United States. In June 2021, Schumer successfully passed the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (USICA) through the Senate with a strong bipartisan vote of 68 – 32. This bill includes $52 billion in emergency supplemental appropriations to energize chip manufacturing in America and boosts federal R&D programs that would help bolster Corning and many of the U.S.-based companies that rely on the components made at the new Fairport facility. Schumer is actively working to get this bill passed to help bring more manufacturing back from countries like China and ensure America’s innovation leadership for years to come.

Governor Hochul Announces Corning Incorporated's $139 Million Investment to Grow Operations in Monroe County

 Expansion of Operations to Create More Than 270 New Jobs in the Village of Fairport and Town of Gates, Addressing Growing Demand in the Semiconductor Market

$5 Million New York State Investment Complements "Finger Lakes Forward" - The Region's Comprehensive Strategy to Revitalize Communities and Grow the Economy

Governor Hochul: "I'm really proud that we are now the epicenter of technology jobs. We will soon pass Silicon Valley in terms of jobs. We passed Boston a couple of years ago, so that is our future. And so, why not embrace not just the people who are part of our workforce, the innovators, the brilliant people that take us to the next level, but also the opportunities to create something that needs to be created here domestically. We can no longer be held captive to foreign supply chains that are disrupted."

Hochul: "We're going to look back on this day. Over 270 jobs, that's great. $139 million of investment, that's fantastic. 5 billion from this state anytime. You're welcome. But you're going to look back at this day and say, this is when everything changed. When we made that commitment, and we work with our federal government, work with our Senator, we deliver here in the State."

I want to just say a couple of things and I did want to talk about a little bit of the history of Corning because it is a powerful story. It is a story again, that really reminds us of the greatness of the state. And what you did in developing technologies. Who didn't cook with Pyrex when they were growing up? Pyrex is part of our household, and you go way back to the 1880s and Thomas Edison's light bulb. That's part of your story, it's part of our story because you did that here. In the 1960s, you were manufacturing 100 percent of all the glass that went into televisions.

That's the first time, I remember being a little kid, yes, I'm that old, we got that first television set. Little did I know that the glass came from Corning, right here in the State of New York. So you've always been there. The Hubble space telescope, from LCD screens. You've always been at the forefront. And now, I think about what the opportunities are, but I also want to pause a second, just think about when I went to see you at Sullivan Park during the pandemic. And when you told me that basically every vial that treated people's COVID, the vaccines that stopped COVID, were created here in New York, my heart swell with pride to know that our workers, our team from New York State were literally saving lives during the pandemic. So you stepped up, you helped save lives, creating billions of doses of vaccines. And I want to thank you for all the work you've done there.

And so, this is a great story. And the Senator and I speak often about the whole semiconductor industry. Nobody has laid claim to this industry in this country yet. We are here to lay down the marker and say, "It is happening here." And I love the reference to Silicon Valley, "That is so yesteryear. So last decade." And you think about the jobs that are coming to our state, not just upstate, but New York City as well. The migration of tech workers from Silicon Valley is phenomenal. I could not have foreseen this. It was always about, "Getting educated," our great schools, our engineering schools upstate, we're known for our great educational system. "Where are you going next?" "Oh, Silicon Valley. That's where the action is." No longer. Sorry, Governor out there, it's over. It's over because people want to be here. They want to be connected with other smart people and they want that quality of life. So I'm really proud that we are now the epicenter of technology jobs. We will soon pass Silicon Valley in terms of jobs. We passed Boston a couple of years ago, so that is our future.

And so, why not embrace not just the people who are part of our workforce, the innovators, the brilliant people that take us to the next level, but also the opportunities to create something that needs to be created here domestically. We can no longer be held captive to foreign supply chains that are disrupted. Whether it's geopolitical affairs, invasions of Russia to Ukraine or what that has done to the wheat supply around the world. We can no longer be vulnerable. I don't want to have to go to China next time there's a pandemic and beg for ventilators and masks. Everything should be manufactured here because we know how to do it, and we do it best.

And that is why the semiconductor industry needs to blossom here in the State of New York, and the work that the Senator is doing. It is a much heavier lift than it should be because everybody should say, "We agree. It's a national security issue for us. It's an economic issue. It'll position us and free us from the supply chains from abroad."

I don't understand why everybody just isn't signing on this second and getting it done. And I'm going to help you Senator, but you have been leading the forefront. Here in the State of New York, we understand also we can put money on the table and show a real commitment. And literally in our last session, the final days, we announced $10 billion for green chips.

What does that mean? We want to position ourselves to be able to help the industries who are growing here but also will come here and help them say yes, understand, this is the place it's happening. This is the place. I've declared this. I've also declared New York, the epicenter of the offshore wind capital of the world.

When I declare something, it happens. Okay. Just want you to know that that's the power of the Governor. I've only had it for a few months, but now we are the epicenter of the semiconductor industry and the work that we're doing in Albany and the work that we've done is just extraordinary. So, the supply chain, which you're doing here is feeding that, so no one has to go abroad.

We can get the manufacturing done. We have some great possibilities of working on it, but I can tell someone coming here, you don't have to go somewhere else and spend the cost of shipping. You just drive down to Fairport or you go up to Canada, the parts are right here and that's why I'm so excited.

We're going to look back on this day. Over 270 jobs, that's great. $139 million of investment, that's fantastic. 5 billion from this state anytime. You're welcome. But you're going to look back at this day and say, this is when everything changed. When we made that commitment, and we work with our federal government, work with our Senator, we deliver here in the State, working with the federal parties, but also, it's industry. You are the key part of all this. We can talk about these goals. We can want this to happen, but if you don't show up here and create the jobs and manufacture something that I completely could not understand, even though the smartest people were trying to explain to me, it is brilliance.

Brilliance is on display here when you're manufacturing, these parts that are just so we're just so proud of this. And I want you to know that as your governor, I want you to be here for generations and generations to come and in other 170 years, I will not be here, I predict, but I want you to continue celebrating that Corning is to New York part of our identity. It's a key part of our identity, and I am proud of that as your governor.

Bronx Point’s First Phase Tops Out At 575 Exterior Street In The South Bronx

 

Construction has topped out on the first phase of Bronx Point, a 22-story mixed-use building at 575 Exterior Street in the South Bronx. Designed by S9 Architecture and developed by L+M Development Partners, Type A Projects, and BronxWorks, the structure will yield 542 permanently affordable housing units in studio to three-bedroom layouts, all reserved for households and individuals earning between 30 to 120 percent of area median income, as well as for the formerly homeless. The edifice will also feature 56,000 square feet of community facility space, 12,000 square feet of retail space, and serve as the home of the Universal Hip Hop Museum. The building is the first to debut in the $349 million, 530,000-square-foot mixed-use master plan, which will bring 1,045 apartments and a 2.8-acre public green space next to Mill Pond Park designed by Marvel Architects and Abel Bainnson Butz. The property is located on a plot bound by the 145th Street bridge to the south, Exterior Street and the elevated Major Deegan Expressway to the east, and the Harlem River to the west.

Work has progressed steadily since breaking ground last May, with the brick façade now enclosing nearly half of the reinforced concrete superstructure.

Photos from a distance show the scale of the massive superstructure and its upper stepped design, and its level of visibility over the relatively low-rise district. Bronx Point joins a number of recent developments that are currently transforming The Bronx with a wave of new housing and buildings lining the waterfront.

575 Exterior Street’s residential program features 135 studio, 192 one-bedroom, 122 two-bedroom, and 93 three-bedroom apartments. Amenities include an outdoor terrace, on-site laundry facilities, a children’s room, a community lounge, a bike storage room, a fitness center, and 24/7 front desk security. An early childhood learning center run by BronxWorks and an outdoor science programming run by the Billion Oyster Project will occupy part of the community facility space.

The Universal Hip Hop Museum is slated to feature hip hop artifacts, a DJ booth, a graffiti station, a recording studio experience, and a virtual reality theater developed in partnership with Microsoft. Opening is anticipated for 2024. The green space will be composed of a public plaza, a fitness area, expansive lawns, a playground, waterfront lookouts, a BBQ area, multiple paths, and public bathrooms.

Bronx Point is being built as a public-private partnership with financing from city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development, the New York Housing Development Corporation, Empire State Development, and Wells Fargo totaling $323.5 million for the Bronx project, along with $27 million for the NYC Economic Development Corporation’s waterfront esplanade. The Prusik Group, L+M’s partner on Essex Crossing on the Lower East Side and the new National Urban League Headquarters in Harlem, will serve as Bronx Point’s retail development advisor.

It’s reported that Bronx Point as a whole is expected to be fully finished by the end of 2023.

Renderings Reveal Pelham House Mixed-Use Development At 215 Fifth Avenue In Pelham, New York

 

New renderings offer a first look at Pelham House, a forthcoming mixed-use residential structure at 215 Fifth Avenue in Pelham, New York. Described as a transit-oriented development, the property will include 127 apartments, 5,000 square feet of ground-floor retail, 160 private parking spaces, and an additional 60 parking spaces available to the public.

The development team, represented as Pelham Green LLC, includes Hudson, Excelsior Housing Group, and Sisca Northeast. Construction is expected to break ground next month with estimated costs hovering around $77 million.

Just last month, the developers’ request for financial incentives to facilitate completion of the project was approved by the Westchester IDA. This included a sales tax exemption of $1.1 million and a mortgage recording tax exemption of $500,000. The developer also received a real estate tax exemption through a Payment in Lieu of Tax (PILOT) agreement of $15.8 million. The tax benefits total $17.4 million, of which $2.1 million would be foregone county tax revenue.

The building’s façade features a mix of red brick, a light gray cementitious material, and double-hung windows.

The residential component will include a total of six apartments designated for households at 80 percent area median income. Building amenities will include a fitness center, a business center, a resident lounge, and roof deck.

The scope of work also includes the construction of a municipal center for the Village of Pelham. Costs for this segment of the project, estimated at $20 million, were not offset by the incentives package and will be completed at the developers’ expense. The developers will make additional cash payments to the village for public improvements related to traffic and pedestrian safety, parking, and other infrastructure-related fees.

“This exciting project is strongly supported by Pelham elected officials,” said Westchester County executive George Latimer. “The community benefit of providing needed public parking spaces, establishing a municipal center with modern police and fire services, and environmentally advanced buildings will have tremendous positive impact. It will also add to job creation and tax ratables.”

The project is expected to be completed and ready for occupancy in August 2025.

Permits Filed For 215 West Kingsbridge Road In Kingsbridge Heights, The Bronx

 

Permits have been filed for a six-story residential building at 215 West Kingsbridge Road in Kingsbridge Heights, The Bronx. Located between Heath Avenue and Kingsbridge Terrace, the lot is near the Kingsbridge Road subway station, serviced by the 4 train. Paul Durgaj of Durgaj Properties Corp is listed as the owner behind the applications.

The proposed 64-foot-tall development will yield 14,795 square feet designated for residential space. The building will have 23 residences, most likely rentals based on the average unit scope of 643 square feet. The masonry-based structure will also have a cellar, a 30-foot-long rear yard, and 12 open parking spaces.

Node Architecture Engineering Consulting PC is listed as the architect of record.

Demolition permits were filed in July 2020 for the three-story building on the site. An estimated completion date has not been announced.

New State Law - If You Request an Absentee Ballot You Can Not Vote on a Voting Machine

 

New Absentee Ballot Law

Due to a recent change in the law, New York State voters are no longer permitted to cast a ballot on a voting machine if they have requested to vote by Absentee Ballot.

 

Voters who have requested to vote by Absentee Ballot can still vote in-person using an Affidavit ballot at early voting or election day.

 

The affidavit ballot will be kept separate until the election is completed. Election officials will verify whether the voter’s absentee ballot has been received. If the voter’s absentee ballot has been received, the affidavit ballot will not be counted. If the voter’s absentee ballot has not been received, the affidavit ballot will be counted.

MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES EXPANSION OF SATURDAY NIGHT LIGHT YOUTH PROGRAM TO KEEP YOUNG PEOPLE SAFE AND ENGAGED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR

 

25 New Sites Brings Program to 131 Community Gyms Across City Providing Free Saturday Night Activities for Youth Aged 11-18

 New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced the expansion of the Saturday Night Lights program to include 25 additional sites with an additional $1.25 million investment. The Saturday Night Lights program provides safe and engaging activities for young people in underserved neighborhoods to have a fun and additionally provides a productive place to gather during traditionally high-crime times on Saturday evenings. Young people can enjoy an array of indoor activities at 131 sites in all five boroughs, including basketball, soccer, volleyball, dance, martial arts, and more. Saturday Night Lights is an interagency partnership through the New York City Police Department (NYPD), the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD), the New York City Department of Education (DOE), and the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, working with the city’s five District Attorney’s Offices and community-based organizations that administer the programs.

“Saturday Night Lights is about changing lives and ensuring no young person is left behind,” said Mayor Adams. “We are building trust between the police, the community, and our youth, while lifting young people up in every borough throughout this city. And we’re proud to be expanding this program to reach even more young people in underserved neighborhoods where they can have a safe, fun, and productive place to gather and play sports. We’re all in this together, and this is about giving young people another choice and keeping our city safe when crimes are most likely to be committed.”

 

“Saturday Night Lights is another hallmark of this administration’s investment and commitment to free, high-quality summer activities foryoung New Yorkers,” said Deputy Mayor of Strategic Initiatives Sheena Wright. “By bringing together local community basedorganizations and multiple agencies, this is a true collaborative process to make sure our young people have a fun, engaging summer.”

“Today marks another great step forward in putting New York City children first,” said NYPD Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell. “The Saturday Night Lights program is centered on enhancing youth development, building trust, and creating opportunities for young people in the communities that need us most. Furthermore, it works to prevent violence by connecting with our youth before they might ever have a first encounter with the criminal-justice system. To that end — in close collaboration with the Mayor’s Office, the Department of Youth and Community Development, the Department of Education, the Parks Department, and all of our law-enforcement and community partners — we will continue to employ innovative efforts to keep every New York City neighborhood safe.”

 

“Ensuring our children have fun, free, and, most importantly, safe activities throughout the summer months is vital in keeping our youngest engaged and in building supportive and caring environments. Saturday Night Lights is an immensely valuable program, and I’m thrilled to see it being expanded over the next few months,” said DOE Chancellor David C. Banks. “I’m grateful to all the community members and city workers for their dedication to facilitating this fantastic program, and look forward to the continued partnership between DYCD, NYPD, and the Department of Education in supporting New York City’s kids.”

 

“The expansion of Saturday Night Lights joins the unprecedented growth of the Summer Youth Employment Program and Summer Rising — a trifecta of investments prioritized by Mayor Adams supporting young people to keep them safe and engaged,” said DYCD Commissioner Keith Howard. “To raise awareness about the dangers of gun violence, Saturday Night Lights participants are ‘playing with purpose’ for DYCD’s ‘Not One More Shot’ campaign, as they enjoy basketball, soccer, volleyball, and other enrichment activities at gyms in all five boroughs. This truly will be a summer to remember for hundreds of thousands of young people in New York City.”

 

“This PAL Webster location is one of the first two we opened in the Bronx in 2019, and it has been a tremendous success. More than 60 youth actively participate here every weekend, in a positive environment,” said Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark. “It began with basketball, but grew to offer mentoring opportunities, including driver’s education, tournament participation, restorative justice conversations, and life skills development. In July 2021, the Saturday Night Lights program expanded to 100 gyms across the city, with the Bronx getting 23 sites. The program gives children a safe, free indoor space to play, instilling teamwork, leadership, and a sense of community. Now we will be getting more sites in the Bronx and across the city, and I couldn’t be happier. I thank Mayor Adams for recognizing the value of Saturday Night Lights. Providing activities for our children starting at 11 years old will influence them in the formative years, leading them away from negative actions. I thank Commissioner Sewell for all the support from the NYPD. It is great to watch the kids interact with cops. It will go a long way in community partnership.” 

 

Saturday Night Lights aims to activate underutilized spaces, build trust between law enforcement and communities, and help enable youth to develop the skills, knowledge, and meaningful relationships necessary to reach their fullest potential. A key component of the program is bringing law enforcement and young people together with teams of youth coordination officers from NYPD precincts. The officers coach and interact with participants to make a lasting and positive impact on their lives.

Gyms will be open Saturdays from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM for seven weeks in the summer (through August 20), and during the school year from September 10, 2022 through June 24, 2023.

 

Saturday Night Lights was launched at a single Harlem gym in 2011. For details on the initiative and to find a program, visit the Saturday Night Lights website.

“Saturday Night Lights has supported the Police Athletic League to keep our youth safe during vital times on the weekend and build relationships between young people and the NYPD. We applaud Mayor Adams, DYCD, the DA’s offices, and all other partners for their continued support and commitment to such a vital program,” said Carlos Velazquez, executive director, Police Athletic League.  

 

“Henry Street Settlement is honored and grateful to serve our community as a Saturday Night Lights location, offering safe, fun, and enriching athletics and recreation programming in spaces that are known and trusted to generations of youth on the Lower East Side,” said David Garza, president and CEO, Henry Street Settlement. “Having served as a Saturday Night Lights partner since the original pilot, we embrace the opportunity to open our doors even wider to young people who are seeking community as never before after several years of isolation and grief. The privations of the pandemic, coupled with recent gun violence that threatens the safety of our youth in a visceral and immediate way, have created an urgent need to revitalize our approaches and reinvest in our youth. Henry Street greatly appreciates the transformational leadership and partnership of the Mayor’s Office, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, the NYPD, DYCD, DOE, and Parks and Recreation in creating this important expansion.”

 

“At Partnership With Children, our programs focus on the mental health and well-being of the whole child. We commend Mayor Adams for providing added support to our youth and communities by opening up additional safe spaces for youth during the critical times of the summer when we have historically seen upticks in community violence,” said Wesner Pierre, CEO, Partnership With Children, Inc.

Jury Convicts Doctor of Health Care Fraud Scheme

 

 A federal jury convicted a New York man for defrauding Medicare and Medicaid by causing the submission of false and fraudulent claims for surgical procedures that were not performed.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Harold Bendelstein, 71, of Queens, billed Medicare and Medicaid for an incision procedure of the external ear for hundreds of patients, when in fact all he actually performed was an ear exam or ear wax removal. Specifically, between January 2014 and February 2018, Bendelstein, an ENT doctor, billed Medicare and Medicaid approximately $585,000 and was paid approximately $191,000. Medicare and Medicaid data demonstrated that Bendelstein was an outlier and the highest biller for this procedure in New York State.

Bendelstein was convicted of one count of health care fraud and one count of making a false claim. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 7, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York; Special Agent in Charge Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Office of Investigations; and Acting Medicaid Inspector General Frank T. Walsh of the Office of the Medicaid Inspector General (OMIG) made the announcement.

HHS-OIG and OMIG investigated the case.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, comprised of 15 strike forces operating in 24 federal districts, has charged more than 4,200 defendants who collectively have billed the Medicare program for more than $19 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.