By Doug La Rocque
The largest grant in the local area, $3 million, was awarded to the SAFE Holdings NY facility on Route 22 in Berlin.[private] The ambitious project in Berlin has bought the former Seagroatts Roses property and has renovated one group of greenhouses and installed a natural gas delivery facility, and it plans to begin production soon of hydroponic lettuce, fish, and caviar in a sophisticated aquaculture facility.
The grant will help SAFE Holdings NY to expand its business to include the development of a tank system, installation of ground source heat pumps and transforming the upper greenhouses for black bass and sturgeon production. It will also help in the construction of administrative buildings. It is hoped that by the time the facility is fully operational in 2020 it will mean as many as 150 jobs for the Taconic Valley.
Plans call for the seeding and planting of the hydroponic lettuce in mid-January. The company also has plans to partner with another Berlin business, Green Renewable, and two other firms in the production of fuel oil from wood and electrical energy generation. The hope is to create a Planned Development District, similar to the one that is home to Global Foundries in Malta. The entire project is expected to cost about $125 million, much of which SAFE NY CEO Michael Pasternak hopes to secure in federal and state grants. [/private]