County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency
The CCIDA is an economic development organization authorized and empowered by the State of New York to make Chautauqua County a better place to work, live, and visit. We facilitate development by attracting new businesses, while promoting the retention and expansion of existing businesses. Assistance in the form of incentives – tax abatements, low-interest loans, and bond financing – enhances the opportunities for job creation and retention by our businesses.
CCIDA Summary of Accomplishments
TOTAL NEW JOBS CREATED
639
TOTAL INVESTMENT
APPROVED/COMMITTED IN 2025
39 PERMANENT - FULL TIME
600 CONSTRUCTION - TEMPORARY
$84.7 million
Chautauqua Region Economic Development Corporation
Chautauqua Region Economic Development Corporation (CREDC) is the CCIDA’s component organization, which acts as a mechanism for undertaking projects and initiatives related to collaborative county-wide economic development. It is also the umbrella organization for the Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth (CCPEG).
TOTAL GRANT DOLLARS SECURED
$2,582,012
NUMBER OF LOANS (AL-TECH, CRLF, EDA FUNDS)
2
TOTAL FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT JOBS RETAINED
243
PILOT PAYMENTS TO TAXING JURISDICTIONS
NUMBER OF PROJECTS
9
$4.85 million
To summarize, in 2025 the CCIDA Board approved/assisted 10 projects, which included loans and incentives (state and local). If fully realized, these projects will result in a total investment in Chautauqua County of $84.7 million, create 639 jobs (permanent and construction), and retain 243 jobs. These activities included the approval of loans for businesses, incentives for development projects, and the procurement of grants. Some of the key accomplishments include: $41.4 million Maplevale Farms relocation and expansion project in the Town of Mina, ensuring the locally-owned company will continue to operate in Chautauqua County; updating and finalizing incentives for the $19.3 million renovation of the C.E. Welch Building in Westfield; five solar projects with a combined investment of $32.8 million and producing a total of 16.4 MW of clean energy once fully completed; the $2.5 million Tri-County Country Club reconstruction and expansion effort; and providing a loan to support the $243,000 Ivory Acres Wedding venue acquisition in the Town of Carroll. The CCIDA also finalized planning for the $16+ million shovel-ready I-90 Veterans Memorial Commerce Park in Ripley. The agency also continued to promote Chautauqua County as a viable place to live, work, and do business through the Live CHQ and Choose CHQ marketing efforts.
Dear Community Stakeholders,
I wanted to start off, like I do every year, by extending my sincere gratitude to all of our economic development partners located throughout the county and region for helping to make 2025 another successful year! As we look back at all of the challenges and accomplishments of 2025, I am inspired by the innovation exhibited by our team members, the selflessness of our volunteer CCIDA Board and committee members, CCPEG Work Group and Advisory Board Members, the leadership displayed by our municipal leaders, and courage demonstrated by our local companies who invest in the future (to name a few).
Through all of the uncertainty posed by our political and economic climate, the CCIDA team has once again delivered on its mission of attracting new businesses while promoting the retention and expansion of existing businesses - the result of which was our support in the creation of 639 jobs (permanent and construction), the retention of 243 existing jobs, the catalyzation of more than $84 million in capital investment in Chautauqua County, and PILOT payments to taxing jurisdiction of over $4.85 million. In addition, the CCIDA secured more than $2.5 million in grant funding for various projects and approved two high-risk, low-interest loans to local businesses to help support their operations.
In 2025, the CCIDA’s component organization, Chautauqua Region Economic Development Corporation (CREDC), continued to act as a mechanism for undertaking projects and initiatives related to collaborative countywide economic development. CREDC, the umbrella organization for the public-private economic development collaborative Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth (CCPEG), was successful in obtaining over $630,000 in grant funding for various projects and also helping our partners secure nearly $6.4 million in additional grant dollars for projects related to economic development, including $4.5 million in funding from NY Forward for the Village of Westfield. CCPEG also provided $269,000 to 23 different partner-led projects. I am really proud of the work we are doing in assisting our partners, including municipalities, in undertaking transformative and meaningful projects.
As I’ve said many times before, economic development is a messy and complicated business with many hurdles and challenges, most of which are determined by outside forces. For those of us who are fortunate enough to work in this field, we can attest to its complexities and fragilities. Not everything works out the way we intended! That being said, we strive to win more projects than we lose, which requires tireless effort, perseverance, and collaboration. I commend the leadership exhibited by County Executive Wendel and the County Legislature for their support of our efforts as we focus on key strategic issues. While we no doubt face ebbs and flows in our organization and in our local, regional, state, and federal economies, the CCIDA and Chautauqua County continue to work hard and continue our evolution toward a better future. We have tremendous momentum!
In terms of aspirations for 2026, the CCIDA desires to (among other things): aggressively focus on business retention and expansion; finish and market our two current shovel-ready site projects while working to identify additional locations for future shovel-ready projects; re-activate key vacant buildings, including the Furniture Mart Building in Jamestown, Lake Shore Hospital in Hanover, TruckLite Building in the Town of Ellicott, Hotel Lenhart in Bemus Point, the NRG Facility in Dunkirk, and others; finalize and initiate a new, 5-year strategic plan for CCPEG; continue our marketing and branding efforts for Live and Choose CHQ in order to help address population decline and attract much-needed talent to local employers; and assist Chautauqua County with its Government Reduction Initiative to help identify ways to reduce expenses for public services.
The following report is a summary of our team’s work in 2025, both the CCIDA and CCPEG, along with a roadmap for top priorities in 2026. As we look to next year, I pledge that we will continue to be aggressive and intentional as we concentrate our efforts on key priorities.
Thank you for your support and we look forward to another great year ahead!
Mark R. Geise
Chautauqua County Deputy County Executive for Economic Development, CCIDA Chief Executive Officer, and CCPEG Advisory Board Co-Chair
2025
TOP 10 COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS
1. Maplevale Farms Relocation and Expansion
In September and December, the CCIDA Board of Directors approved incentives for Maplevale Farms, Inc., which will be used to assist the company with relocating from its current site in Falconer to a new facility in Findley Lake/Town of Mina. The total cost of the project is estimated at $41.4 million. Once completed, the project will result in the retention of 213 jobs and the creation of 23 new positions. An additional 300 - 400 temporary jobs would also be provided during construction of the new facility. The support from the CCIDA ensures the longtime, family-owned local business will continue to operate its food distribution operation in Chautauqua County well into the future.
2. Focused on Shovel-Ready Sites
In 2025, the CCIDA secured all the necessary funding, permitting, and environmental review necessary to advance its two shovel-ready site projects. The action in 2025 cleared the way for work to begin on the $16 million, 148-acre project in Ripley, which will be known as the I-90 Veterans Commerce Park once completed in late 2026. Planning for a second, 40-acre shovel-ready site in the Mason Industrial Park was also finalized in 2025, setting the stage for that site to be shovel-ready by mid 2026. A plan to market the two sites was also developed and will be put into action in early 2026.
3. Assisted with the Development of Four REDC Applications
CCPEG provided assistance to the City of Jamestown for the development of a Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) grant proposal totalling $10 million to the WNY Regional Economic Development Council (REDC). CCPEG also provided technical assistance and resources to three other communities (Falconer, Findley Lake, Sherman), each applying for $4.5 million in NY Forward grant funding. The assistance comes after it was announced in early 2025 that the Village of Westfield was awarded a NY Forward grant from the state with its application also receiving technical support from CCPEG.
4. Celebrated Grand Opening of The White Inn
In June, dozens of invited guests were at The White Inn in Fredonia to participate in a special ribbon cutting and grand opening ceremony that officially marks a new era for the historic downtown structure.
The event was co-hosted by the CCIDA and the CHQ Chamber. The event was the culmination of a multimillion dollar, three-year effort made possible by an ownership team represented by Steve St. George, owner of S. St. George Enterprises, Inc., along with business partner and Executive Chef Devin Jones. The CCIDA assisted in making the project financially viable, both in terms of CCIDA financial incentives and through the coordination of a number of capital grants.
5. Received Additional Funding to Address Brownfield Cleanup Efforts
In the spring of 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the CCIDA would receive $1,000,000 in funding to help recapitalize our Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund, allowing our agency to provide more loans for brownfield remediation. In addition, the EPA announced the CCIDA would receive a $500,000 grant to do environmental site assessments and asbestos surveys to promote remediation/redevelopment of environmentally challenged sites across the county.
6. Initiated Update of Countywide 5-year Economic Development Strategic Plan
In the fall of 2025, CCPEG - with funding support provided by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation - contracted with Camoin Associates to develop a new Economic Development Strategic Plan, which will help to guide the Partnership’s focus in economic development for the next five years. The plan will be finalized in early 2026. In addition, CCPEG is working with Camoin Associates on an Impact Report that will highlight the success stories made possible through CCPEG, with a goal of sharing the report with other counties in New York State as a template for developing their own economic development initiatives.
7. Advanced New Housing Project with Demolition of Former Silver Creek High School
9. Josiah Lamp Hired as CCPEG Program Manager
The effort to redevelop a major blighted property in downtown Silver Creek took a significant step forward in 2025 with the demolition of the former Silver Creek High School building at 60 Main St. The move clears the path for Southern Tier Environments for Living, in conjunction with Park Grove Development, to develop a three-story Silver Creek Apartments housing project, which will provide 54 safe and affordable units for seniors ages 62 and up. This project received support from the CCIDA in 2024, including a PILOT agreement and exemptions for both sales and mortgage tax payments. The project is expected to be completed in 2026, at a total cost of $20.2 million. The effort to redevelop the property has been 45 years in the making, making the demolition and redevelopment a major milestone for the Village and surrounding area.
8. Continued to Address Housing Needs
In August, CREDC announced that Josiah Lamp was hired to fill the newly created position of Program Manager with CCPEG. Josiah has 15 years of experience in managing economic development and housing programs, most recently as the Director of Housing and Community Development at Chautauqua Opportunities, Inc. As CCPEG Program Manager, Josiah will oversee and coordinate CCPEG activities, including the initiation, development, implementation, and monitoring of CCPEG projects and programs that encourage economic development in Chautauqua County.
10. Continued to Market County for Business Development, Relocation, and Tourism
With a shortage of housing opportunities primarily in our population centers, one of the CCIDA’s ongoing priorities is working with developers to entice them to provide adequate, safe, and modern housing for the county’s residents. Besides the aforementioned project in Silver Creek, other projects supported by the CCIDA continued to see forward movement in 2025. This included the former C. E. Welch Building project in Westfield (46 units), which finalized all necessary funding and will begin renovation work in 2026. The Gateway Lofts project (110 units) in Jamestown also received additional funding through the CCIDA to assist with brownfield remediation. The CCIDA also continued preliminary work on providing incentives for the Lakeside Werks project (11 units), being developed by Peak Development in Dunkirk. Peak Development’s other Dunkirk project, 401 Central, LLC (5 units), was also completed in 2025 after receiving CCIDA support in 2024.
CCIDA Loan Program 2025 Report
In 2024, the CCIDA and CCPEG launched the Choose CHQ and Live CHQ marketing initiatives. Choose CHQ focuses on our economic development programs, while Live CHQ serves as Chautauqua County’s talent attraction and retention initiative, promoting our county as a viable place to live, work, invest, and do business. In 2025, the two initiatives gained solid footing through marketing efforts that resulted in more than 110,000 visitors coming to the ChooseCHQ.com and LiveCHQ.org websites, with 90% coming from outside Chautauqua County. The marketing effort included the distribution of the Viewpoint with Dennis Quaid public television segment, which was distributed to 127 different public television stations across the country. Since being launched in April 2024, over 125,000 visitors have come specifically to LiveCHQ.org to learn more about the benefits that come with living in Chautauqua County. The initiative has also been a valuable recruitment tool for our local employers.
In 2025, the CCIDA was able to issue four loans (including the two loans authorized by our Board in 2025) totaling $1.128 million in AL Tech, CRLF, and EDA funds. This brings our 2025 ending loan receivable balance to $20 million. We have a higher than average success rate comparative to other IDAs in the state, where our bad debt reserve is conservatively booked at 20.5%. To reiterate, this is an estimate calculated by general reserve standards and regulations - primarily for our financials. We do not expect our portfolio to be that risky nor come close to that forecast. We have approximately $1 million available to loan, of which $500,000 is currently earmarked for pending 2025 loans. This is prior to any 2026 principal payment receipts that will increase that availability.
In the News
Members of the CCIDA and CCPEG team received positive headlines numerous times in 2025. Here’s a look back at some of the highlights.
Retirements of Carol Rasmussen and Richard Dixon
The CCIDA said goodbye to two of its long-serving employees in 2025 with the retirements of CFO Rich Dixon and Project Manager Carol Rasmussen. In January, the CCIDA and County Executive PJ Wendel recognized Rasmussen for her 24 years of service. Since 2001, Carol assisted countless businesses in Chautauqua County with retention strategies while also recruiting new business development. Some of the key businesses she assisted with included Artone, Bush Industries/ E-Solutions, Cummins, Dahlstrom Roll Form, New Flyer of America, Phoenix Metal, Rand Machine, SKF, Southern Tier Brewing Co., Weber Knapp, and many more. In May, Dixon retired from his position after 19 years with the agency. During his time with the CCIDA, Rich had an unmatched track record as an accomplished economic developer with extensive financial and operations management experience. His leadership and dedication were directly related to the creation and retention of thousands of jobs and the investment of billions of private dollars in Chautauqua County.
Geise Named to Buffalo Business First’s ‘Power 250’ List
In April, Mark Geise, Chautauqua County’s Deputy County Executive for Economic Development and CCIDA CEO, was once again named to Buffalo Business First’s prestigious “Power 250” listing. The publication’s “Power 250” is an annual list of the 250 people whom the full news staff at Business First regards as the most influential and powerful people in the eight counties (Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans, and Wyoming) that make up Western New York. For 2025, Geise was ranked 187th, up six spots from his 2024 ranking of 193.
2026
TOP 10 CCIDA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GOALS
1. Aggressive Proactive Business Retention & Expansion
We will continue to work with current and prospective businesses throughout Chautauqua County to ensure they have the resources they need to prosper and grow. This includes providing information about state, regional, and local economic development programs, as well as incentives available through the CCIDA, Empire State Development, Small Business Development Center at JCC, and other sources via constant contact by our Project Managers and through our marketing efforts.
2. Complete Shovel-Ready Sites in Ripley and Ellicott
With the necessary funding secured, CCIDA is expected to complete development in 2026 at both the 140+ acre site in Ripley and the 40+ acre site in the Mason Industrial Park in the Town of Ellicott. The goal will be to have the Mason site shovel-ready by the summer of 2026, and the Ripley site completed by the end of 2026 (with the exception of perhaps the electrical extension). To garner interest from prospective developers, CCIDA will initiate its aggressive marketing campaign for both sites, starting in early 2026. The marketing effort will not only focus on the sites being shovel-ready, but also on location, incentives, affordable utility costs, quality of life, and other pertinent qualities.
3. Reactivate Properties of Community Importance
Furniture Mart Building in Jamestown – We will continue to work with the City of Jamestown, Gebbie Foundation, and other key stakeholders to attract interest in the Furniture Mart building for future redevelopment. We will continue to market the site on the Choose CHQ and Invest Buffalo Niagara websites.
Silver Creek School – Following the demolition of the dilapidated school in the fall of 2025, the CCIDA will continue to work with STEL, Park Grove Realty, Empire State Development, and the Village/Town to complete construction of a new, 50+ unit senior housing project on the site, as all of the financing is in place.
Lakeshore Hospital in Irving – We will continue to work with the Town, the State, Main Rd Med Group Center, and others to reactivate the vacated facility for populations at risk. Truck-Lite Building in Ellicott – We will continue to work with the sellers and prospective purchasers of the vacant Truck-Lite facility by offering incentives and bringing Empire State Development to the table. We will continue to market the site on the Choose CHQ and Invest Buffalo Niagara websites.
C.E. Welch Building in Westfield – We will continue to work with Savarino Co., the Town, the State, and others to complete reconstruction of the Welch Building into 42 market rate apartments with commercial space.
Serta Simmons Building in Ellicott – We will continue to work with the sellers and prospective purchasers of the Serta Simmons facility by offering incentives and bringing Empire State Development to the table. We will continue to market the site on the Choose CHQ and Invest Buffalo Niagara websites.
Hotel Lenhart in Bemus Point – We will continue to work with the new owners of the historic hotel, Jill and Bill Curry, to bring the complete restoration to fruition.
4. Assist ImmunityBio and Electrovaya
We will continue to ensure both ImmunityBio, a pharmaceutical company that leases the Dunkirk plant from New York State, and Electrovaya, a leading lithium-ion battery technology and manufacturing company with a plant in the Town of Ellicott, have access to local, state, and federal resources that will allow them to ramp up their operations to achieve their full potential.
5. Continue to Focus on County’s Economic Development Strategy through CCPEG
CCPEG will continue the implementation of priority projects in alignment with the County’s Economic Development Strategy, including Jamestown’s Chadakoin River Activation and Development Initiative, implementing key components of the Housing Market Assessment & Development Plan, supporting trail maintenance efforts in collaboration with the Friends of the Chautauqua County Greenways, and infrastructure project planning and development. CCPEG will also provide critical local matching dollars for catalytic economic and community development projects seeking funding from various local, state, federal, and philanthropic sources. The County’s Economic Development Strategy will also be updated by mid 2026, with the assistance of Camoin Associates.
6. Acquire and Prepare New Shovel-Ready Sites
We will continue to acquire the appropriate sites and determine what level of infrastructure and due diligence are required to make the sites suitable for industrial/business development. This is in response to the documented need for an increase in and improved inventory of market/shovel-ready sites, and involves thorough investigation, analysis, and financial resources - including identifying and analyzing known or suspected brownfields across the county.
7. Continue Live CHQ Initiative
The CCIDA and CCPEG will continue to aggressively market and promote Live CHQ, its talent attraction and retention marketing initiative to help address and reverse the county’s population decline. The intended result is that more people will learn about the benefits of living in Chautauqua County and choose to stay or relocate here to fill available job positions, start businesses here, retire here, and/or visit, ultimately resulting in a reversal in population decline over time.
8. Collaborate with County Municipalities to Assist with Economic Development
We will continue to support the cities of Dunkirk and Jamestown in their economic development efforts, including helping Dunkirk with its approved Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) $10 million grant from the WNY Regional Economic Development Council and the City of Jamestown with the Chadakoin River Strategic Business Plan along with its efforts to secure a second $10 million award through the State’s DRI program. In addition, both CCPEG and the CCIDA will continue to work with towns and villages to support their ongoing economic development efforts.
9. Government Reduction Initiative
We will continue to work with Chautauqua County leadership to roll out and manage County Executive Wendel’s Government Reduction Initiative, which encourages municipalities, school districts, and others to access funding to help identify ways to reduce expenses for public services and save taxpayers money.
10. NRG Reuse Initiative
The County worked with the City of Dunkirk to undertake Phase II of this initiative, which was funded by a grant of $160,000 through NYSERDA’s Just Transition Site Reuse Planning grant program, in order to advance several predevelopment activities. This included a detailed infrastructure assessment, Phase II Environmental Site Assessment, marketing development, site planning, workforce development, non-site-specific community revitalization strategies, public engagement, legal analysis, and others as determined through the initial baseline planning process. The CCIDA also worked with the city to respond to a New York Power Authority Request for Information (RFI) regarding community interest in hosting a nuclear energy project in late 2025. The CCIDA will continue to “push” NRG to take action toward repurposing the facility.
Viewpoint
with Dennis Quaid
In October, Chautauqua County partnered with “Viewpoint with Dennis Quaid,” a public television program distributed to more than 170 stations across the country, to share details on why our county is a special place to live and do business. Specifically, the program highlighted both the Choose CHQ and Live CHQ initiatives and featured commentary from several community leaders, including County Executive PJ Wendel, CCIDA CEO Mark Geise, Cummins Jamestown Engine Plant Manager Shawn Hricko, and National Comedy Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson. Hosted by acclaimed actor, Dennis Quaid, “Viewpoint with Dennis Quaid” engages its audience by cultivating each segment with an approach of educating viewers and inspiring them to take action. The full segment can be found at both ChooseCHQ.com and LiveCHQ.org.
County Officials Meet with Federal Representatives in D.C.
In May, CCIDA CEO Mark Geise, County Executive PJ Wendel, County Legislature Chair Pierre Chagnon, and County Watershed Coordinator David McCoy met with Sen. Chuck Schumer, Congressman Nick Langworthy, staff from Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s office, and representatives from the Army Corps of Engineers. These meetings focused on a variety of projects that require high-level, federal support including: the Ripley shovel-ready site development effort, the dredging effort for both Barcelona and Dunkirk Harbors, and the Chautauqua Lake Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Study, among others.
For a complete list of news stories involving the CCIDA and CCPEG in 2025, visit ChooseCHQ.com/news.
Investors
Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation
Chautauqua County
County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency
Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation
Gebbie Foundation
2025 Advisory Board
Mark Geise, Founder and Partnership Co-Chair, County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency
Dan Heitzenrater, Partnership Co-Chair, Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce
Paul M. Wendel, Jr., Chautauqua County Executive
Tom Harmon, Chautauqua County Legislature PED Committee Chairman
Greg Edwards, Business Development Work Group, Gebbie Foundation
Gina Paradis, Housing Co-Chair, Chautauqua County Land Bank
Andrew Nixon, Placemaking Co-Chair, Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau
Katie Geise, Workforce Readiness and Development Co-Chair, Workforce Investment Board
Crystal Surdyk, Placemaking Co-Chair, City of Jamestown
Vince DeJoy, Placemaking Work Group, City of Dunkirk
Diane Hannum, Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation
Tory Irgang, Chautauqua Region Community Foundation
Sham Bahgat, Bahgat & Laurito-Bahgat
Jessica Wuerstle, Infrastructure Work Group Co-Chair, Chautauqua County Director of Environmental Health Services
Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth
CCPEG Mission
The Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth (CCPEG) serves as the main convener of economic development partners and resources to advance key projects that achieve economic prosperity in Chautauqua County. It also serves as the catalyst and broker of resources for advancing economic prosperity efforts and is the central coordinating entity for improving the quality of life in our communities, thereby attracting people and businesses to Chautauqua County to live, work, recreate, and invest.
About CCPEG
CCPEG is a program of CREDC that receives input and guidance from a volunteer Advisory Board, consisting of leaders from both the private and public sector, representing various communities from across Chautauqua County. It is able to achieve its goals and objectives, including assisting dozens of its community partners, with a small support staff, assistance from Chautauqua County Department of Planning & Development, and the help of five separate Work Groups composed of members from across the county. These Work Groups include: Business Development, Housing, Infrastructure, Placemaking, and Workforce Development.
2025 By The Numbers
In 2025, CCPEG focused on advancing 12 priority projects in alignment with the Economic Development Strategy. The Partnership also provided over $269,000 in financial assistance and technical assistance to support several dozen partner-led projects and initiatives that support economic revitalization and long-term strategic investment throughout Chautauqua County. In addition, the Partnership was awarded 18 grants in 2025, totaling over $451,500 and leveraged an additional $6,175,376 on behalf of its partners.
51
$6,175,376
163
17
70
75 $451,500
26 Projects Totaling
$400,610
Our Work Groups
The Business Development Work Group ensures Chautauqua County fosters a positive environment for the creation and expansion of small and large businesses, and prepares development-ready sites throughout the county. The group also works to identify challenges that need to be overcome by businesses in order to grow and thrive, while identifying core sectors that should be targeted in order to optimize key assets and amenities.
The Housing Development Work Group engages and supports municipal leaders, housing agencies, investors, homeowners, and tenants through projects that improve the county’s housing stock and remove blight to provide a diverse range of housing styles in developed, walkable communities to meet the demands of today’s workers and active adults.
The Infrastructure Work Group partners with municipalities, utility districts, and related stakeholders to identify, develop, and secure funding for a wide range of infrastructure projects, especially those that align with the Chautauqua County Economic Development Strategic Plan or enhance or leverage previous investment in economic development within Chautauqua County.
The Placemaking Development Work Group promotes distinct public spaces that enhance community identity, promote unique experiences and destinations, and create social connections throughout Chautauqua County. It also encourages unique senses of place that build upon and prioritize public and private investment that creates healthy, vibrant, walkable communities characterized by thriving tourism attractions, downtowns, and enhanced waterfronts specific to Chautauqua County.
The Workforce Readiness & Development Work Group brings together various representatives from the county’s workforce development sector to act as one in preparing the future workforce, while also developing the current workforce. The end result is an increase in the number of competitive, successful, thriving businesses across Chautauqua County, and establishing a brand identity as the “Work Belt ‘’ region in the United States.
2025 CCPEG Grant Awards
2025 CCPEG Economic Growth Fund Projects
2025 CCPEG Priority Projects
Business Development Work Group
City of Jamestown Chadakoin River Central/Eastern Brownfield Opportunity Area Priority Site
Pre-Development Project
CCPEG received $201,402 from the New York State Department of State to carry out predevelopment work at five priority sites within the Chadakoin River Central/Eastern Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA). This work will help reduce uncertainties, costs, and potential liabilities associated with brownfield redevelopment, encouraging private investment within the BOA. The project launched in 2025, with the sites selected, site tours completed, and market analysis underway. In 2026, the team will prepare site profiles, develop tailored redevelopment strategies, conduct site marketing, and create an implementation plan to support redevelopment at each location.
Shovel-Ready Site Support
The availability of development-ready acreage is limited in the county, while demand from the manufacturing, transportation, and warehousing industries continues to grow. This initiative aims to expand the inventory of development sites and prepare critical infrastructure to support economic growth. CCPEG has assisted the CCIDA in securing $3 million in grant funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission for a $15.5 million project on a 147-acre site in Ripley. The goal of the project is to trans-
form the site into a shovel-ready location that will attract developers and employers looking to expand or relocate to Western New York. The site is expected to break ground in 2026.
Chadakoin River Activation
The project aims to energize Jamestown’s waterfront, attract more visitors to the river corridor and basin areas, and boost economic activity in and around downtown, ultimately improving quality of life for residents. With more than $2 million secured, Phase I implementation began in January 2025. Over the past year, the project team gathered community input through site visits and water-based community engagement while refining design concepts to guide early investments. Initial improvements will focus on the south side of the basin, with groundbreaking expected in 2026.
Housing Development Work Group
Housing Developments in Progress
Significant progress has been made in the development of housing units in Chautauqua County. Construction was started in Silver Creek on a 54-unit affordable housing project for seniors. In Dunkirk, the Bank Building on Central Avenue opened its doors, while the 78-unit Homesteads at Dunkirk Landing project is scheduled to begin construction in 2026. In Westfield, the former C.E. Welch Building’s development into market rate apartments has grown from a $11.5 million project to a $19 million project. CCPEG assisted with securing an additional $1 million in infrastructure
funding for the Homesteads at Dunkirk Landing and C.E. Welch Building projects. The projects are part of the over 400 housing units built or funded since 2022.
Workforce Development Work Group
Live CHQ Talent Attraction and Retention Initiative
The Live CHQ talent attraction and retention initiative promotes Chautauqua County as an exceptional place to live, work, and do business by highlighting its affordability, job opportunities, cultural and entertainment attractions, and diverse outdoor recreational options. Launched in April 2024, the website LiveCHQ.org showcases the benefits of living in the county and also provides general information about our communities and key attractions.
Since its launch, the Live CHQ brand has appeared in both traditional and digital media, with over 10 million digital impressions on google advertising platforms and various social media. In 2025, LiveCHQ.org had more than 120,000 views from over 90,000 unique visitors, 90% coming from outside Chautauqua County. Local employers have also leveraged Live CHQ as part of their own recruitment and hiring efforts.
Live CHQ remains closely integrated with the broader ChooseCHQ.com platform, ensuring that individuals, families, and businesses can easily access information about community assets, local employers, and economic development resources through CCIDA, CCPEG, and partner organizations. Together, these efforts continue to strengthen Chautauqua County’s visibility and competitiveness as a place where people can build meaningful careers and fulfilling lives.
Workforce Ambassador Program
In 2025, the Live CHQ Workforce Ambassador Program continued to support newcomers exploring opportunities in Chautauqua County. Our ambassadors remained engaged throughout the year, building connections, answering questions, and helping employees and their families settle into the community. The program continues to strengthen relationships between local employers, new talent, and the county’s many unique assets, ensuring that each newcomer receives personalized guidance based on their interests and needs. More information at ChooseCHQ.com/ WorkforceAmbassadors.
CHQ Professionals
The Chautauqua Professionals Group (CPG) is an organization under CCPEG and aims to provide social, civic, educational, and networking opportunities for professionals at every stage of their careers. In 2025, CPG hosted two networking and development workshops in the spring and fall, several “coffee meet ups” at various locally owned coffee shops across the county, organized a series of reading events with local students during Literacy Week, and once again coorganized the annual “Jingle at the Rocks” event to support Toys for Tots during the holiday season.
Placemaking Work Group
Downtown Revitalization Support for Dunkirk DRI
CCPEG continues to support the City of Dunkirk and individual project sponsors in advancing the Dunkirk Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI). CCPEG, along with the County and CCIDA, plays an active role in supporting the Department of Development with advancing the two DRI-funded marina projects, as well as focusing on other resilient infrastructure enhancements to the harbor itself.
NY Forward and DRI Applications Support
In 2025, the Village of Westfield was awarded $4.5 million through the NY Forward program for downtown revitalization. CCPEG provided technical assistance to the Village as it prepared and submitted its final application. Building on the success of Westfield and the City of Dunkirk’s DRI program, CCPEG supported the applications of the Village of Falconer, the Village of Sherman, the Town of Mina, and the City of Jamestown for NY Forward and/or DRI program applications in 2025.
CHQ Trails Day
On June 21, 2025, the Friends of the Chautauqua County Greenways (FCCG) hosted the inaugural “CHQ Trails Day.” This day-long event featured group hikes and nature walks at our county parks and trails, a “bird walk” at Cassadaga Lake, the unveiling of the “Homestead Loop” in Boutwell Hill State Forest (along with horse carriage rides), and a mountain bike group ride at Loud Performance in Bemus Point. This countywide event captured the spirit of collaboration and connectivity that has come to define the FCCG over the past three years.
Overland Trail Phase V Project
CCPEG, through the efforts of Trail Consultant Jacob Bodway, continues to identify improvement and upgrade projects for various public recreation trails across Chautauqua County.
In 2025, and as part of the ongoing trail upgrade effort, CCPEG was able to secure $110,000 for Phase V trail improvements. Phase V will happen in the summer of 2026 and will update the Fred J. Cusimano Westside Overland Trail in Boutwell Hill State Forest. The FCCG also continued to meet and collaborate on promoting public trails, with two wellattended public meetings in spring and fall.
Paint CHQ
Paint CHQ is a quality of life and public art initiative aimed at bringing high quality, large scale murals to Chautauqua County. The goals and purpose of this type of artwork implementation include highlighting community assets, embracing the value of public art investment, bringing visitors to your community, encouraging economic growth, building a foundation for more public art investment, and improving quality of place. This new public art will foster community pride and encourage economic revitalization. In 2025, three murals were implemented in the Villages of Westfield, Sherman, and Falconer. Each mural speaks to the community’s unique attributes and characteristics. The photos and details of each artist can be found at ChooseCHQ. com/PaintCHQ. 2026 will lead to the production of Dunkirk’s mural in the spring and another municipality TBD in the fall.
2026 CCIDA and CREDC Board of Directors
Gary Henry Chair
CEO and owner of Fancher Chair Co., Inc.
Daniel DeMarte
Member
President of Jamestown Community College
Daniel Heitzenrater Vice Chair
President & CEO of the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce
Amy Harding Secretary
Vice President and Regional Sales Manager, Lake Shore Savings Bank
Sagan Sheffield-Smith Treasurer Chief Financial Officer, Double A Vineyards
John Healy Member
Executive Director, Builders Exchange of the Southern Tier
Kevin Muldowney
Member
Owner/President of Muldowney Development, Inc.
Ted Wightman
Member
Business Representative, North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters
Tom Harmon
Ex Officio Chautauqua County
Legislature Representative, Planning & Economic Development Committee Chair
Special thanks to outgoing Board member Brad Walters, who served on the CCIDA Board for ten years prior to his retirement at the start of 2025.
Mark Geise Chief Executive Officer geisem@chqgov.com 716.661.8902
Josiah Lamp CCPEG Program Manager Josiah.Lamp@chqgov.com 716.363.3609
