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Emerald Corporate park:

‘a break from the past.’

By DAVID HULSE

ROCK HILL — County Manager Jonathan Drapkin said Sullivan County was setting a whole new course, "a clear and definite break from our past," with the April 21 introduction of the Emerald Corporate Park in Rock Hill.

The six-lot, 57.16-acre corporate park, directly opposite the Frontier Insurance headquarters on Rock Hill Drive, was announced in conjunction with expansion plans by Frontier and another neighboring business, the Irwin Siegel Agency.

Siegel, an insurance provider, which was not represented at the Wednesday announcement ceremony at Bernie’s Holiday Restaurant, reportedly plans an 80-job expansion in its business.

Frontier officials were on hand to detail their plans to renovate the former Howard Johnson’s Motel into an upscale conference area and accommodations for visiting business people, who now are lodged in Middletown or Newburgh. Frontier executive Robert Feldman said the Frontier "needs a fairly decent place for people to stay. We really didn’t have that," he added.

When space is available, the motel will also be open to the public.

Feldman said he was pleased at Sullivan’s plans for the park since Frontier is quickly running out of space at its headquarters across Route 17.

County economic development-related agencies will be housed in a 5000-square-foot building that will inaugurate the $2.2 million park. Five other sites, ranging from 4 to 20 acres, are available and county officials say they have had several inquiries about them.

The park is planned to be "shovel ready" with paper plans pre-approved for development, allowing new companies to begin construction almost immediately. "Shovel-ready sites are in short supply and Sullivan County has really taken a lead here," said Ed Arace of the NYS, Empire State Development office.

Arace said New York State will be a partner in helping Sullivan to develop the area. "We deal in a competitive market. Whatever it takes, we’re at the table," he said.

Michael DiTullo, president of Mid-Hudson Patterns for Progress, an economic development agency, agreed, saying Sullivan was now assembling the goods business is looking to buy. "You can’t sell from an empty rack. When the corporations come looking, you have to have a product to show them," he said.

DiTullo, formerly with Alan Gerry’s Granite Associates, said Sullivan made a "smart business decision," in financing the risk of creating the park, and added that "the county will manufacture new land values by this investment."

Assemblyman Jacob Gunther said this kind of development is clearly compatible with existing regional values and should spin off new growth for the hotels as well as the river valley’s recreation industry.

Legislative chair Rusty Pomeroy said the park was proof that "Sullivan wants to work with business," and credited former state Senator Charles Cook with providing $400,000 in seed money to get it rolling. "Without those funds, we wouldn’t be here today," he added.

Sullivan Partnership president Michael Sullivan said the park would provide a selling point the county has never had before. "In the past 18 months, 85 companies have made inquiries about relocating to the Hudson Valley. Eight of them did move and they all wanted shovel-ready locations," he reported.

County planning and community development commissioner Alan Sorensen said occupancy for the first building is planned in early 2000.