US (NY): Three large greenhouses planned at Cobleskill

SUNY Cobleskill plans to lease a parcel of land on the north side of I-88 to host a massive commercial greenhouse operation, which after three years could provide as many as 100 new jobs.

The college has signed a preliminary agreement with Chobe Advisers, a New York City-based consultancy that oversees development projects, to lease space for Chobe to construct three indoor growing facilities.

Louis Ferro, a Chobe partner, said Chobe is still pursuing approval for various state and federal incentives, including becoming a Start-Up NY company with the public college.

Some incentive packages are already in place for what could be a $60 million project, Ferro said. The project was recently approved under a New York State Energy Research and Development Agency program.

Ferro said construction on the first of three growing facilities could begin as early as March or April and take six months to be completed. Within three years, a second and third facility would be built as well, with final growing facilities totaling 290,000 square feet; each growing facility would be about the size of an average Walmart store.

The company that will develop and manage the growing operation will be called ESG and be owned by Chobe, Ferro said.

Read more at The Daily Gazette (Zachary Matson)