While some local leaders have been pushing for a Downtown Rochester headquarters for the new photonics project to be located in the Sibley Building on Main Street, a group of business officials have come out with a statement proposing that it be located at Legacy Tower, which is the former Bausch + Lomb headquarters.
That building was purchased by Buckingham Properties and Morgan Management after B + L was sold a couple of years ago.
A statement from the " Rochester Business Leaders Photonics Working Group " likes the idea of using the former B + L building because it says that structure would provide a "turnkey facility that would require almost no infrastructure upgrades."
Vice President Joe Biden was in town recently to announce that as part of a $600 million project, there would be $110 million in federal money to help develop photonics which involves the use of light and optics in a number of high-tech applications and electronics. There are expected to be operations for that effort across upstate, but the bulk of the operation is to be centered in Rochester.
University of Rochester President Joel Seligman has been among those pushing for the photonics HQ to be located at the Sibley Building. He provided this statement to WXXI News:
"The most important point is that AIM Photonics be located in downtown Rochester. I look forward to an orderly process to determine the most appropriate location in Rochester."
Members of the business working group include Wegmans Food Markets CEO Danny Wegman, Eastman Kodak CEO Jeff Clarke, Paychex CEO Marty Mucci, Home Properties CEO Ed Pettinella, The Pike Companies Chairman Thomas Judson, Jr., and Rochester Business Alliance President and CEO Bob Duffy.
