By Matt Youngfrau
MONTICELLO — January 11, 2002 - The Center for Discovery, one of the county’s largest employers, is looking to undertake a $15 million expansion at its headquarters in Harris by adding several new buildings for residential, educational, and administrative purposes. The additions would lead to extra employment for 50 people, bringing the former Sullivan Diagnostic Treatment Center’s staff to a total of 850.
To achieve this goal, the Center has asked for assistance from the Sullivan County Legislature and the Sullivan County Industrial Development Agency (IDA). The matter was discussed at the IDA's meeting on Tuesday, January 8.
IDA Attorney Walter Garigliano told the agency’s board that "time was of the essence." He informed them that the Center had to execute the project by January 31.
(The project is actually five separate plans. The Center, which serves the developmentally disabled with a variety of educational and recreational offerings in a residential setting, would acquire five parcels of land in the Town of Thompson on which to construct the new buildings.)
The IDA set a public hearing for the project for Thursday, January 24 at 10 a.m. in the Legislative Meeting Room at the Government Center in Monticello.
Garigliano laid out the Center's timeline on the project. He stated that four out of five of the projects were already approved by the Thompson Planning Board and that approval on the last project was expected at the next Planning Board meeting on Wednesday, January 23.
Garigliano said the Legislature, in its Planning and Community Development Committee Meeting on Thursday, would authorize the $15 million in bonds to go to market. Right after the public hearing on January 24, the IDA will reconvene their meeting from Tuesday to approve the project. Later that day, it is expected the full Legislature will pass the bond issue at its monthly meeting.