The Wyoming County Business Center

The Wyoming County Business Center (WCBC) is the lead economic development agency in Wyoming County, New York. The WCBC is a private, non-profit local development corporation founded in 2006 and charged with retaining, creating, and attracting jobs to Wyoming County. Co-located with the Wyoming County Industrial Development Agency, Planning Department and the Chamber of Commerce, the WCBC is your one stop resource for economic development in Wyoming County, New York.

The WCBC provides a wide range of economic development services including:

Centralized Economic Development Services for Wyoming County

The WCBC, through its board of directors and staff, provide administrative services and guidance to the County, the Wyoming County Industrial Development Agency (IDA), and the Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce (the "Chamber"). The WCBC acts the lead point of contact for businesses seeking to locate and grow within Wyoming County and will coordinate all assistance available from the County, the IDA, the Chamber, and the County"s newly established Empire Zone Program.

Administration of the Wyoming County Empire Zone

Empire Zones, one of New York State"s most powerful economic development tools is now available in Wyoming County. The WCBC serves as the Zone Administrative Entity. Please click here for more information on the Empire Zone Program and the associated benefits.

Additional Economic Development Services and Financial Assistance

Pursuant to the LDC Act, the WCBC is empowered to:

1. Serve as a charitable entity for private donations, gifts and bequests of personal and real property to be used to advance economic development opportunities within the County. This ability, coupled with tax credits available through the Empire Zone, provides unique opportunities to acquire valuable assets, including land, for nominal funds to support economic development programs.
2. To construct, purchase, acquire, rehabilitate and improve buildings or real estate in the County for use by retail, commercial and industrial businesses. The WCBC"s activities would include the acquisition and development of business parks and the revitalization of downtown areas, including blighted or contaminated properties. In doing so, the WCBC is empowered to provide mortgage recording tax and sales and use tax exemptions similar to those offered by the IDA. The LDC Act does not contain any retail restrictions or prohibitions, so the WCBC has greater flexibility in deploying benefits to retail projects in downtown areas.
3. To redevelop municipally owned real estate. The LDC Act provides unique powers allowing municipalities to convey surplus realty to LDCs without bidding and for nominal consideration.
4. To facilitate traditional manufacturing and industrial projects. The WCBC could coordinate closely with the Agency to provide a wide range of benefits to existing and prospective industrial projects in the County.
5. Provide Alternative Financing Opportunities to the County. The WCBC is empowered to conduct "off book" financings to support the County and its municipalities. LDCs can sponsor 63-20 Financing Transactions and 57-187 Financing Transactions that allow public improvements to be constructed without the issuance of traditional, government-backed debt.
6. Undertake Retail and Community-based Organization Projects. The WCBC is empowered to administer brown field cleanup tax credit programs and undertake real property and infrastructure financing and management.