It does not appear that the Delaware County Industrial Development Agency will have to go to court to get the two parcels of land it needs to keep Amphenol Corp. in the village of Sidney, a county official said Tuesday.
The agency had considered using eminent domain -- an option that would allow the quasi-government agency to take private property for public use -- at a price to be determined in court to complete the project on Delaware Avenue and keep one of Delaware County's largest employers in the region.
While two of the parcels needed by the IDA to build the 23-acre site needed to keep Amphenol in Sidney were secured, two others were still being sought by the IDA for the project.
The owner of one of these recently agreed to sell for $104,000 after he received a letter by a county attorney about the situation.
Negotiations with Benedetto Borgia Jr., who lives in the Bronx, began last year on the 6.45-acre property he bought about eight years ago for $40,000. It was recently assessed for $55,765.
Amphenol, a manufacturer of electrical connectors, had been flooded twice at its current location in five years.
It had considered a move from the area if a new site out of the flood plain couldn't be located in the village.
As part of a $28 million state aid package, the company agreed to employ at least 950 at the new site on Delaware Avenue.
Borgia said he was uncertain about selling it earlier, but after he received the attorney's letter several weeks ago, he realized he had no choice.
"It was a reasonable offer," Borgia said.
Although he turned down previous offers for more, "I wanted to work with them," he said, adding that until he looked into the situation, he didn't understand the importance of the project to the community.
A previous comment he made about not being contacted by the county was part of previous negotiations, he said.
Delaware County Economic Development Director Glenn Nealis said he was contacted by the Paul Eaton, a Sidney-based lawyer for Borgia, on July 6, saying he would like to resume negotiations, which were completed shortly thereafter.
Papers have been signed, and Nealis said the funds are being held in escrow until some details are complete.
"We're glad we were able to reach a mutually acceptable agreement," Nealis said, adding that recent attention to the issue through the media, including The Daily Star, helped clear up some earlier "miscommunications."
Nealis said that Eaton helped Borgia understand the scope of the project, the local economic climate and the property's value. Eaton did not return a call for comment Tuesday afternoon.
The other property needed for the project is owned by Kmart, which has a store near the proposed site. Nealis said he was hopeful the status of that parcel would be resolved this week.
When the company realizes the sale will not impact the store and the new site will mean a lot of extra traffic driving by, he said, they would likely agree to terms.
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