AIM Photonics Testing, Assembly, Packing facility picked (Rochester, Fairport: 2014, lease)

[db2797]

It looks like the AIM Photonics TAP facility has been chosen. I think this location makes sense. It's in the same building as a major Semiconductor fabricator in the world. That alone should give credibility to companies, research facilities looking to relocate their fabrication and research to this facility.

A former Eastman Kodak Co. building on Lake Avenue is the recommended site for the research hub of a national photonics initiative, sources say — with a vote confirming the selection expected Wednesday morning.

The site is at the edge of Eastman Business Park, formerly Building 81 and now home to ON Semiconductor. The company will lease excess clean room, lab and office space for what is called the Testing, Assembly and Packaging facility, according to sources with knowledge of the recommendation.

Members of the state board overseeing American Institute for Manufacturing Integrated Photonics will vote on the site during a meeting in downtown Rochester, sources said, with Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-Fairport, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and others expected to attend. Howard Zemsky, head of Empire State Development, is expected to present the proposal.

This facility is where the lion's share of jobs to be created by the initiative will be located, at least initially, officials have said. The institute is in the process of ordering $106 million in high-tech tools and equipment for the testing facility. AIM Photonics CEO Michael Liehr said this past summer that it would take a year to get the equipment bought, made, shipped and installed.

The deadline to open was previously set for July 2017.

The search for where to locate the TAP facility began with 19 potential sites, sources said. Not all responded to a formal request for proposals. An independent consultant was brought in this fall to evaluate the contenders and make a recommendation.

ON Semiconductor was not initially a frontrunner, sources said, but emerged during the process. The property sits north of Maplewood Drive, on the east side of Lake Avenue, connected by a skywalk to a building across the street. ON acquired the multi-story structure in 2014, when it purchased Truesense Imaging. The company, based in Phoenix, and employing 24,500 worldwide, is a Motorola spinoff, and Truesense was a Kodak spinoff that took over Kodak's high-end image capture business.

Former Kodak building tapped for photonics research hub

[UncleBenny]

Definitely seems to make sense, I applaud this decision. I also know of at least one other photonics-related company who recently moved over there as well, it just seems like a great site for the kind of "photonics hub" people want to happen here.

[JWRocks]

I always thought an area close to UR, RIT and MCC with a brand new building was what we needed. This, already being a research facility is good too. I hope there is good signage so when traffic passes they can see a physical example of this Photonics Institute coming to life. It would be really cool if they could dress up the exterior of the building with some lighting like downtown.

[db2797]

The lighting idea is really good. They definitely should make sure it's visible and can easily be identified. Maybe with some of the ideas that Eastman Business Park has thrown around with building in residential and retail could fit nicely in with this too.