The vision of the world’s first business incubator was conceived by Joseph L. Mancuso with the development of The Harvester Center – Business Incubator Center in August of 1959. According to the Mancuso Business Development Group, the concept behind the business “incubator” was to create an office, commercial or industrial building that would attract businesses of all types. The goal was to help businesses get started, grow, create jobs in the community, and mature until they were strong enough to become independent.
Today, the Harvester Center BIC is a multi-story industrial complex consisting of mixed-use structures east of downtown Batavia, NY and is still owned by the Mancuso family. This four (4) parcel complex contains roughly 960,000 SF of industrial and commercial buildings on 29 acres.
VIP Structures’ development, architectural and engineering teams have been hired to assist the Mancuso Business Development Group and Batavia Development Corporation (BDC) with a property condition report and preliminary design. Our design and development services will be used to conduct a feasibility study and develop a Master plan for a mixed-use space to further the Batavia Opportunity Area (BOA) and the City of Batavia’s vision of a redeveloped and revitalized Harvester Center BIC.
The focus of this study will be to advance the redevelopment goals set in the BOA plan. These include: to improve parking, vehicular and pedestrian/bike circulation, open up space and right size the facility while maintaining character, encourage a mix of uses including loft housing, and take advantage of rail access.
VIP’s team is excited to put their many years of industrial and commercial experience, as well as their mixed-use residential redevelopment experience, to work for the City of Batavia’s BDC and Mancuso Business Development Group.
Project Manager: David C. Nutting, AIA
Project Architect: Bob Garner & Madonna Millerschin
Project Engineer: Sam Cosamano
Structural Engineer: Jeremy Fudo
Account Representative: Bill Blanchard
