OBSERVER Photo by Jimmy McCarthy The former ConAgra building on Talcott Street in the city of Dunkirk sits vacant as county officials continue their work to find a suitor.

County officials are getting more aggressive in an effort to bring activity back to a Dunkirk facility that once employed hundreds.

Mark Geise, chief executive officer for the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency, said during a recent board of directors meeting in Dunkirk that they’re ratcheting up marketing efforts for the vacant plant located at 26. E Talcott St. Along with ads running in Buffalo Business First, the county’s also showcasing the facility through the regional marketing organization Invest Buffalo Niagara.

In addition, Geise said Linda Burns, new IDA business development manager, has listed the facility on LoopNet, a commercial real estate site, and has been talking to realtors about listing the property as well.

“We’re looking at if we can’t sell the building in its entirety, is there a way to maybe lease out portions of it,” Geise said in a follow-up interview. “We really want it to be somebody who can utilize the space and equipment and create jobs.”

The county owns the 242,000-square-foot facility, which contains large warehouse space, cold storage and tank room. Following ConAgra’s announcement that it would cease operations, the county stepped in to purchase the building. In February 2015, the county Industrial Development Agency issued a $2 million bond that was purchased by Chautauqua County. It gave the county the opportunity to control the facility’s future with the hope of bringing back manufacturing jobs.

While the county has pursued leads and spoke with potential manufacturers over the years, nothing has come to fruition. The county continues to feed money into the building every month to cover utility costs.

For a while, the county was leasing space out to Cott, now known as Refresco. That has since ended.

OBSERVER Photo by Jimmy McCarthy
The former ConAgra building on Talcott Street in the city of Dunkirk sits vacant as county officials continue their work to find a suitor.

OBSERVER Photo by Jimmy McCarthy
Mark Geise, chief executive officer for the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency, discusses the former ConAgra facility on Talcott Street in Dunkirk during a meeting at the SUNY Technology Incubator.