Lost in the recent political squabbling taking place in Dunkirk with the Common Council and the mayor is the recent award of nearly $3 million for the former Carriage House facility on Talcott Street.

Last month, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Empire State Brands will receive $2,940,000 from Empire State Development to renovate the processing facility. The project will include the development and launch a vertically-integrated growing, processing and packaging operation for the production of quality hops, malted barley, wheat, rye and other grain products. The new facility will enable further agricultural growth and create jobs in the region.

“Our development team worked hard with the county in formulating a nice application,” city Mayor Wilfred Rosas said after the award was announced. “The county wanted this. We wanted this. It’s going to have a good impact regionally.”

Overall, the project is expected to cost nearly $15 million.

North county residents have rightly complained about the loss of traffic on Central Avenue. But continued employment gains at Fieldbrook Foods, the cold-storage facility and Athenex are reasons for hope.

This is one more example.