Senator Fuschillo Officially Welcomes Astellas/osi Pharmaceuticals as Anchor Tenant of Broad Hollow Bioscience Park

Law Authored by Senator Fuschillo & Assemblyman Sweeney Enabled Company to Remain on Long Island & Create New Jobs for Long islanders

        Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. (R-Merrick) today joined with Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy, Farmingdale State College President Dr. Hubert Keen, and other officials in welcoming Astellas Pharma/OSI Pharmaceuticals as the anchor tenant of the Broad Hollow Bioscience Park (BHBP) at Farmingdale State College.

        Senator Fuschillo authored a law with Assemblyman Robert Sweeney (D-Lindenhurst) which allowed BHBP to enter into lease agreements to expand the park, a measure which made it possible for Astella to remain on Long Island. The move will result in hundreds of high tech jobs for Long Islanders and tens of millions of dollars in payroll for the region.

        “The Broad Hollow Bioscience Park is an invaluable part of Long Island’s economic engine that has helped create high tech jobs, develop the Island’s growing biotech industry, and provide educational opportunities to students. Expanding the park with Astellas/OSI as the anchor tenant will create hundreds of jobs and tens of millions of dollars in revenue for Long Island. It’s exactly the type of investment we should be making to help create jobs and grow our economy. I’m pleased that we were able to work together on this important economic development initiative,” said Senator Fuschillo.

       BHBP is a biotechnology research park developed on the campus of Farmingdale State College in conjunction with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, which is widely known as one of the premiere research institutions on genetics in the world. BHBP was created under a law authored by Senator Fuschillo and Assemblyman Sweeney in 1999 and opened its doors in 2000. BHBP expanded the building in 2002 and opened a second building in April 2008.

       The law authored by Senator Fuschillo and Assemblyman Sweeney, which was signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo last April, allowed Farmingdale State College to enter into lease agreements to further expand BHBP. The expanded Broad Hollow Bioscience Park, which will cover 150,000 square feet, will enable Astellas to grow its operations, as well as provide space and research opportunities for start-up biotech companies. The expanded BHBP is expected to create a total of 787 direct and indirect jobs.

       Additionally, the expansion will create new educational opportunities for students in Farmingdale State College’s bioscience program, which has grown from 30 students to nearly 300 students in eight years.