Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has signed a bill enabling OSI Pharmaceuticals Inc. to expand its operations at Farmingdale State College’s Broad Hollow Bioscience Park. The legislation, which received overwhelming approval in both the State Senate and Assembly last month, establishes the park’s boundaries at 38.5 acres and facilitates the construction of a third building within the park.
This new structure is intended to accommodate start-up companies, while OSI will expand into an existing second building. OSI, renowned for producing the lung cancer drug Tarceva, has committed to maintaining its research and development operations at the college, resulting in the addition of 135 jobs to its current workforce of 90. However, its headquarters in Melville is being phased out, leading to the loss of 150 jobs.
Previously, OSI had announced plans to move to Westchester County, citing state construction and procurement laws as obstacles to expanding on a SUNY campus. The new law exempts incubator tenants from these regulations, removing the hurdles that had hindered OSI’s growth on Long Island.
Sen. Charles Fuschillo Jr. (R-Merrick) and Assemblyman Robert Sweeney (D-Lindenhurst), who sponsored the legislation, also authored the 1999 law that created the bioscience park. They expressed optimism about the park’s future, with Fuschillo predicting that the expansion would generate hundreds of jobs and tens of millions of dollars in new revenue for the region.
Sweeney highlighted the park’s potential to position Long Island as a leader in the biotechnology industry, stating, “This new law brings us one step closer to making Long Island a leader in the biotechnology industry.”
Farmingdale State College president W. Hubert Keen also praised the legislation, emphasizing that it significantly strengthens efforts to retain and grow leading biotech firms on Long Island.
Read the full article on Newsday by James T. Madore here: https://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/new-law-hopes-to-settle-osi-on-li-n48037