Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) announced today that his hometown of Batavia has been ranked 4th among the Top Micropolitan Areas for Corporate Facility Investment nationwide. The list, chosen by Site Selection Magazine, included areas that had the highest number of projects in the community leading to additional investment or job creation. Hawley was pleased to have one of the major areas in his district ranked so high on the list, and said he is happy to see that his persistent advocacy on behalf of our state’s businesses and economic climate has paid off.

“Having grown up in Batavia and spent a great deal of time trying to improve the city for its residents, this is a tremendous honor,” said Hawley. “Just a few years ago, New York’s economy was looking bleak. Now, major businesses have been moving into the area and economic development grants have given us the spark we need to jump-start Western New York’s economy. I am proud to say that we have, once again, risen to the top of the economic ladder, and things can only get better from here.”

To be considered for the list of top Micropolitan areas, municipalities had to have a population between 10,000 and 50,000 residents and cover at least one county. Project investment in the Micropolitan areas must have qualified in at least one of three ways: a capital investment of at least $1 million, creation of at least 20 new jobs, or the addition of at least 20,000 square feet of new floor area.