WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) - A food service company in Watertown is planning a big expansion and with it comes more jobs and traffic.
Renzi Foodservice in Watertown is home to almost 250 employees. That number is expected to increase with Renzi's two-part expansion plan. It's adding a 40,000 square-foot warehouse to the existing building.
"We've just had substantial growth over the last several years and it's been in the works and now is the right time to put it all together," said John Renzi, president of Renzi Foodservice.
He says the second goal is to improve its entry points. They're adding a new entrance off South Bellew Avenue to help with traffic flow. They're also adding 24 parking spots for tractor trailers and expanding the parking lots.
"This is going to allow us the opportunity to do the training here and store the products," said Renzi.
Renzi says they have about 10 trucks on order right now. He says it's too early to say how much the whole project will cost, but he is hopeful construction will begin before winter.
Down the road from Renzi's facility, the city is considering a second entrance point to the City Center Industrial Park. The only entrance right now is on South Bellew Avenue off Arsenal Street. That creates a lot of congestion. City Manager Ken Mix says one preliminary plan is to extend Waterman Drive to Coleman Avenue - near Raymour and Flanigan.
"It's always a good idea to have a couple means of egress to get in and out, both for the trucks for the industrial uses and for emergency vehicles," he said.
Mix says the project is expected to cost around $4.6 million. The city has reached out to Senator Chuck Schumer's office to see if it can get an earmark for the project.
Article sourced from WWNY.