MAYVILLE – Chautauqua County officials have agreed to make further improvements to a south county industrial park in hopes of bringing new business to the area.

During the legislature meeting Wednesday, lawmakers agreed to spend $90,000 to develop about 33 acres at the Mason Industrial Park in the town of Ellicott. There’s about 66 acres of land there total with about half able to house development.

Last month Mark Geise, deputy county executive for economic development and director of the county Industrial Development Agency, discussed the proposal at the IDA meeting. He said the project would cost around $180,000 and that the total would be split between the IDA and county government.

During Wednesday’s legislature meeting, Legislator Fred Larson, D-Jamestown, said he has been pushing to see this site developed.

“One of the very specific reasons I ran for the county legislature last year was to move this land in the south county industrial park … to make it truly legally shovel ready,” he said.

Shovel ready sites are generally more attractive to businesses looking to relocate or expand.

Larson noted the county has owned the property since 2016, when they bought it from Bush Industries.

He said in early January he discussed the property with Geise and others about making the property shovel ready.

Larson said according to the engineer, the land could be ready by October.

“At that point, we really would have something valuable to market,” he said.

Larson said he has high hopes for the property once finished.

“Hopefully in my lifetime there will be a manufacturing industry there, and hopefully at least 100 jobs added to our community,” he said.

Along with Bush Industries, other businesses at the Mason Industrial Park include Arthur R. Gren Bottle and Can Redemption Center, Serta Simmons Bedding, Plyler Entry Systems, Larson Metal Manufacturing, and The Stannard Group.