Back in 2016, hundreds of jobs were expected for a drug manufacturing plant in the town of Dunkirk. The plant was built but it never opened and those jobs never came.

A decade later, there’s talk about getting that plant up and running in the next two and a half years with additional hirings for the following four years after that.

During the recent Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency meeting, Chief Executive Officer Mark Geise discussed plans for ImmunityBio in Dunkirk.

ImmunityBio is now leasing the plant at 3805 Lake Shore Drive East, which was originally for Athenex to do drug manufacturing.

Athenex had originally promised to spend $1.5 billion over 10 years, hiring 450 employees, with 300 of them to be hired in the first two and half years.

That never happened. Athenex went bankrupt in 2023, but before they did, ImmunityBio took over the building.

According to Geise, when ImmunityBio took over the Dunkirk plant, it inherited the terms of the contract.

Those terms are being adjusted.

“The state has a new lease in place, that ImmunityBio will pay $525,000 a year in rent. They were only paying $1 a year,” Geise said at the IDA meeting.

Other requirements, according to Geise, include:

– ImmunityBio must spend $40 million in capital improvements by 2028;

– ImmunityBio must spend a minimum of $5 million annually in operating expenses from 2026-2028;

– ImmunityBio must start manufacturing operations in Dunkirk by Dec. 31, 2028 and have 100 employees.

Geise also said ImmunityBio can purchase the Dunkirk facility for $1 on Jan. 1, 2029 if it has met its required obligations.

Milian Tyler, who serves as the attorney for the county IDA, said the goal is for ImmunityBio to have 450 employees by the end of 2032.

“This is probably a more realistic program for them,” he said.

Tyler noted ImmunityBio has a Payment In Lieu Of Taxes agreement with the state and the county. The state’s agreement is being adjusted and ImmunityBio has requested the county adjust its PILOT as well.

“I think the (county IDA) staff is prepared to recommend it, but we wanted to preview it with you (IDA Board of Directors) first,” he said.

The new tax agreement could come before the county IDA Board of Directors at its next meeting which is tentatively set for April 28.

Geise also said the state is watching very closely that ImmunityBio meets its stated goals.

“It’s like a one-year renewable contract. If they don’t comply with the terms in year one, then they’re not going to renew the lease. If they do, then they’ll renew it for another year,” he said.

County Executive PJ Wendel was at the IDA meeting and commented on the situation.

“Mark (Geise) and I have talked about this extensively, that it’s in the state’s hands. They need to pressure ImmunityBio to get the ball rolling,” he said.

Wendel said if ImmunityBio doesn’t meet the new goals, the state should move on from them.

“There are other pharmaceutical manufacturers looking to move back to the U.S. It’s a prime facility that is very specific. It can’t be used for warehouse storage, data processing, nothing. It’s very specific,” he said.