Phase 2 of Byrne Dairy Expansion Approved by Town – Ground Breaking Expected in July

After a special meeting was held by the Cortlandville Town Board on Wednesday, June 25th, the board voted unanimously to approve a resolution regarding the proposed phase 2 expansion of C’Ville, LLC. better known as Byrne Dairy for the massive expansion at their facility on Byrne Hollow Crossing; Town Board member David Donlick was absent. A groundbreaking event for the expansion is expected to take place in mid-July. The Phase 2 expansion is estimated to cost $120 million dollars.

Prior to the special Town Board meeting on Wednesday, the Town of Cortlandville Planning Board met on Tuesday evening to review the SEQR and Site Plan Review for the Phase 2 project at Byrne Dairy’s facility. Further review later on in the meeting, the board issued a negative declaration as part of the SEQR review. The phase two expansion project would be done in two stages, Phase 2A and then Phase 2B. Phase 2A would begin this summer and would be a 26,000 square foot expansion to the existing facility and will take about 8 to 9 months to construct. For Phase 2B, this would be about 75,000 square feet and is likely to begin sometime late Spring/Summer 2026.

“This is the biggest expansion, biggest project Byrne has ever done in its 93 years.” Said Jim Gosier, General Counsel for Byrne Dairy. “We are very excited about this. We currently have about 105 people working at the plant. We’re going to double that. We’ll be over 200 by the time [phase 2] is done.”

In terms of water and sewer usage, Phase 2 will not exceed what capabilities the Town of Cortlandville has. However, the Town of Cortlandville is now actively working on adding an additional well for the town. Cortlandville is also working with the Susquehanna River Basin Commission to allow the town to increase their permit of how much water the town may draw from the aquifer as a short-term solution for water usage until the new well is created. Town Attorney Fran Casullo says those early talks with the commission have been going well and the increase in the permitted water to be drawn will add a safe buffer.

“First of all, regardless of the Byrne expansion, the town needs another well. We’ve known about that for years.” Casullo said to the planning board when saying the town is taking a two-pronged approach for both short and long term solutions. “In the meantime a well takes time, [the town] is still trying to get the RFPs out and things like that.”

Casullo went on to note the town and Byrne have come to an agreement on the location of the new well for the long-term solution to water usage. Byrne Dairy will give the land, known as Lot 5, to the town. This lot sits to the south of the facility. The area has shown well in testing for a well. The process in making the well could take up to two years.

The Planning Board voted unanimously to approve the Site Plan Review of June 24th conditioned that Byrne will consolidate their lots to one within 60 days of the abandonment of Osbeck Circle by the Town of Cortlandville. The Planning Board also voted to name the Town Board lead agency for the Aquifer Permit.

Wednesday’s special Town Board meeting had the Town Board vote unanimously to approve the SEQR and Aquifer Protection Permit applications based on the recommendations by the Planning Board the evening prior. The town is expected to vote to abandon Osbeck Circle to Byrne Dairy in the near future.

The construction process for the expansion is expected to create 75 construction jobs. It will also include an expanded receiving bay totaling 4,238 square feet, 9 new loading dock doors, a new truck parking/staging/loading/unloading area totaling 127,500 square feet, and a new 175,000 gallon water tank.