Mediacom celebrates new headquarters
By Edie Johnson
BLOOMING GROVE — The gleaming cobalt blue tower on a Blooming Grove hillside belongs to the new headquarters of corporate giant Mediacom, which celebrated its grand opening last Saturday with a celebrity-studded bash.
More than a thousand people turned out in this small town to party. Busloads arrived throughout the day, disgorging visitors from all around the country. Among the rich and famous were world champion racing driver Mario Andretti, Nets player Brook Lopez, the cast members from Project Runway, and former Yankee Willie Randolph, along with a bevy of local and state officials. Corporate representatives in black suits and gowns greeted the guests, who spent the afternoon under tents noshing and dancing to the sounds of a lively band.
Guests were escorted around the grounds and through the sprawling 110,000 square-foot facility. A wall-sized screen brought the band to the party-goers inside.
In the mid-afternoon the adjacent field, which has one of the most scenic views in the county, came alive with a fireworks display that could be heard for miles around.
Blooming Grove Supervisor Frank Fornario said he could not have been more proud.
A green design
The eco-friendly building was designed by Barry Posknazer of Ridgewood, N.J. Pools, fountains, and a 110,000-gallon rooftop rainwater collection system irrigate the grounds.
Landscaping around the building is just about complete. The entire hillside is planted with evergreens and wildflowers and laced with trails. A restored stone wall follows the roadway and a viewing area on top of the hill. Greenland Landscaping of Paramus, N.J., worked to blend the building into the hillside.
After driving up the steep hill, visitors reach the front entrance with its meditation fountain.
The promise of new jobs
Some local residents find the new complex, which is visible for miles, overwhelming. But others say they love the clean lines and blue tower. And residents just want to know if Mediacom has jobs for them. More than 55 new employees have already been hired, and the company continues to advertise to fill a number of mid- and technical-level jobs (Google Mediacom for a list).
Mediacom was founded in 1995 by Rocco Commisso, chair and CEO. The $43 million cost of the new building was offset by Excelsior tax credits and a $1 million grant from the Empire State Economic Development Fund in return for keeping 250 local jobs and adding at least 140 new ones.
The company will supply tax revenue to local coffers after its initial tax-free incentive.
Mediacom serves 22 states in the South and Midwest and has 4,700 employees nationwide. It is the eighth-largest cable company in the country.