Tag: Economy

Sep 18

2014

SolarCity shakedown?

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Gov. Andrew Cuomo last fall pledged $225 million to build and equip a clean energy hub along Buffalo’s waterfront. It was good enough for Silevo, a solar panel manufacturer, and Soraa, the makers of high-efficiency light bulbs. It apparently isn’t good enough for SolarCity, however, which bought Silevo in June. Cuomo has subsequently suggested it’s going to take a richer incentive package to bring SolarCity into the fold and press reports indicate at least two other states are in the hunt for the solar panel plant that is penciled in for Buffalo. Given the track record of SolarCity Chairman Elon[...]

Posted 10 years ago

Jun 18

2014

Solar jobs, entrepreneur headed to Buffalo

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SolarCity is buying Silevo, which last fall announced plans to bring 475 jobs to the city under the Buffalo Billion Program. SolarCity is a much bigger operator and has plans to increase the planned manufacturing plant’s capacity five-fold, which would make it among the largest such facilities in the nation. More jobs are also anticipated, a total of anywhere from 1,000 to 2,500. Beyond the jobs, SolarCity brings noted entrepreneur Elon Musk, whose ventures have included PayPal, Tesla Motors and SpaceX. Will the larger manufacturing capacity necessitate the state upping its $225 million investment to build and equip the clean energy[...]

Posted 10 years ago

Jun 18

2014

Buffalo recovery a Tale of Two Cities

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Jim Heaney makes his debut as a columnist for City & State this week with a piece that puts Buffalo’s improved economy in perspective. Heaney notes a great and growing divide between “the haves and have-nots.” Yes, there is the psychological boost thanks to the Buffalo Billion initiative, and construction cranes denote progress at Canalside and the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. But other aspects of the economy lag. “Any way you cut the numbers—poverty rate, unemployment rate, actual number of city residents working—they lag behind where things stood prior to the Great Recession of 2008–09,” Heaney writes. Meanwhile, the public[...]

Posted 10 years ago

Jun 18

2014

Heaney assesses SolarCity deal

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Investigative Post editor Jim Heaney discusses the SolarCity deal, and the thinking behind the Buffalo Billion initiative, with WGRZ’s Danny Spewak in a 6 minute, 42 second interview taped Tuesday evening.  

Posted 10 years ago

May 16

2014

IDA chairman won’t discuss resignation

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Chris Johnston, chairman of the Erie County Industrial Development Agency, has dug in his heels in the face of questions regarding his suspension and resignation from his private sector job. Johnston rejected a request from John Mills, chairman of the Erie County Legislature, to appear Wednesday before the Government Affairs Committee to answer questions about his departure last month from the World Trade Center of Buffalo Niagara. Johnston was suspended in late March in the midst of an internal review of trade center finances. He resigned in early April. Johnston told Mills in a letter that he would only answer[...]

Posted 10 years ago

Apr 30

2014

Still in charge, but under a cloud

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Chris Johnston, acting chairman of the Erie County Industrial Development Agency, recently resigned as president of World Trade Center Buffalo Niagara after sources told Investigative Post a review of some aspect of the center’s finances prompted his board to suspend him. Johnston remains chairman of the ECIDA and has the “complete confidence” of Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz, according to a statement his office issued. But neither Johnston nor Poloncarz will answer questions and the chairman of the World Trade Center won’t discuss specifics of what he characterizes as a personnel matter.

Posted 10 years ago

Mar 22

2014

Clearing the Delaware North HQ site

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Demolition crews are in the home stretch of work to clear the northwest corner of Delaware Avenue and Chippewa Street for construction of new corporate headquarters for Delaware North. The project involves at least $10.6 million in tax breaks for the project developer, Uniland, and Delaware North, which will be the building’s primary tenant.

Posted 10 years ago

Feb 25

2014

Heaney’s take on IBM announcement

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Gov. Cuomo’s announcement of a $55 million state investment to attract IBM to downtown Buffalo is pricey, but less so than the two previous Buffalo Billion projects that have been rolled out, Investigative Post editor tells WGRZ.

Posted 10 years ago
Investigative Post

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