Jun 18
2014
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.
May 16
2014
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[...]
Apr 30
2014
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.
Mar 22
2014
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.
Feb 25
2014
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.
Jan 7
2014
Billionaire venture capitalist Vinod Khosla, who was the subject of a controversial 60 Minutes program that aired Sunday, is a chief investor in one of the two cleantech companies moving here under the Buffalo Billion program. Soraa, which makes LED lighting, lists Khosla Ventures as one of its three top investors. Khosla Ventures general partner Samir Kaul is a member of Soraa’s board of directors. Manny Hernandez, a former operating partner with Khosla, is also on Soraa’s board. The 60 Minutes program “The Cleantech Crash” has come under scrutiny from environmentalists and cleantech supporters on claims that it misrepresented the health of the industry. Khosla, who Forbes called the “Man With the Golden Touch,” has invested more[...]
Dec 20
2013
The tax breaks for the Yahoo data center in Lockport just keep coming. The Lockport IDA on Thursday granted the company a sales tax waiver on equipment purchases for the next 20 years. This is but the latest in tax breaks granted by IDA officials. A report from The Buffalo News.
Dec 17
2013
Investigative Post editor tells Eileen Buckley on Press Pass that the clean energy initiative at Riverbend represents progress, but is not the panacea that project proponents are claiming. He also expressed concern that many subsidized projects, including planned Uniland-Delaware North building in downtown Buffalo, do little to build the region’s tax base.