2/19/13: Poloncarz Lauds ECIDA Move to Cobblestone District

Modified: January 23, 2015 3:10pm

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Date: 
2/19/13

Move Brings ECIDA, Other Agencies into a “One-Stop Shop” with ESD, ECHDC

ERIE COUNTY, NY— Today, Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz  praised the Board of Directors of the Erie County Industrial Development Agency (“ECIDA”) following their vote to approve a move of the agency’s offices to 95 Perry Street in the Cobblestone District of Buffalo.  The move, which will bring five local economic development agencies together at one location, will create the “one-stop shop” for economic development that Poloncarz had promised to build in an effort to improve Erie County’s development delivery system.

Currently located at 143 Genesee Street, the ECIDA, along with the Buffalo Urban Development Corporation (“BUDC”) and the Binational Economic Alliance (“BEA”) will be moving to 4th-floor offices at 95 Perry Street, where they will share space with the New York Power Authority (“NYPA”).  The Empire State Development Corporation (“ESD”) and Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation (“ECHDC”) are located on the 5th floor at that location.

“While campaigning for County Executive, I recognized the need to create a ‘one stop shop’ for economic development, and I promised to make that vision a reality.  Today, I want to thank the ECIDA board for their vote to streamline our approach to economic development, and for realizing the importance of having all these agencies under one roof,” said Poloncarz.  “This move creates a critical mass of economic development agencies and will give businesses access to a wide range of services, helping them find what’s available quickly without spending time and effort traveling from office to office.  This ‘one-stop shop’ will be a tremendous asset in bringing business to Erie County, will make it easier to showcase our region to interested businesses looking to locate here, and will serve as a single destination for business assistance for companies already located in Erie County.”

The ECIDA is a public benefit corporation tasked with promoting and assisting private sector industrial and business development. Created in 1970, the agency fosters economic development in Erie County through business incentives, facility development, financial assistance, and other mechanisms to encourage and support local business.  The agency does not receive any direct funding for its operations from any local, state, or federal sources, as its operating costs are borne primarily by those businesses that benefit from the economic development services they receive.

Chris Johnston, Vice Chairman of the ECIDA Board and President of World Trade Center Buffalo Niagara (“WTCBN”), said “ECIDA’s move to Perry Street to co-locate with ESD and other economic development agencies represents a remarkable collaborative effort to provide the ‘one stop shop’ that the business community needs to accelerate economic development in Erie County while reducing confusion in the marketplace. As President of WTCBN, our 25-year-old organization will also give full consideration to co-locating at 95 Perry St. upon the expiration of our current lease. This development will create even further clarification for the business community, developers, outside investors and community development to access economic development products and services.”

For more information:

On the Erie County Industrial Development Agency, visit: http://www.ecidany.com/

On the Buffalo Urban Development Corporation, visit: http://www.ecidany.com/budc-home

On the Binational Economic Alliance, visit: http://www.btapartners.com/default.aspx

On Empire State Development Corporation, visit: http://www.esd.ny.gov/

On Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation, visit: http://www.eriecanalharbor.com/

On the New York Power Authority, visit: http://www.nypa.gov/

On World Trade Center Buffalo Niagara, visit: http://www.wtcbn.com/