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New wage mandates could put WNY brownfield projects at risk

BUFFALO, NY (The Buffalo News) — Developer Rocco Termini is angry. Architect Steve Carmina is upset. Developer and former U.S. Rep. Chris Jacobs is worried. And commercial real estate broker Steve Blake is concerned.

All four have seen the impact of the state Brownfield Cleanup Program and its related tax credits on redevelopment activity in Buffalo, where remediation of polluted buildings and land have paved the way for new apartments, restaurants and stores.

And they say it could all come to a halt because of potential changes to the lucrative program coming out of Albany that would require them to pay higher prevailing wages to workers on those projects. And they’re lobbying Gov. Kathy Hochul to not sign the legislation that would put the prevailing wage requirement into effect.

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Activating the supply chain for semiconductors

BUFFALO, NY (The Buffalo News) —Companies such as PVS Solutions and Materion Corp. already supply the semiconductor industry from their plants in Buffalo.

But there are a lot more businesses in the Buffalo Niagara region – as well as in Rochester and Syracuse – that could be suitable for the semiconductor supply chain, and might not even be aware of it.

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New members, officers elected to Buffalo Niagara Partnership Board of Directors

A new chair, four new officers and 11 new regional executives were recently elected to the Buffalo Niagara Partnership Board of Directors. “Their vast expertise from various sectors, including public, private and nonprofit, will undoubtedly enrich our organization and contribute to our mission of fostering a stronger and more vibrant regional economy,” says Buffalo Niagara Partnership President & CEO Dottie Gallagher.

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Strengthening Board Culture and Performance

Nurturing a healthy board culture is paramount for achieving effective governance and high performance. Getting governance right calls for boards to hit their own “refresh” button as they adapt to changing expectations and circumstances. Here are five common disruptors that impede effectiveness, and how boards can address them to pave the way for positive change.

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Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse One Of Only 12 Winners From Across The Nation For Highly Competitive Federal Grant

After years of relentless advocacy and landing the prestigious federal Tech Hub designation for the Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse that he created in his CHIPS & Science Law, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer today announced the “NY SMART I-Corridor Tech Hub” was just selected as one of only 12 Tech Hub award winners in the nation, bringing a major $40 million in federal funding to further position Upstate NY as a semiconductor center for the world.

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4 New HR Mandates Employers Need to Know

New employee rights are among the key policy revisions to come out of the 2024-25 New York State budget approved in April. At the BNP’s latest Government Affairs series event, a panel of experts broke down what employers need to know about these HR mandates – some of have already gone into effect. Here are four key takeaways from Policy Perspective.

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5 Key Takeaways from the DEI Symposium

The Buffalo Niagara Partnership brought nearly 300 executives, HR professionals, managers and staff members together at the seventh annual DEI Symposium for a half day full of engaging and informative sessions about how organizations can take the next step on their DEI journeys. Here are 5 takeaways from the event.

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