Committee tables Northland Beltline Brownfield Opportunity Area plan pending state process

The Buffalo City Committee on Community Development on July 1 tabled consideration of the Northland Beltline Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) plan while city staff complete a required state designation process.

Rebecca Gandor, executive vice president of the Buffalo Urban Development Corporation, described the BOA as centered on the Beltline Northland railway corridor and covering about 1,139 acres in the Delavan Grider, Martin Luther King Park and Genesee Lozella neighborhoods. "Once you're formally designated, you have an opportunity to go after additional funds through the consolidated funding application process and additional tax credits for projects that are in the BOA," Gandor said.

Nadine Marrero of the city Office of Strategic Planning told the committee the state process must finish before the council adopts the local designation. "That process is gonna take about 30 days. Until that is completed, we ask that you keep this item on the table," Marrero said, adding the procedure is a New York State requirement to avoid missteps in designation.

Committee members opened the item for discussion and then moved to table it; the motion to table was seconded by Council Member Wyatt. The committee did not vote on adoption or substantive plan changes at the meeting.

The BOA sponsor, the Buffalo Urban Development Corporation, said the plan and a hard copy are available for review. Committee members asked for the item to remain on the agenda until the state process concludes so the council can consider the formal designation and any funding opportunities that follow.