AFTER MAJOR SCHUMER PUSH, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE APPROVES HISTORIC DESIGN OF NORTHLAND CORRIDOR REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT; PROPERTY DESIGN WOULD NOW MEET CRITERIA FOR HISTORIC TAX CREDITS, WHICH COULD TOTAL $19M, FOR THIS KEY PROJECT TO ADDRESS BUFFALO’S WAGE GAP
Schumer: Northland Corridor Redevelopment Project Is Essential To Help Revitalize Buffalo’s East Side; Historic Northland Avenue Property is Central to the Project
Northland Corridor Project and Planned Training Center Will Address Buffalo's Skills Gap and Help Prepare Workers for Jobs that Local Companies Need
U.S Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer today announced the National Park Service (NPS) has approved the Northland Corridor Redevelopment Project’s design plan, a crucial step towards inclusion of a key property to the National Register of Historic Places, and ultimately, $19M in historic tax credits. Schumer said newly announced and vital approval of the design plan for the former Niagara Machine and Tool would allow the project to become eligible for an estimated $19 million historic tax credits once included on the historic register, and spur economic development on the East Side of the City of Buffalo. Schumer said, with this part of the application now approved, work can begin to restore the building's historic features, and convert the vacant property into a job-training center.
“Winning this approval is one of the final pieces of the puzzle needed to transform the Northland Corridor Project from vacancy to a thriving job-training center that will train local workers to fill the jobs needs of regional firms. This project is now one step closer to becoming eligible for up to $19 million in historic tax credits, which will help address blight on our city's East Side, spur economic growth, and create a manufacturing training center to better prepare workers for the jobs companies need to be competitive now and in the future – that is why I fought so hard to preserve the Historic Tax Credit Program, and why I will continue to fight for the final designation of this property. This redevelopment project will be a win-win, training residents for the jobs that companies need to fill to be successful, profitable, and competitive,” said Senator Schumer.
“Having the historic designs approved by the National Park Service is another important milestone in securing historic tax credits for this project. It’s a big step forward for the transformation of this Corridor through the Northland Workforce Training Center,” Mayor Byron W. Brown said.
Schumer said the site, located at 683 Northland Avenue, is the former Niagara Machine and Tool Works Factory. Once completed, the location will house a workforce training center that will train workers for jobs across a wide variety of fields and professions, enriching the regional economy and helping to address the "skills gap." According to the Buffalo News, an estimated 17,000 manufacturing jobs may need to be filled by the year 2020, while 80 percent of manufacturers report that they cannot find the skilled workers needed to fill such jobs. The Northland Corridor Redevelopment Project will address these issues. Schumer said this key approval makes the project one step closer to unlocking vital federal Historic Tax Credits designed to help cultivate developments like the Northland Corridor Redevelopment Project.
A copy of Schumer’s initial letter appears below:
Dear Mr. Loether
I am pleased to write you in support of the Northland Corridor Redevelopment Project’s request for inclusion of the Niagara Machine and Tool Works Factory on the National Register of Historic Places. Such a designation would enhance the project’s eligibility for funding opportunities and help spur economic development on the East Side of the City of Buffalo. Specifically, the approval of the Project Part II proposal is vital to moving this project forward.
Upon redevelopment, the property, located at 683 Northland Avenue, will house a workforce training center that will train workers for jobs across a wide variety of fields and professions. Attaching the historic designation to this site will not only protect and help restore the facility’s character but also enable the State of New York and the City of Buffalo to take advantage of federal programs designed to help cultivate developments of this exact nature.
Thanks to the diligent work of Mayor Brown, Empire State Development, and Buffalo Urban Development, I am pleased to express my full-throated support of this designation and hope that the application meets with your approval.
Please don’t hesitate to contact my office if you have any questions regarding the application.
Sincerely,
Charles E. Schumer
United States Senator
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