Douglas Jemal foregoes tax break to help Buffalo bring cars back to Main Street

Douglas Jemal foregoes tax break to help Buffalo bring cars back to Main Street

WE LEARNED A FEWNEW DETAILS DURINGTODAY'S STATE OF THECITY ADDRESS.DEVELOPER DOUGLASJEMAL WHO ISBRINGING THESENECA ONE TOWERBACK TO LIFE AMOUNGOTHER PROJECTS.....IS PLANNING TO PASSON HIS 15 MILLIONDOLLARS IN TAXBREAKS.....HE WON'TTAKE THE MONEY SOHE CAN HELP THE CITYBRING CARS BACK TOMAIN STREET.THE CAR SHARINGADJUSTMENT WILLSTART RIGHT IN FRONTOF THE SENECA ONETOWER AND THENEXTEND ALL THE WAYDOWN TO THEMEDICAL CAMPUS.JEMAL COULD HAVESAVED 15-MILLIONDOLLARS OVER THECOURSE OF 12 YEARSFROM THAT TAXBREAK.INSTEAD HE'S PUTTINGTHAT MONEY INTO THENEWLY CREATED "CITYACCELERATOR FUND".MAYOR BROWN HOPESTO PUT IN ANOTHER25-MILLION DOLLARSTO BRING THE FUND'SSTARTUP TOTAL TO40-MILLION.ALL THE MONEY HEREWILL PRIMARILY BEUSED TO ENHANCETHE AREASSURROUNDINGBUFFALO'S TALLESTBUILDING.WE KIND OF BLOCKEDIT AND CLOSED IT OFF,YOU STOP THE VEHICLETRAFFIC, YOU STOPTHE PEDESTRIANTRAFFIC, NOW THERETAIL STORES.

ITDOESN'T LOOK LIKE ANURBAN ENVIORMENTANY LONGERWE WANT TO MAKE THEENVIRONMENTOUTSIDE OF SENECAONE BEAUTIFUL,INVITING, ATTRACTIVE,SAFE FOR PEOPLWHO WILL BE WORKINGAT THE TECH HUB.THE MAYOR SAYS HETHINKS JEMAL'SCOMMITMENT TO THEFUND WILL POSITIONTHE CITY TO BE ABLETO REACH OUT FORMORE STATE ANDFEDERAL DOLLARS TOENHANCE AMENITIES,INFRASTRUCTURE,AND THE AESTHETICOF THE MAIN STCORRIDOR.WE WEREN'T GIVEN ATIMELINE FOR WHENCONSTRUCTIONWOULD START TORE-OPEN NEWSECTIONS OF MAIN TOFOOT AND CARTRAFFIC -- IT WILLLIKELY DEPENDENT ONGETTING THE REST OFTHE MONEY INTO THEACCELERATOR FUND.MC, 7EWN.ALRIGHT THANKSMADI