Buffalo’s New Economic Development Czar
Buffalo native Brian Reilly, who most recently did economic development for Cleveland, has been appointed to replace Richard Tobe. If he is able to implement the items listed in the News’ article, then this might be a great step forward for Buffalo. Instead of remaining mired in bureaucracy, stasis, and a city hall mindset that is all about “the way it’s always been done” versus optimizing the ways in which development can take place in Buffalo, it appears that Mr. Reilly has set some excellent goals:
The changes promoted by Brown and Reilly include:
• A 30-day time period for providing businesses with clear steps and predictable timetables.
• A single point of contact to help business owners navigate city, county and state regulations.
• Modernization of decades-old zoning codes.
• Buffalo Green, a new effort to provide technical assistance to emerging, ecologically friendly businesses.
• A review of the composition and training for boards and committees that issue approvals for development.
• Removal of legal and policy barriers to convey city-owned properties to nonprofit and faith-based organizations for publicly minded reuses of vacant properties.
Reilly also said that using precredential development companies to reduce time and paperwork associated with project submissions also was under consideration, as was advanced approval of uses for some development sites.
Brown said a citywide preservation plan, with strict code enforcement and aggressive prosecution, would be developed for historic properties.
“The goal is to work with the preservation community and identify what those structures are that are the most significant and which the city should target for preservation,” Brown said. “This is something that has not been in place, [and] it’s something we intend on putting in place.”
Everything on that list is excellent, and I love the fact that prioritization and targeting of buildings for preservation is part of the agenda, as well as modernizing codes and regulations. One-stop shopping for businesses wanting to set up shop in Buffalo will also be a very welcome change.
I wish him and his staff the best of luck in changing the hitherto unchangeable.
Derek J. Punaro Says:July 8th, 2008 at 11:34 am
“…who most recently did economic development for Cleveland…”
Last I heard, Cleveland’s economy wasn’t booming. While the goals Brown outlined are laudable, I wouldn’t have gotten past that line on the guy’s resume.
Starbuck Says:July 8th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
That’s more of a simplistic view than I’m used to seeing from Punaro.
Cleveland’s economic problems are deep in some ways similar to Buffalo’s - Rust Belt issues, high public and private unionization, one-party rule, etc. The criteria can’t be whether a candidate is a superhero able to overcome all that using some tweaks at a city-government level.
I’ve no idea one way or another if this guy is best to oversee some tweaking here, but to say Cleveland’s problems should automatically disqualify him sounds shallow.
Nobody in City Hall will be able to substantially turn around Buffalo’s economy by changes at the city government level. The criteria should be whether he seems able to promptly accomplish common sense improvements such as those outlined and to effectively get as much results as feasible out of the department as a whole. We’ll see.
Denizen Says:July 8th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
Buffalo actually has a leg or two up over Cleveland. Buffalo has a smaller geographic footprint and its “nice” neighborhoods are all within the city boundary unlike Cleveland where its most attractive neighborhoods are actually outside the city line in old, pre-war streetcar suburbs.
I think it’s better (as in this case) to hire someone who has worked in other rust belt cities; the problems of each have many similarities and I’m sure this guy is well qualified to do what he can to attack some of Buffalo’s problems.