A top federal official with a very large checkbook came to town Wednesday to see where several million federal dollars have gone.
Assistant Commerce Secretary Alejandra Castillo toured M&T Bank's tech hub in downtown Buffalo's Seneca One tower and met with local entrepreneurs. Then, accompanied by Rep. Brian Higgins (D-Buffalo), she went out to the former Bethlehem Steel plant in Lackawanna to see what's going on to continue re-use of the site.
She met with reporters in an enormous former Bethlehem building, flanked by another complex. They're being turned into a sugar plant, which will take raw sugar and turn it into sugar for business and residential used.
From an old Bethlehem Steel family, Lackawanna Mayor Annette Iafallo said things are turning around on the site.
"We experienced the peak of the plant's prosperity and the devastation resulting from its closure, an economic cloud which hung over Lackawanna for nearly 40 years. It is now a new and more prosperous day in Lackawanna and Erie County, thanks to the efforts of so many who have made it a priority to restore the economic vibrancy to this historic industrial site," Iafallo said.
Right now, Florida-based Sucro Sourcing is building its sugar plant. Another company, TMP, is already making Mr. Clean cleaners. A bike path is open, a new road is being lengthened and Uniland has a giant warehouse under construction while developing another.
Castillo said the federal money is paying for infrastructure and continuing the Dona Street installation.
"In 2021, EDA invested $2.7 million in Buffalo and Erie County Industrial Land Development Corporation to install new water and sewer systems that will spur new business growth and economic development here at the former Bethlehem Steel plant, with Buffalo and Erie County's $670,000 local match," Castillo said.
She said potentially more dollars on the way from the Build Back Better competition and its grants.
"We are going to find anywhere between 20 and 30. The first round of that, we selected 60 finalists. In total, we received 529 applications and remember we could only select 60 in the first round. There are three finalists in this area in the entire country," Castillo said.
