The Partnership for Public Good (PPG), which counts more than 50 partner organizations, is calling on Empire State Development Corporation and its subsidiary, Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation (ECHDC), to incorporate CBA requirements into its Canal Side project plans.
Canal Side is a 20 acre, $300 million mixed use development that's intended to revitalize Buffalo's waterfront. ECHDC, a quasi-public entity, will almost certainly award subsidies to Bass Pro and other private corporations that take part in the development. PPG wants to see community benefits attached to these subsidies, "to ensure that the massive public investment in the project produces authentic public goods." The partnership's priorities include living wage jobs, sustainable design and operations, support for local businesses, and affordable housing.
