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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                 
November 21, 2011                                                                                       

11^th ANNUAL BUFFALO NIAGARA
REGIONAL AGENDA UNVEILED

BUFFALO–The Buffalo Niagara Partnership today unveiled the 2012 Regional Agenda with Erie County, Niagara County, the City of Buffalo and the City of Niagara Falls. The Regional Agenda is an annual compilation of the region’s top economic development priorities. Topping the list of requests are the Peace Bridge U.S. Customs Renovation Project, Proceeds Legislation Implementation, Recommitment to Roswell Park Cancer Institute and UB2020 Phase I.

The Regional Agenda itemizes projects for potential statewide and national impact that are economically advantageous for the Buffalo Niagara region. The annual collaboration between public and private sector entities results in a collective voice for Erie and Niagara counties and a clear list of priorities for state and federal lawmakers. The Regional Agenda complements simultaneous economic initiatives at city, county, state and federal levels.

“Our 2012 Regional Agenda was put together with conscious recognition of the recommendations from the Partnership’s Accelerate Upstate Action Agenda, a result of the major conference held in August, and of the plan produced by the Western New York Regional Economic Development Council and sent to Albany this month,” said Andrew Rudnick, President and CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership. “The common priorities are significant and provide an important roadmap for anyone involved in or concerned about private sector job and investment growth in Buffalo Niagara.”

Each economic initiative has a distinct scope. The Buffalo Niagara Partnership’s Regional Agenda addresses state and federal issues for Erie and Niagara counties. Accelerate Upstate addresses state and federal issues for Upstate New York. The Western New York Regional Economic Development Council, designated by Governor Andrew Cuomo, focuses specifically on state issues and is made up of five counties.

The 2012 Regional Agenda focuses on investments for continued growth of Buffalo Niagara’s target industry sectors; transportation and infrastructural development; policy requests for state and federal action to promote environmental remediation and sustainable practices; planned items for economic development through community revitalization and a focus on top-rated higher education and medical institutions.

Economic development priorities highlighted in the 2012 Regional Agenda include:

• Peace Bridge U.S. Customs Renovation Project – Renovation at the port of Buffalo designed to ease congestion, improve efficiency, and remedy longstanding issues at the border crossing
• Continental 1 – New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) replacement of federal funds needed to complete the Route 219/Continental 1 Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS)
• Proceeds Legislation Implementation – Passage and Implementation of S.5835/A.8538, the strengthened “proceeds bill”, to ensure the proceeds from the sale of local hydropower is used for the greatest economic impact within 30 miles of the Niagara Power Plant
• Niagara Experience Center – Site acquisition, design and beginning phases of construction of Niagara Experience Center
• Grid Infrastructure – State prioritization of effective infrastructure investment in the energy delivery (transmission and distribution) system in order to modernize the grid to account for improved reliability, diversity in generation supply, clean energy sources and overall supply accessibility
• Recommitment to Roswell Park Cancer Institute – Adequate state funding or amendment of public benefit corporation legislation, to make available the necessary resources and management tools to allow Roswell Park to sustain its growth trajectory and to enhance patient care through innovative research
• UB2020 Phase I – Gubernatorial approval of the plan to relocate the UB School of Medical and Biomedical Sciences to the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus
• Niagara University Center for Integrated Sciences – Construction of a new science facility to help Niagara University prepare future generations to assume critical life and health sciences positions in the region
• Agribusiness Park – Additional infrastructure build-out to create a site that can be marketed for value-added food preparation and processing projects
• Early Stage Funding – Continued state and federal prioritization of investment in innovation, to drive economic growth through cutting-edge research and development

Last year’s Regional Agenda resulted in successes including UB2020 coming to fruition with the passage of SUNY2020, the passage of Recharge NY, the Excelsior Jobs program and new Article X Siting bill. 

Past Regional Agenda successes include: development and growth of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, the saving of the Niagara Falls Air Base, Buffalo’s new Federal Courthouse and the delay of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) subsequently making Enhanced Drivers’ Licenses available to New York State residents.

This is the 11^th consecutive year regional officials have collaborated with the Partnership to create the agenda.

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