Lakeside Commerce Park Expanding

Buffalo's newest industrial park is about to double in size.

The directors of the Buffalo Urban Development Corp., Thursday morning, unanimously agreed to purchase two adjoining parcels to the rapidly-filling Buffalo Lakeside Commerce Park. The deal will add about 100 more acres to the 122-acre business park that surrounds the Union Ship Canal property just off of Route 5.

BUDC's signed off on a deal to purchase nearly 38 acres of former railroad land from CSX Corp., agreeing to pay up to $600,000 for the land, if it passes an environmental review.

David Stebbins, BUDC vice president, who crafted the deal said the agency has the option to walk away from the deal if it feels there are environmental problems with the land.

"I don't foresee any problems," Stebbins added.

The board also agreed to buy 70 acres from local businessman Herbert F. Darling Jr. for approximately $750,000, in a deal that includes $150,000 being directed to the Friends of Tifft Nature Preserve in the form of a promissory note.

The deals were approved on the same day when BUDC officials learned the state Department of Environmental Conservation awarded a $6 million grant to the Buffalo Lakeside Commerce Park project for continued remediation of the property including creating a fish habitat in the former Union Ship Canal. State officials also said $3.24 million will be granted for brownfield cleanup of the former Spaulding Fibre site in the City of Tonawanda.

Buffalo Lakeside Commerce Park, which debuted three years ago, has nearly filled its first phase with companies like CertainTeed Corp. and Cobey Inc. taking more than 37 acres of the property's 60 acres of land.

The CSX and Darling acquisitions are considered crucial for the park's further development and the city's pressing need for more shovel-ready land.

"This moves us forward in that direction," said Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown. "This gives us more land in hand and takes us to where we need to be."