Heartened by Amendments to MGPP, But We Still Need a CBA

On Monday (11/29/10) afternoon the ECHDC Board of Directors voted to approve the Modified General Project Plan (MGPP) for Canal Side. CEJ and the Canal Side Alliance, as well as several of our members listened to Chairman Jordan Levy discuss amendments to the MGPP, and then presented over 1,000 post cards from Buffalo residents in support of a Community Benefits Agreement for the development project.

For the most part, we were heartened by the steps made by the ECHDC in amending the MGPP. One of our top priorities has always been to create a more accountable and transparent process with increased community engagement. The incorporation of some community ideas into the MGPP makes us cautiously optimistic that the ECHDC is more willing to work with and listen to the community.

Specifically, the hiring of Fred Kent, of the Project for Public Spaces to assist Canal Side architects shows a commitment to embracing the notion of “lighter, quicker, cheaper” which the public has been calling for. This stands in contrast with large-scale private business subsidies and infrastructure designed to accommodate them, which had been a mainstay of the previous plan. An example of this is the decision to table the construction of a major parking garage on the old Aud site. On the whole, it appears there has been a shift in focus towards public infrastructure. Our hope is that they may be realizing what we’ve been saying all along, that spending tax money on public goods is a much smarter investment than giving it away to private businesses and hoping that the public benefits.

In addition, ECHDC announced on Monday the creation of three subcommittees to study the Historic District, the Buffalo River, and the Outer Harbor. The committees will be made up of community members and chaired by Jordan Levy, with assistance from Fred Kent, and will issue their first reports to the board in February. This is another sign of doors opening to authentic community engagement and participation.

While this is encouraging, as we move forward on this project, the ECHDC needs to take the next step and negotiate a Community Benefits Agreement. This would lay out guiding principles for the development project, and make sure the public benefit from this investment is maximized. Absent at Monday’s meeting was the discussion by board members of a CBA, despite the fact that the Common Council passed in March a unanimous resolution conditioning the sale of city land on the successful negotiation of a CBA.

To that end, CEJ hosted meeting of faith leaders and Common Council members on Tuesday, November 30th, in discussion on the need for a CBA. Faith leaders re-iterated their support of a CBA and how the agreement would help the members of their congregations, and Common Council members Rivera, LoCurto, and Haynes explained the history and progress of the fight for a CBA in the Common Council. Break-out groups allowed faith leaders to converse with each other and with their councilmember, each sharing their knowledge and insight as well as concerns moving forward. This allowed faith leaders to learn more about the process of the CBA and understand how they can most effectively lend support to that process on behalf of their congregations.

While amended and somewhat improved, passing the MGPP puts a plan in motion, which is essentially placing the cart before the horse. We still don’t fundamentally understand what will be going down there. For instance, how much money will still be spent on private development? Buffalo faces many challenges including poverty, lack of community control over resources, underemployment and unemployment. A CBA would also address these challenges. A CBA would also set a precedent for future development and establish WNY as a business, community, and people friendly region.