state of the city address

Mayor Brown Puts Spotlight on Buffalo State at State of the City Address

Jerod Dahlgren
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At his 13th State of the City address on Friday, February 15, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown, ’83, announced the city’s intention to enter into a Designated Developer Agreement (DDA) with Buffalo State College—via the college’s affiliate BSCR Corporation—to redevelop the city’s auto impound lot.

The impound lot is situated to the immediate west of campus at 166 Dart Street. The DDA, which is subject to Common Council approval, would provide an 18-month period for the college to develop a plan for the 8.8-acre parcel. The final development plan would also be subject to Common Council review and approval.

“Buffalo State would like to thank the City of Buffalo for supporting and selecting the college’s affiliate, BSCR Corporation, to serve as the designated developer (pending Common Council approval) for the city’s impound lot property,” said Buffalo State President Katherine Conway-Turner. “As a land-locked institution, this a rare opportunity to extend the campus footprint, while also contributing to the exciting revitalization of Buffalo’s West Side.

“In the coming months, we will announce our process for exploring and evaluating the many possibilities to redevelop the impound lot,” Conway-Turner continued. “As ideas emerge for the use of this unique land, we will work with internal and external constituents toward a final development plan that will be welcoming to the community, provide new and unique opportunities for our students, and support our mission as an anchor institution and SUNY’S Urban-Engaged Campus.”

Before announcing the DDA, Brown also highlighted a new renewable energy collaboration between the city, Buffalo State, the University at Buffalo, Erie Community College, and Erie County. Earlier this month, the five entities each issued requests for proposals (RPFs) from developers who may be interested in building renewable energy infrastructure on their sites, either as roof- or ground-mounted installations.


The RFPs are part of Localizing Buffalo’s Renewable Energy Future, an initiative that calls for the creation of 100 megawatts of renewable energy. That equates to approximately 50 percent of all electricity used by these entities.

“Buffalo State College is proud to be a core member of this important collaboration,” Conway-Turner said. “Through our collective efforts, this unique renewable energy initiative has tremendous potential to bring positive and sustained environmental change to Western New York, while also providing efficient and predictable energy budgeting for years to come.”