In 1978, the City of Buffalo established the Buffalo Economic Renaissance Corporation (BERC) as a public-private partnership organization eligible to receive federal economic development aid and designed to more appropriately involve the private sector in City economic development initiatives.
BERC is a Section 501(c)(4), not-for-profit local development corporation pursuant to the statutes of New York State. BERC also qualifies under HUD and EDA regulations to receive funding as a local development corporation. It is a membership corporation that meets SBA requirements. BERC was modeled after the Philadelphia (PA) Industrial Development Council (PIDC). Established in 1956, the PIDC was the most successful organization of its kind in the country at that time. BERC's semi-independent operation is representative of most urban economic development corporations nationally. Unlike many of its counterparts in other medium-sized U.S. cities, BERC is a comprehensive, effective and successful economic development corporation. It successfully places a high priority on creating jobs, recruits and maintains excellent and aggressive staff, and enjoys a close working relationship with the City of Buffalo, the ECIDA, New York State, the federal government and area banks.
Vision Statement
The City of Buffalo will be one of the best cities in North America to do business, create jobs and, ultimately, profit. Buffalo will be the hub of a vibrant and growing regional economy, with the private and public sectors working together in harmony and contributing toward accomplishing a shared agenda.
Mission Statement
The emphasis will be placed toward the development of small businesses and strengthening neighborhood commercial districts. Success will be measured ultimately by the amount of jobs created for residents in low-moderate income communities, our ability to leverage our diverse population and our ability to enhance trust through open and ongoing dialogue within BERC, amongst our strategic partners and the community.
We will develop simple tools and deliver them in a streamlined manner.
In 1900, Buffalo was the eighth largest city in America. It was located on one of the busiest sections of the Erie Canal, the terminus of the canal on the Great Lakes. Thanks to its location, Buffalo had huge grain milling operations and one of the largest steel mills in the country. Buffalo prospered during WWII as did many northern industrial cities. After the WWII, the manufacturing plants returned to the production of cars and industrial goods. The population rose to more than 500,000 in the mid-1950s. It is half that today. Buffalo was wounded irreparably by the de-industrialization of America.
Read more: America’s Ten Dead Cities: From Detroit To New Orleans - 24/7 Wall St.
Good for Buffalo .. it really is a great place .. great potential ... I hope they are as succesful in their economic recovery as Schenectady County has been since Sue Savage and the "working together works" Democrats came to power.
George Amedore & Christian Klueg for NYS Senate 2016 Pete Vroman for State Assembly 2016[/size][/color]
"For this is what America is all about. It is the uncrossed desert and the unclimbed ridge. It is the star that is not reached and the harvest that is sleeping in the unplowed ground." Lyndon Baines Johnson
Good for Buffalo .. it really is a great place .. great potential ... I hope they are as succesful in their economic recovery as Schenectady County has been since Sue Savage and the "working together works" Democrats came to power.
Susan Savage and the rest of the county dems have created a county that is the highest taxed in the county/country!!! THAT is what happened since the dems came into power....thank you very much!!!
Susan Savage has a nasty and arrogant demeanor when 'appearing' to be listening to her constituents. Susan Savage and the rest of the dems, blocked equal representation at the county level by not listening to the concerns of the other country representative IF they are republican. So there is clearly NO equal representation for ALL taxpayers!!!
Susan Savage is the tax and spend queen....and a nasty one at that!!! NYS does NOT need another tax and spend representative in state government. Schenectady county can NOT afford Susan Savage and the rest of the democrats any longer!!!
VOTE ALL DEMS OUT!! As for you DVR....you almost had me fooled....but you are clearly and most definitely are a liberal socialist party loyalist puppet!!! Your rep/con/dem combo was just all BS!!! Good luck when you run for office!!!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Good for Buffalo .. it really is a great place .. great potential ... I hope they are as succesful in their economic recovery as Schenectady County has been since Sue Savage and the "working together works" Democrats came to power.
1978 - BERC was created...Fast forward 32 years to 2010...Buffalo ranked #1 deadest city in the COUNTRY!
32 years of government run "economic development" and Buffalo made it to #1 DEADEST CITY. Good for them, Schenectady is still fighting for that top spot.