Home Page > Editorial and Op-Ed
To Repair Upstate, Urban Renewal Is Key by Sam Hoyt
Tue, 13 Nov 2007 18:01:00
For too long the Empire State has languished while the rest of the country prospered. Our central cities—once the economic hubs of the region—are withering as resources are directed to farther and farther outlying suburbs. Working-class families are working harder than ever just to keep up, with little chance of moving ahead. Recent college graduates face slim job prospects close to home and retirees and others on fixed incomes see their savings eaten away by rising taxes.
These problems cannot be fixed piecemeal and will only be addressed by a comprehensive plan—something we have long been without. I know that the governor sees upstate as I do—on the verge of enormous success and growth—and that he understands that strengthening our cities is the key to strengthening our state.
As the chair of the Assembly’s Local Governments Committee and a member of the Governor’s Commission on Local Government Efficiency and Competitiveness, I have focused the work of the committee on initiatives that will have the greatest impact on rebuilding the upstate economy—in particular, the revitalization of our urban cores.
One of the committee’s primary objectives is Industrial Development Agencies (IDA) reform. The proposed changes that I have introduced would catalyze statewide mergers of IDAs, and increase transparency and accountability on project objectives, especially job creation.
In keeping with this, the changes will focus IDA efforts on developing existing brownfield sites, prioritizing those projects that emphasize smart growth—especially in our urban cores—and creating a stronger emphasis on environmentally friendly projects, including green buildings.
One of the unfortunate consequences of a fragmented approach to economic development, such as exists when multiple IDAs compete within a single region, is the decline of retail in our urban centers.
In order to address this decline, I have proposed legislation that would create downtown sales-tax free zones in our upstate cities. This program will create great incentives for new businesses to choose to locate in the central business districts because of the great savings they’ll be able to offer their customers, and will provide crucial incentives for companies to make capital investments in our urban cores. This will better leverage the public dollars that have been spent there in infrastructure, housing opportunities and other public services.
Another major accomplishment of last session was the Assembly’s passage of the “State Smart Growth Public Infrastructure Policy Act,” which requires that state infrastructure funding be consistent with smart growth principles, with priority given to existing infrastructure and projects that are consistent with local governments’ plans for development and which prioritize the redevelopment and use of existing resources over developing new ones.
In keeping with the tenets of this policy act we must put an emphasis on remediating brownfields, especially in our urban centers, as a means of facilitating urban investment through making these sites equally economically competitive with shovel-ready sites in the surrounding suburbs.
Recognizing land value is an important element of a program I helped develop called “Restore NY.” This program, a $300 million initiative, is designed to help localities revitalize urban centers through encouraging economic development and improving housing. In cities like Buffalo, where this will entail a high number of demolitions, I have advocated for establishing land-banking programs to ensure pragmatic and strategic redevelopment of these sites going forward.
Finally, as a means of facilitating collaborative partnerships among the legislators who represent upstate cities, I have advocated forming an Upstate Urban Legislators Caucus to strategize ways to address the unique challenges inherent in revitalizing our urban cores.
None of these objectives will be easy to accomplish, but I am confident that with the governor’s emphasis on rebuilding Upstate and a concerted, focused effort, we will begin to see tangible results of our efforts. We accomplished a number of significant reforms during the last legislative session, and I am optimistic that this is just the beginning of many major changes for Upstate and all of New York.
Sam Hoyt is a Democrat representing Erie County in the Assembly. He is chair of the Committee on Local Governments.
These problems cannot be fixed piecemeal and will only be addressed by a comprehensive plan—something we have long been without. I know that the governor sees upstate as I do—on the verge of enormous success and growth—and that he understands that strengthening our cities is the key to strengthening our state.
As the chair of the Assembly’s Local Governments Committee and a member of the Governor’s Commission on Local Government Efficiency and Competitiveness, I have focused the work of the committee on initiatives that will have the greatest impact on rebuilding the upstate economy—in particular, the revitalization of our urban cores.
One of the committee’s primary objectives is Industrial Development Agencies (IDA) reform. The proposed changes that I have introduced would catalyze statewide mergers of IDAs, and increase transparency and accountability on project objectives, especially job creation.
In keeping with this, the changes will focus IDA efforts on developing existing brownfield sites, prioritizing those projects that emphasize smart growth—especially in our urban cores—and creating a stronger emphasis on environmentally friendly projects, including green buildings.
One of the unfortunate consequences of a fragmented approach to economic development, such as exists when multiple IDAs compete within a single region, is the decline of retail in our urban centers.
In order to address this decline, I have proposed legislation that would create downtown sales-tax free zones in our upstate cities. This program will create great incentives for new businesses to choose to locate in the central business districts because of the great savings they’ll be able to offer their customers, and will provide crucial incentives for companies to make capital investments in our urban cores. This will better leverage the public dollars that have been spent there in infrastructure, housing opportunities and other public services.
Another major accomplishment of last session was the Assembly’s passage of the “State Smart Growth Public Infrastructure Policy Act,” which requires that state infrastructure funding be consistent with smart growth principles, with priority given to existing infrastructure and projects that are consistent with local governments’ plans for development and which prioritize the redevelopment and use of existing resources over developing new ones.
In keeping with the tenets of this policy act we must put an emphasis on remediating brownfields, especially in our urban centers, as a means of facilitating urban investment through making these sites equally economically competitive with shovel-ready sites in the surrounding suburbs.
Recognizing land value is an important element of a program I helped develop called “Restore NY.” This program, a $300 million initiative, is designed to help localities revitalize urban centers through encouraging economic development and improving housing. In cities like Buffalo, where this will entail a high number of demolitions, I have advocated for establishing land-banking programs to ensure pragmatic and strategic redevelopment of these sites going forward.
Finally, as a means of facilitating collaborative partnerships among the legislators who represent upstate cities, I have advocated forming an Upstate Urban Legislators Caucus to strategize ways to address the unique challenges inherent in revitalizing our urban cores.
None of these objectives will be easy to accomplish, but I am confident that with the governor’s emphasis on rebuilding Upstate and a concerted, focused effort, we will begin to see tangible results of our efforts. We accomplished a number of significant reforms during the last legislative session, and I am optimistic that this is just the beginning of many major changes for Upstate and all of New York.
Sam Hoyt is a Democrat representing Erie County in the Assembly. He is chair of the Committee on Local Governments.
