Economic Development & Public Incentives
For more than 30 years, Hurwitz Fine P.C. has represented industrial development agencies (IDAs), local development corporations (LDCs) and other state and local public authorities whose mission is to improve New York State’s economy through the provision of various economic development incentives and programs. Over that time, we have closed hundreds of IDA tax incentive transactions, and we have assisted economic development clients with numerous economic development projects in Western New York. Our attorneys are actively involved in multiple redevelopment projects in the Northland Corridor in the City of Buffalo, including the Northland Workforce Training Center. Most recently, we are assisting our economic development clients with renewable energy projects, including custom PILOT agreements, and host community agreements.
We regularly assist IDAs with tax incentive deal structures, project eligibility issues, and the negotiation, documentation and closing of IDA tax incentive projects. Our attorneys have extensive experience navigating the IDA regulatory landscape, including the requirements of the Industrial Development Agency Act, Public Authorities Law, General Municipal Law, Freedom of Information Law, Open Meetings Law, SEQRA, and other laws and regulations governing or impacting IDA operations.
A significant component of our economic development practice is the representation of LDCs—special not-for-profit corporations empowered to undertake a broad range of economic development activities. We are general counsel to Buffalo Urban Development Corporation (BUDC), the principal economic development corporation for the City of Buffalo. As general counsel, our firm is actively engaged in all legal matters affecting BUDC, from governance and regulatory compliance matters to providing multi-faceted legal services in connection with significant economic development projects. Our work includes property acquisitions, land dispositions, federal and state grant transactions, brownfield redevelopment, commercial financing, construction agreements, leases and development agreements.
Several of our LDC clients operate loan and grant programs, many of which were capitalized with federal or state grant funding, such as the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. We are fully familiar with the applicable regulations of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development and Administration, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and our attorneys have closed numerous loan and grant transactions on behalf of our economic development clients. We also participate in lending transactions utilizing other governmental incentives, such as the Small Business Administration and the Export-Import Bank of the United States.
In addition to our work on behalf of IDAs and LDCs, we are frequently called upon to represent private companies seeking economic development incentives for projects and have assisted municipal entities with evaluating custom PILOT arrangements impacting their municipalities.
Hurwitz Fine P.C. is listed in the prestigious The Bond Buyer’s Municipal Marketplace (commonly known as the “Red Book”) and is a member of the New York State Economic Development Council. Our attorney are also involved in various business and economic development organizations, including Invest Buffalo Niagara and the Amherst and Cheektowaga Chambers of Commerce.
