named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
Adaptive Reuse Policy
Tax incentive program encouraging redevelopment of historic, vacant commercial buildings in Erie County, particularly in Buffalo, into mixed-use or residential spaces
Erie County Agribusiness Park
Development of the former Eden-Angola Airport site into an agribusiness-focused industrial park supporting agricultural and food production businesses
Foreign Trade Zone #23
Facilitates international trade by allowing businesses in designated zones to defer or reduce customs duties on imported goods used in manufacturing or distribution
RDC Business Expansion Loan Program
Provides fixed-rate 4% loans up to $3 million to Erie County businesses for working capital, equipment, and expansion, with special terms for MWBEs and veteran-owned businesses
Renaissance Commerce Park
Redevelopment of the 240-acre former Bethlehem Steel site in Lackawanna into a manufacturing and warehouse commerce park with infrastructure, transportation access, and business incentives
activities · 8 groups
What they do
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Trade and Logistics Support Services 1 activity
- Administering Foreign Trade Zone #23Administers Foreign Trade Zone #23, which is legally outside U.S. Customs territory for tariff purposes, providing expedited approval for warehouse/distribution and manufacturing sites and offering direct management support through a dedicated Zone Manager.
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Local Business Financing and Incentives 1 activity
- Administering economic development tax abatements in Erie CountyApproves and administers tax abatements including property tax savings through PILOT agreements, sales tax exemptions on equipment and construction materials, and mortgage recording fee savings to support business development and investment in Erie County.
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Capital Infrastructure Funding 1 activity
- Issuing tax-exempt bond financing for businesses and nonprofitsProvides tax-exempt bond financing to both for-profit businesses and not-for-profit organizations to support investment and development. This includes issuing bonds for fixed asset acquisition or renovation by industrial companies and nonprofit entities in Erie County.
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Interest-Free Loan and Grant Support 1 activity
- Managing revolving loan fund for economic developmentManages a revolving loan fund to finance projects that improve economic conditions in Erie County, supporting long-term economic growth through targeted lending.
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Small Business and Nonprofit Lending 1 activity
- Providing business loans and credit lines through loan programsOffers fixed-rate 4% interest loans up to $3 million, business expansion loans, and lines of credit up to $100,000 to qualified businesses in Erie County for working capital, equipment, and pollution control. Also administers the Sumitomo Employee Loan Fund (SELF) for former Sumitomo employees starting businesses.
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Regional Economic Development Initiatives 1 activity
- Redeveloping Erie County Agribusiness Park on former Angola Airport siteManages the redevelopment of approximately 240 acres at the former Angola Airport site as the Erie County Agribusiness Park, including acquisition of the site and development support for agribusiness growth.
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Land Bank Property Revitalization 1 activity
- Redeveloping vacant industrial properties through adaptive reuseRedeveloped millions of square feet of vacant industrial buildings, including transforming the former Trico factory into a mixed-use development with 242 apartments and commercial space, and generating over $750 million in economic impact between 2008 and 2016 through tax-incentivized adaptive reuse projects.
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Uncategorized 2 activities
- Acquiring and preparing land for economic developmentAcquired a 150-acre parcel along Route 5 in 2018 and the former Eden-Angola Airport site for redevelopment, supporting future industrial and agribusiness growth in Erie County.
- Redeveloping Renaissance Commerce Park on former Bethlehem Steel siteLeads the redevelopment of a 240-acre industrial site on the former Bethlehem Steel property, designated as FAST NY Shovel Ready Certified, including infrastructure planning, rail relocation, and facilitation of private and public investment. Since 2013, facilitated over $130 million in private investment and nearly $40 million in public infrastructure funding.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$1.96M
Contributions & grants$1.47M75%
Program service revenue$357K18%
Investment income$126K6%
Other revenue$7K
expenses
Total expenses$2.14M
Program expenses99%
Admin / overhead1%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineProfessional Fees
balance sheet
Total assets$17.10M
Cash$3.68M
Investments$0
Liabilities$9.69M
Net assets$7.41M
Liquid reserves20.7 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -71.1%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 5
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JOHN CAPPELLINO | PRESIDENT/CEO | 6 | $251K |
| MOLLIE PROFIC | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER | 0 | $160K |
| ELIZABETH O'KEEFE | VICE PRESIDENT AND SECRETARY | 0 | $150K |
| GRANT LESSWING | DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT | 0 | $145K |
| GERALD MANHARD | CHIEF LENDING OFFICER | 0 | $123K |
board members · 7
- APRIL BASKIN — DIRECTOR
- CHRISTOPHER SCANLON — DIRECTOR
- DANIEL CASTLE — DIRECTOR
- DENISE ABBOTT — DIRECTOR
- JOHN GILMOUR — DIRECTOR
- MARK POLONCARZ — CHAIRMAN
- RICHARD LIPSITZ — DIRECTOR
relationships · 20
Who they work with
- Buffalo & Erie County Industrial Land Development Corporation Government — Implied administrative or operational relationship with ECIDA in delivering industrial land development and tax incentive services in Erie County.
- City of Lackawanna Government — Jointly invested in public infrastructure and participated in ribbon-cutting and public events for Renaissance Commerce Park.
- Danason's Border Services, Inc. Partner — Border services provider supporting Foreign Trade Zone operations in Grand Island, NY.
- Erie County Government — Funded and completed a public bike path and street extension into Renaissance Commerce Park; led redevelopment priorities through the ILDC.
- Erie County Industrial Development Agency Government — Initiated and administers the Adaptive Reuse Policy; closely affiliated with the organization implementing the program.
- Erie County Industrial Development Agency Government — Parent agency through which ILDC operates as its development arm.
- Erie County Industrial Development Agency Government — Primary oversight and enabling agency for the Industrial Land Development Corporation, which acts as its development arm.
- Erie County Industrial Development Agency (ECIDA) Partner — Affiliated organization collaborating on economic development initiatives
- Erie County Industrial Development Agency (ECIDA) Partner — Industrial Land Development Corporation operates as the development arm of ECIDA, implementing its redevelopment projects.
- Gateway Trade Center Inc. Partner — Operator of a Foreign Trade Zone facility in Lackawanna, NY.
- International Economic Development Council (IEDC) Network — Awarded the Renaissance Commerce Park redevelopment project a Silver Award for Excellence in Economic Development.
- J.G. Petrucci Company, Inc. Partner — Approved by ILDC to develop 24 acres of light-manufacturing space at Renaissance Commerce Park.
- New York State Department of Economic Development (ESD) Government — Collaborates with ILDC on redevelopment initiatives, including street naming and infrastructure planning at Renaissance Commerce Park.
- Sonwil Distribution Partner — Operates two Foreign Trade Zone facilities in Buffalo and West Seneca, NY.
- Speed Global Services Partner — Provides distribution services within a Foreign Trade Zone in Buffalo, NY.
- Sumitomo Partner — Created the Sumitomo Employee Loan Fund (SELF) to support former employees starting small businesses.
- TMP Technologies Partner — First manufacturer located in Renaissance Commerce Park, purchasing 26 acres and building a new 290,000 sq. ft. facility.
- U.S. Port of Buffalo Partner — Provides site-adjacent deepwater port access for Renaissance Commerce Park.
- Uniland Development Company Partner — Partnered with ILDC to purchase parcels and develop commercial warehouse facilities at Renaissance Commerce Park.
- WNY Foreign Trade Zone Partner — Regional general-purpose Foreign Trade Zone operating in the Buffalo-Niagara region.
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Dedicated Industrial Land Redevelopment with Site Certificationmethodology: development_arm_modelBy operating through a dedicated development arm (ILDC) that prepares and certifies "shovel-ready" industrial sites, the organization increases private investor confidence and accelerates project timelines, because certified sites with multimodal infrastructure access reduce development risk and time-to-market.
- Economic Development through Incentivized Investmentmethodology: economic-development-through-incentivized-investmentBy deploying financial incentives such as tax-exempt bond financing, PILOT agreements, and adaptive reuse tax incentives, the organization stimulates private-sector investment and industrial redevelopment, because these mechanisms reduce financial barriers and de-risk private investment in underutilized industrial sites.
- Equity-Focused Access to Capitalmethodology: equity-focused-lendingBy offering targeted lending programs and preferential loan terms to underserved entrepreneurs—including minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses—the organization increases equitable access to capital, because conventional financing systems often exclude these groups due to structural barriers.
- Foreign Trade Zone Duty Optimizationmethodology: customs-duty-optimizationBy enabling businesses to operate within Foreign Trade Zones, the organization reduces customs duty costs through deferral, inverted tariff treatment, and duty elimination on re-exports, because these savings improve competitiveness and attract export-oriented manufacturing and logistics firms.