It's not the final step, but the city Planning Board yesterday approved the site plan for the new Workforce Training Center on Northland Avenue.
It's part of a $44 million plan to build a business park in an area of the city which once provided thousands of well-paying industrial jobs. The plan is that late this year or early next year a massive rehab of the old Clearing Niagara plant will start.
According to Buffalo Urban Development Corporation President Peter Cammarata, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown has "identified this particular area as a prime area to help the redevelopment of the East Side."
The project, Cammarata said, would allow East Side residents to work in their neighborhood.
"That's the real key. So, not only are they going to be trained here but we hope to supplement that with other businesses that come into the area and really create a business park."
The entire project is being paid for by Governor Cuomo's Buffalo Billion.
Once the training center is up and running, the plan is for 300 to 400 people to be trained each year for industrial and energy jobs. It's part of a state push to have new workers ready as current industrial workers hit retirement age.
