Developer withdraws application to bring Amazon project to Grand Island

A controversial plan that would have brought an Amazon distribution center and at least 1,000 new jobs to Grand Island is now off the table.

GOOD EVENING.A CONTROVERSIALDEVELOPMENT DEALTHAT WOULD HAVETRANSFORMEDGRAND ISLAND NOWAPPEARS TO BE OFFTHE TABLE."PROJECT OLIVE"WOULD HAVE LED TOAN AMAZONDISTRIBUTION FACILITYON THE ISLAND.A THOUSAND JOBSWOULD HAVE COMEWITH IT.BUT TONIGHT --DEVELOPERS HAVEWITHDRAWN THEIRAPPLICATION.GILAT MELAMEDLOOKS AT AMAZON'SUNCERTAIN FUTURE INWESTERN NEW YORK.AMAZON WILL NOT BECOMING TO GRANDISLAND.THE TOWN SAYSPROJECT DEVELOPERTC BUFFALO ISWITHDRAWING IT'S"PROJECT OLIVE"APPLICATION.GROUPS HAVE BEENPROTESTING THEPROJECT FOR THELAST FEW WEEKS."NO AMAZONWAREHOUSE."TOWN SUPERVISORJOHN WHITNEY SAYSDEVELOPERS TOLDHIM COST INCREASES,INTEREST IN OTHERLOCATIONS, ANDLABORREQUIREMENTSPLAYED MORE OF AROLE IN THEAPPLICATIONWITHDRAWAL THANPUBLIC OPPOSITIONDID.CRED4GI PRESENTEDTHE TOWN BOARDWITH A PETITION OFMORE THAN 1700SIGNATURES.."OUR MEMBERS HAVECOMMUNICATED TO USTHEIR CONCERNSABOUT TRAFFIC ABOUTTHE ENVIRONMENTABOUT HEALTH ANDSAFETY ABOUT THEPERMANENCY OR LACKTHEREOF OF THESEJOBS."THE 3.8 MILLIONSQUARE FOOTAMAZONDISTRIBUTION CENTERWOULD'VE BEEN ONLONG ROAD, RIGHTOFF THE 190.A FEW WEEKS AGO TCBUFFALO OFFEREDTHE TOWN $10 MILLIONTO FUND ACOMMUNITY CENTER,INFRASTRUCTUREIMPROVEMENTS, ANDTHE EXPANSION OFTHE GRAND ISLANDBIKE TRAIL."THE PROJECT WILLBRING REAL POSITIVEBENEFITS IMPACTFULBENEFITS TO THETOWN."ERIE COUNTYEXECUTIVE MARKPOLONCARZ CALLEDTHE MOVEUNFORTUNATE.

ASTHE PROJECT WOULDBRING MORE THAN1,000 NEW JOBS."THIS IS NOT ANINCONSEQUENTIALPROJECT THIS IS APROJECT OF REGIONALSIGNIFICANCE."POLONCARZ SAYS THECOUNTY MADEPREVIOUS EFFORTSFOR THE FACILITY TOBE AT THE FORMERBETHLEHEM STEELSITE.A SPOKESPERSONFOR AMAZON TELLS 7EYEWITNESS NEWSIT'S NOT PURSUING ALOCATION IN ERIECOUNTY AT THISTIME.

BUT WILLCONTINUE TOEXPLOREOPPORTUNITIES TOINVEST AND GROW INTHE STATE."WE'VE REACHED OUTTO THE LAWYERSREPRESENTING TCBUFFALO IN THISPROJECT, BUT HAVENOT HEARD BACK YET.ON GRAND ISLAND,GILAT MELAMED, 7EYEWITNESS NEWS.