Gilbane Building Company has completed Phase II of the Northland Central at 683 Northland Avenue in Buffalo, creating a new home for Buffalo Manufacturing Works. The new facility is 50,000 sq.-ft. or twice the size of the organization’s previous space.
“The completion of Phase II of Northland Central is yet another step forward in the continued economic development of Western New York,” John Cleary, Senior Project Executive, Gilbane Building Company, said in a press release. “This project, which will help advance Buffalo’s manufacturing capability, is particularly exciting because of the involvement of the local workforce and the training programs that helped workers develop the skills they need to succeed in the construction industry.”
Gilbane’s local outreach efforts ensured that the team exceeded minority women-owned business participation. A very strong minority partner who assisted with the outreach and project construction was the 34 Group, run by Patti and Thurman Thomas. Gilbane and the 34 Group have worked together on several projects around the state since establishing a mentor protégé agreement in 2016. Additionally, a major focus of the team was the local participation of the workforce. Approximately 900 local workers were hired on the project, including over 30 percent minority and women-owned businesses.
“Gilbane and the 34 Group have been fantastic partners on the Northland projects,” said Mayor Byron W. Brown, Chairman of the Buffalo Urban Development Corporation (BUDC). “They worked with BUDC from the beginning to ensure that this project was not only about renovating an abandoned building but was about transforming a community.”
Buffalo Manufacturing Works is a space for manufacturers all over the country to learn from leading professionals and take their businesses to the next level, learning how to implement new technologies, improve productivity, and find new ways for their companies to grow. The project will help boost the local economy, and the utilization of local labor on the project’s construction is just the first step in that process.
