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Home > Leadership > Mayor > Archive Press Releases > 2008 Archives > April 2008 > Mayor Brown Visits Sonwil Distribution Centers, Inc.'s Future Facility

Mayor Brown Visits Sonwil Distribution Centers, Inc.'s Future Facility

Source/Contact
Office of the Mayor
Peter K. Cutler
Director of Communications
716-851-4841

Mayor Cites Continuing Interest and Investment in Former Brownfield Site

BUFFALO – Mayor Byron W. Brown today visited Sonwil Distribution Centers, Inc.’s future 300,000 sq. ft. distribution center in the Buffalo Lakeside Commerce Park.  The development project is the largest constructed to date at Buffalo Lakeside Commerce Park (BLCP) and will employ approximately 215 people when the project is completed.         
 
In September 2007, The Buffalo Urban Development Corporation (BUDC) announced that Sonwil Distribution, a national independent developer, public warehouse provider and transportation broker with operations throughout the United States, Canada and abroad, would build a new 300,000 square foot distribution center on shovel ready land at Buffalo Lakeside Commerce Park.  At the time, BUDC’s board of director’s gave final approval to a letter of intent that entitled Sonwil to 54 acres of land where they will build the rail-served distribution center. 

“I am extremely pleased by the commitment of Sandy and Peter Wilson to Buffalo Lakeside Commerce Park and the City of Buffalo,” said Mayor Brown.  “I am further encouraged that my economic development strategy of accelerating the preparation of shovel ready sites is paying early dividends and establishing a strong foundation for the future prosperity of both Sonwil and the City of Buffalo, especially in former brownfield locations like the Buffalo Lakeside Commerce Park.”

The land Sonwil occupies was obtained by BUDC from CSX railroad, the MBBA (Sherland Incorporated), and also includes a portion of parcels formerly owned by Herbert Darling.  Significant growth in new business drove Sonwil’s decision to build the new facility.  If the current pace of growth continues, the company anticipates building a second facility of similar size adjacent to the new structure, perhaps within the next three years.

In addition to their primary business of development and distribution, Sonwil also provides transportation brokerage services, logistics technology support, and other value-adding services to its clients.

“We are pleased to be part of the renaissance of the City of Buffalo and partners with the Buffalo Urban Development Corporation,” said Sandy Wilson, President, Sonwil Distribution Centers, Inc.  “Buffalo Lakeside Commerce Park’s strategic location, transportation infrastructure and sustainable design will help us serve our clients well.”

Buffalo Lakeside Commerce Park is one of the regions most notable and successful Brownfield reclamation projects, and it is also located in a New York State Empire Zone.  As a consequence Sonwil is eligible to apply for both Brownfield Tax Credits through the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Empire Zone incentives through the Buffalo Empire Zone, a designation granted through Empire State Development Corporation. 

A number of Economic Development partners came together to assist in the project, or could play a role in the future should Sonwil decide to pursue some of their programs.  New York State committed $5 million to the expansion of Buffalo Lakeside Commerce Park, which will in part be used for the extension of the access road and utility infrastructure.  The new building, designed by Silvestri Architects, will be an energy efficient, LEED certified building that will also enable Sonwil to pursue incentives from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.

Sonwil Distribution Center, Inc. is a family-owned public warehousing and distribution company, serving clients regionally, nationally, and internationally. Based in Western New York for over 65 years, Sonwil provides reliable logistics solutions that free its customers from the overhead expenses and management issues related to private facility ownership. The company’s headquarters and warehouse operations are strategically located adjacent to the Buffalo Niagara International Airport. Sonwil Distribution Center, Inc. is an active and long-standing member of the International Warehouse Logistics Association.

Mayor Brown highlighted how Buffalo can attract investment from businesses such as Sonwil
“Buffalo’s possesses key business locational assets for this kind of company, which  include: access to I-190 from State Route 5; Buffalo’s status as a major rail hub in the northeast US – Buffalo is served  by four class one carriers  CSX and Norfolk Southern railroads and the international Canadian Pacific and Canadian National railroads – and we had a shovel-ready site of scale to accommodate their 300,000 new facility, with rail access. “

 

BUFFALO LAKESIDE COMMERCE PARK

  • Buffalo Lakeside Commerce Park (BLCP) is a 200+ acre “Smart Growth” urban commerce park located along Lake Erie and the Union Ship Canal in South Buffalo.
  • BLCP is being developed by the Buffalo Urban Development Corporation (BUDC) , a not-for-profit local development corporation,  with the support of the City of Buffalo, County of Erie and the State of New York
  • The redevelopment of the former Hanna Furnace Pig Iron facility into BLCP is the largest (in acreage) brownfield reclamation project in Western New York and one of the largest in the State.
  • The reclamation is progressing in multiple stages, following and implementing a Master Plan and Generic Environmental Impact Statement that were completed in 2004.
  • The first two stages of the project resulted in the reclamation of 84 acres of brownfields, the construction of two new streets – Hanna Drive and Ship Canal Parkway; and the development of new industrial facilities for CertainTeed and Cobey, Inc., representing the retention and/or creation of over 300 jobs.
  • The current phase of the redevelopment project has been made possible with a $5 million State grant secured by the City of Buffalo, resulting in:
    • Expansion of the footprint of the business park with the acquisition of three privately-owned parcels of land totaling 132 acres, including the land on which Sonwil is currently developing its facilities;
    • Construction of over 2,000 linear feet of new city streets by BUDC with accompanying utility infrastructure (sanitary sewer, storm sewer, water-lines, underground electrical service, natural gas service and telecommunications), extending Ship Canal Parkway from CertainTeed to Tifft Street.
  • The current road and utility infrastructure project is estimated to cost approximately $3.0 million, was designed by TVGA Consultants, Inc. and is being constructed by CATCO Construction [a union construction company]
  • The road construction project was started in February 2008 and is approximately 30% complete:
    • All new waterlines are completed
    • All new sanitary sewer lines are substantially completed
    • The road ROW has been boxed-out and stone sub-base installed
  • The road and infrastructure project will be completed by mid-June 2008, timed to coincide with the completion of Sonwil’s new distribution center.
  • The project will also include relocation of National Grid high-voltage transmission lines and installation of new electrical service along Fuhrmann Blvd. to serve St. Lawrence Cement and future development along the Outer Harbor.
  • Future phases of the redevelopment project will include:
    • creation of a new 20+ acre waterfront greenspace around the Union Ship Canal – a $7.2 million project being co-developed by the City of Buffalo and Erie County;
    • construction of the final road and utility infrastructure, connecting Ship Canal Parkway to Fuhrmann Boulevard along the north side of the Canal
  • Upon completion, the redevelopment of BLCP will result in approximately 188 developable acres on 17 sites, with 3 sites totaling over 56 acres already developed (CertainTeed and Cobey) or under development (Sonwil).
  • Buffalo Lakeside Commerce Park employs many “green” or sustainable development features, including:
    • Reclamation of vacant, abandoned brownfield sites into productive development sites;
    • Preparation of urban development sites to encourage in-fill development (Smart Growth);
    • The availability of rail service, allowing and encouraging energy-efficient logistics and distribution.  Both CertainTeed and Sonwil were attracted to the site, in part, by the availability of rail service;
    • Preservation of over 23 acres of freshwater wetlands;
    • Creation of over 20 acres of public greenspace around the Union Ship Canal – itself a brownfield reclamation project – and including the creation of aquatic eco-systems and fish habitats within the canal.