NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

            Pursuant to Article 18-A of NYS General Municipal Law, the Erie County Industrial Development Agency (the “Agency”) will hold a public hearing on June 18, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. at the Agency’s offices, at 95 Perry Street, Suite 403, Buffalo, NY 14203, regarding:

By resolution adopted by the Agency on November 29, 2023, the Agency approved of an application (the “Application”) submitted by Lactalis American Group, Inc., and/or Individual(s) or Affiliate(s), Subsidiary(ies), or Entity(ies) formed or to be formed on its behalf (the “Company”) for a sales and use tax exemption, and appointed the Company as the true and lawful agent of the Agency to undertake a certain project located at 2375 South Park Avenue, City of Buffalo, Erie County, New York (the “Project”), consisting of: (i) upgrades to the 60,000+/- sq. ft. production areas for Galbani Ricotta and Mozzarella Cheeses as well as upgrades to the pasteurization equipment and packaging equipment to reliably handle the increased input, along with Whey Powder, Galbani Provolone and President Cut-and-Wrap Brie processing production lines, installation of new mozzarella and ricotta cheese production equipment, construction of a new 6,000+/- sq. ft. building addition for the whey evaporator and dryer equipment, as well as plant wide infrastructure upgrades such as repairing, restoring and upgrading the existing plant infrastructure including the replacement of an end-of-life milk silo, constructing a receiving bay catwalk for improved worker safety, repair and replacement of failing roof system, repair to aging electrical infrastructure (the “Improvements”), and (ii) the acquisition by the Company in and around the Improvements of certain items of machinery, equipment and other tangible personal property (the “Equipment”; and, together with the Improvements, the “Facility”). The Facility will be initially owned and operated by the Company.

The Company has submitted an update to its original Application (the “Updated Application”) requesting additional financial assistance for the Project in the form of an increase in the sales and use tax exemption that was previously granted to the Company in connection with the construction of the Improvements and the acquisition and installation of the Equipment in and around the Facility, along with additional improvements at the Facility consisting of: construction of a new 10,000+/- sq ft engine room, repurposing existing distribution center space from cold storage to dry storage, demolition and conversion of the employee locker area into a new mozzarella production area, installation of new ricotta equipment and renovations to the spot pack room, and the overhaul of deteriorated production areas. 

A representative of the Agency will be present at the above-stated time and place to present a copy of the Updated Application and hear and accept written and oral comments from all persons with views in favor of or opposed to the proposed financial assistance. This public hearing is being live-streamed and made accessible on the Agency’s website at www.ecidany.com. Written comments may be submitted at this public hearing, submitted on the Agency’s website, or delivered to the Agency at 95 Perry Street-Suite 403, Buffalo, NY 14203 until the comment period closes at 4:00 p.m. on July 22, 2025. The project application is available for public inspection at the Agency’s offices Monday through Friday (excluding public holidays) from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.

This public hearing is being conducted in accordance with Subdivision 2 of Section 859-a of the New York General Municipal Law.

Click here for a copy of the application (PDF) 

Click below for public comment