Buffalo Economic Renaissance

In 1978, the City of Buffalo established the Buffalo Economic Renaissance Corporation (BERC) as a public-private partnership organization eligible to receive federal economic development aid and designed to more appropriately involve the private sector in City economic development initiatives. BERC is a Section 501(c)(3), not-for-profit local devel... opment corporation pursuant to the statutes of New York State. BERC also qualifies under HUD and EDA regulations to receive funding as a local development corporation. It is a membership corporation that meets SBA requirements. BERC was modeled after the Philadelphia (PA) Industrial Development Council (PIDC). Established in 1956, the PIDC was the most successful organization of its kind in the country at that time. BERC's semi-independent operation is representative of most urban economic development corporations nationally. Unlike many of its counterparts in other medium-sized U.S. cities, BERC is a comprehensive, effective and successful economic development corporation. It successfully places a high priority on creating jobs, recruits and maintains excellent and aggressive staff, and enjoys a close working relationship with the City of Buffalo, the ECIDA, New York State, the federal government and area banks.Read More