Plenty. The bank passed along information on a number of projects that impact the Buffalo area economy. All happened in the second quarter of the year.
On April 18, M&T Bank began its $1.1 million Washington Street exterior renovation project, providing work for local firms, including: Raymond E. Kelley, Sterling Glass, Pinto Construction, ESSI Electric and John W. Danforth. The project is scheduled to be completed in December.
In June, the bank became one of the first corporate clients for the neighboring Hotel @ The Lafayette. M&T booked 110 room nights and held two business meetings in the hotel during the first two weeks of the hotel's operation. M&T also provided construction financing for the project.
A number of M&T representatives attended the ribbon-cutting for WBBZ-TV's new television studios in the Eastern Hills Mall on June 18; M&T provided a multi-million-dollar loan to help fund the local small business.
On June 22-23, M&T was one of the top corporate sponsors of Ride for Roswell. More than 60 M&T Bank riders and 117 bank volunteers participated in the event, raising more than $40,000 for cancer research.
On July 16, (now entering the third quarter of the year), M&T began its annual Management Development Program class, where 48 new college graduates spend two weeks in Buffalo for orientation. They were recruited from UB, Niagara, Syracuse, Ithaca College and dozens of other out-of-state schools. Of those 48 new recruits, 27 will hold full-time jobs in Buffalo.
M&T Bank Chairman and CEO Robert G. Wilmers sat down with Bill Clinton, 42nd President of the United States, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and other business leaders earlier this summer to discuss small business lending, creating jobs and public education for Buffalo students during the Clinton Global Initiative America conference in Chicago.
The M&T-led Buffalo Promise Neighborhood project has begun work on a new 10,000-square-foot early childhood education center on Bailey Avenue. The multi-million-dollar center is being designed by Watts Architecture and Engineering of Buffalo. Demolition work on an old warehouse at the site was completed by SLR Contracting of Buffalo.
No doubt M&T is one of the most generous companies in the area. They have made a huge impact on the community.
I would love for them to take the lead in redeveloping the area around M&T Plaza, with some kind of public/private initiative.
This could include purchasing Main Place and redeveloping it, getting involved with the AM&A's project etc. A concentrated effort in this area, pushed forward by some companies with real money, could be successful in bringing Main Street back.
Be careful what you say about Main Place...
And, why.....?
The so called 'MP Boosters' would chew you out. They don't like negative remarks made about their building. The place is DUMP!!!! Their, I said it!