Categories for Co-produced with WGRZ

May 8

2023

Lawsuit puts civic leader in hot seat

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Real estate mogul Michael Joseph has found himself at the helm of two organizations embroiled in allegations of racist practices. This week Joseph’s real estate development and management company, the Clover Group, has been accused by a former employee of “racist and illegal” practices. A lawsuit filed Monday accuses Clover executives of disqualifying potential building sites based on the number of Black people in the surrounding communities. And Roswell Park Cancer Institute — where Joseph has been board chair since 2010 — has faced a slew of lawsuits alleging race and gender discrimination in the workplace during his long tenure[...]

Posted 2 years ago

May 5

2023

Lawsuit: Developer selects sites to avoid Blacks

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Editor’s note: This is the first of three stories on The Clover Group. Wednesday we profile Michael Joseph, the company’s CEO and major player around town. Our story Thursday details the numerous subsidies Clover has received over the years to help grow its business.  When the Clover Group — one of the region’s biggest real estate development and management firms — reviews potential building sites for senior citizen apartment complexes, it pays careful attention to what its  executives call “the Canadian factor.” When the firm’s executives talk about “Canadians,” however, they’re using a code — for Black people. And those[...]

Posted 2 years ago

May 3

2023

Big shakeup at the besieged OTB

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The embattled Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. is finally getting reformed. In a big way. The state public benefit corporation — mired in allegations of malfeasance and subject to multiple critical audits and investigations — saw its entire 17-member board of commissioners terminated Tuesday night, thanks to a budget provision sponsored by Sen. Tim Kennedy of Buffalo and Assembly Member Monica Wallace of Lancaster, both Democrats.  New board members will be appointed and weighted voting instituted to reflect the population of the 15 counties and two cities that in-effect own OTB. That will shift control from mostly rural counties controlled[...]

Posted 2 years ago

Apr 26

2023

Big subsidies for factory rehab in Tonawanda

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A century ago, tusks from thousands of elephants from Africa — dug up from graveyards or collected by hunters — made their way to a Town of Tonawanda factory complex where the Wood & Brooks Company used them to make piano keys. Closed by the 1970s, the factory complex on Kenmore Avenue today is “substantially vacant” according to a developer who wants to rehabilitate two of the property’s dozen buildings into business incubator space and 55 apartments. The developer, Michael Wopperer, has estimated the project will cost $23 million. He hopes to complete the redevelopment by the fall of 2024.[...]

Posted 2 years ago

Apr 24

2023

Tesla shareholders unhappy with Musk

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 A group of Tesla shareholders who together own more than $1 billion in company stock are seeking to oust CEO Elon Musk, alleging that he’s too focused on running his other companies and is letting Tesla’s value slip. Among other reasons for ousting Musk, the shareholders note that Tesla’s alleged union busting at its South Buffalo factory was cause for significant concern. Investigative Post’s J. Dale Shoemaker joined WGRZ’s Town Hall to discuss Tesla’s alleged union busting activities in light of the shareholders’ letter.

Posted 2 years ago

Apr 6

2023

Experts: Stadium CBA comes up short

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According to experts, the community benefits agreement for the new Buffalo Bills stadium lacks key provisions that are common to successful CBAs elsewhere. That’s partly by design. The CBA for the Bills stadium, announced Wednesday, is the first such agreement for a major project in Erie County. It calls for the team to commit $3 million annually over 30 years to fund projects that benefit the community. That’s in exchange for a $850 million public contribution to the $1.5 billion stadium. But the deal does not specify how that money should be spent, leaving those decisions up to an oversight[...]

Posted 2 years ago

Mar 22

2023

Yet another subsidy for Moog

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The Erie County Industrial Development Agency on Wednesday rubber-stamped nearly $3 million in tax breaks for Moog, the defense contractor based in Elma. It was the 14th round of assistance from the agency since the 1970s. The IDA has now approved $12.8 million in subsidies for six Moog projects since 2006. Moog, a profitable company that netted $155 million last year, has won federal contracts in the past decade totaling more than $6 billion. The company manufactures parts for fighter jets, missile launchers, rocket ships and submarines. Federal contracts make up about half of its total business, while private aviation,[...]

Posted 2 years ago

Mar 20

2023

Moog seeking 14th tax subsidy from IDA

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 Moog Inc., one of Western New York’s largest employers, is a highly profitable company, netting $155 million last year alone. That’s partly due to the billions in federal defense contracts it’s landed over the past decade. Yet time and time again — 13 times since 1973 — Moog has gone before the Erie County Industrial Development Agency seeking — and receiving — millions in tax breaks. It’s received nearly $10 million in subsidies since 2006. The company is headed back to the IDA on Wednesday asking for a 14th round of subsidies. Moog’s request for $2.9 million in sales[...]

Posted 2 years ago
Investigative Post