By Joshua Burd
J.G. Petrucci Co. Inc. is bringing its talents to western New York, where it plans to build at least 200,000 square feet of light manufacturing space at a redevelopment area outside Buffalo.
Officials with the Erie County Industrial Development Agency announced recently that Petrucci, a prominent New Jersey and Pennsylvania builder, would develop the 24-acre site in the city of Lackawanna. The project will jumpstart the second phase of what’s known as Renaissance Commerce Park, located on a former Bethlehem Steel site along Route 5, as local leaders look to attract a light manufacturing company with at least 150 employees.
“We can’t wait to bring our extensive experience in redeveloping brownfield sites to Renaissance Commerce Park,” said Joe Petrucci, a project executive with Asbury-based J.G. Petrucci. “This is a phenomenal opportunity to attract high-quality manufacturers to Erie County and continue turning a once-blighted industrial site into a real success story. We want to thank ECIDA for putting their trust in us, and we look forward to delivering a project that they are proud of.”
The agency announced the selection in late January in tandem with the Industrial Land Development Corp., its land development arm. That follows a request for proposals last year that drew three submissions, including the winning plan by Petrucci that was approved unanimously at the ILDC’s Jan. 22 board meeting, on how best to meet the organization’s goals for the area south of Dona Street Extension.
“Today is a very exciting day for Erie County,” Erie County Executive and ILDC Board Chair Mark C. Poloncarz said. “After years of diligent, hard work, we are ushering in redevelopment at the Phase II portion of Renaissance Commerce Park. ILDC and Erie County staff and our partners did a great job vetting the RFP respondents, unanimously recommending J.G. Petrucci to the ILDC Board. I was proud to join my fellow board members in approving an agreement with the Petrucci team.
“While new to western New York, J.G. Petrucci has experience redeveloping the Bethlehem Steel site in Pennsylvania, and we are excited to see them bring their efforts to RCP.”
Lackawanna Mayor Annette Iafallo added: “We’re excited to welcome J.G. Petrucci to the City of Lackawanna and Renaissance Commerce Park. Their diverse development expertise and successful track record with brownfield projects will be a great addition to the ongoing collective efforts underway to build Renaissance Commerce Park into the region’s premier site for light manufacturing, warehouse and distribution operations.”
The ILDC purchased the parcels from Tecumseh Redevelopment in late 2021 and, after an initial RFP award to Ciminelli Real Estate Corp in 2023, scrapped the plan due to market conditions, according to a news release. It then modified the requirements for the combined parcels and issued a new RFP in May 2024, seeking only large light manufacturing projects or light manufacturers needing a large industrial parcel that would benefit from the site’s features including rail, port and highway access.
The agency added that the site is eligible for the New York State Brownfield Cleanup Program tax credits, federal Opportunity Zone designation and the potential for lower-cost power.
“We are pleased to welcome J.G. Petrucci to Renaissance Commerce Park,” said John Cappellino, CEO and president of the Erie County Industrial Development Agency and ILDC. “Their stated commitment to RCP is another example of the site’s rising status with light manufacturing developers. Along with our valued partners TMP Technologies, Welded Tube, Sucro Sourcing, Uniland Development and their tenants Max Advanced Breaks, TQAI and KPM Exceptional, we look forward to Petrucci continuing the momentum of economic growth and job creation at RCP.”
