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SolarCity developer says state check on the way

Posted at 9:17 PM, Feb 26, 2016
and last updated 2016-02-27 09:17:06-05

Late Friday evening, LP Ciminelli of Buffalo, released the following statement regarding the layoffs at Riverbend SolarCity project:

"As the developer for the landmark RiverBend Solar City project, we've been assured that the funding will be dispersed the first thing next week. We will begin getting in touch with contractors this weekend with the expectation that workers will be back on the job and the project's construction schedule will remain on course."

Empire State Development spokesman Jason Conwall said in a statement that "payments are being processed" and "we do not expect this to result in any layoffs." But a ource tells 7 Eyewitness News the developer of the project hasn't seen a check since October.

There have been more than 200 construction layoffs at the SolarCity site because the state is late on its payments. The layoffs affect carpenters, plumbers, and steamfitters.

The state's investing $500 million in the project ($350 million in capital and $150 million in tax credits) through the Buffalo Billion and $250 million in other state resources. The facility will be the largest of its kind in the Western Hemisphere with more than 1 gigawatt of annual solar capacity when it reaches full production.

According to Conwall, "This project remains on schedule and is slated to be open in the Third Quarter of 2017, bringing nearly 1,500 new jobs to Western New York."