ALDEN, NY (WKBW) — The Erie County Legislature voted unanimously Thursday to sell a sprawling Walden Avenue property in the Town of Alden for $1.00 to a team of cannabis developers.
For decades, the 152-acre site was the Erie County Home and Infirmary, a massive nursing facility. It’s been closed for 20 years, and attempts to sell it have failed.
"The Alden home has been an albatross around the county's neck since it was closed,” said Benjamin Swanekamp, chief of staff, Erie County Executive’s Office.
WATCH: 'It's a fantastic deal': Erie County transfers former County Home property to cannabis developers
Western New York natives Ryan and Luke Rich are proposing a $40 million cannabis growing, processing, and distribution center, similar to one they run in New Jersey.
“I’ve made some calls over there, I’ve done my own due diligence," said Erie County Legislator Frank Todaro. "I’ve called the area around that, and the people welcomed it and have no negative impact.”
The former home is in Todaro’s district.
“We’ve talked to the residents of Alden. I’ve asked around. I’ve gone to many breakfasts and lunches,” Todaro described. “They've all told me they're excited to see something happen with it. Many are not happy that it's marijuana, but the law is the law. It's not like anyone can come off from the public street and just go in and purchase it.”
“This allows the county to offload a very complex property and get it back on the tax rolls with good use, creating jobs," Swanekamp said. "It’s great for the taxpayer, the Town of Alden as well, so it's a fantastic deal.”
Swanekamp told me the sprawling property has been a liability that taxpayers will no longer need to worry about.
“The property of the actual home itself has significant environmental concerns with it, including asbestos and other issues associated with that. This removes that liability from the county,” Swanekamp said.
The proposed project could create roughly 100 new jobs.
I received a statement the following statement from the Rich brothers:
“We are extremely excited to bring this project to Erie County and the town of Alden. we greatly appreciate the widespread support that the project has received thus far and are focused on the upcoming creation of New York State's premier cannabis cultivation, processing, and distribution facility. this project is not a dispensary, rather it will bring the region to the forefront of cannabis cultivation in a safe, extremely secure, and economically impactful manner; all while redeveloping a long-dormant local property.”
I’m told that the developers are very eager to begin this project with hopes of pouring concrete by this November.
