The city of Buffalo, New York is set to be the host of a new cannabis campus. Flora California Prime Inc., a cannabis company based in California with operations in New York state, recently confirmed plans to open a massive new facility in Buffalo. As a result, the planned facility is expected to create many new jobs in the Buffalo area.
Flora California Prime’s New Buffalo Facility
The new project was recently announced as a joint effort by Flora California Prime and the Buffalo Urban Development Corporation. Additionally, San Diego real estate company Zephyr Investors is also part of the deal.
As reported by local news sources, the Buffalo Urban Development Corporation recently approved the sale of a 47-acre plot of land. Flora California Prime reportedly paid $1.9 million for the plot.
As of now, Flora plans to build what the company is calling a massive new “cannabis campus.” More specifically, the campus will include buildings totaling 1.25 million square feet.
The heart of the campus will reportedly be a cutting edge cannabis cultivation facility. This facility will support Flora’s growing, manufacturing, and distribution activity.
Additionally, Flora’s new campus will include an extraction lab for making concentrates and other marijuana products. Further, the company will carry out key aspects of its product development efforts at the planned Buffalo location.
Beyond all this, the new Flora campus will also house medical cannabis research facilities. Research on the campus will be executed in partnership with Buffalo’s Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Adding to these efforts, SUNY Erie Community College has reportedly agreed to provide educational support. Specifically, the college will develop cannabis-themed curriculum. These efforts will focus on training local workers to enter the cannabis industry.
To date, all participating groups have agreed to the project. And with the Buffalo Urban Development Corporation on board, the site on which the campus will be built has been designated a New York State Build-Now Shovel Ready Certified Site.
Potential Impact of Planned Cannabis Campus
Before construction can begin, the project needs final approval from the New York state legislature. Experts expect to receive this approval without any big problems. That’s largely because Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has recently talked about advancing plans to legalize marijuana in New York.
At this point, experts expect construction of the campus to cost an estimated $200 million. And authorities involved in the project tout the planned cannabis campus as an effective way to create new jobs in the Buffalo region.
Specifically, early projections estimate anywhere from 500 to 1,000 new jobs. And Flora has reportedly pledged to prioritize hiring local workers.
In particular, city of Buffalo officials and Flora aim to focus on hiring minorities, especially from economically disadvantaged parts of Buffalo.
“With Flora’s investment at Buffalo Lakeside Commerce Park, Buffalo stands at the forefront of the legal cannabis industry that is growing statewide and internationally,” Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said.
He added: “Flora’s investment will benefit our area by increasing job opportunities, adding to our tax base and strengthening the institutions that partner Flora on research and development.”
