The University of Rochester (UR) engaged CGR to assess the economic and fiscal impact of the University and its affiliates on the State of New York during 2019. This report is the eighth in a series of reports exploring the impact of the University since 2006. Total employment—both direct and...
The Town and Village of Johnson, Vermont, sought CGR’s assistance in assessing the implications of merging the two local governments. CGR’s report notes that the functions of the town and village are quite distinct in Johnson with relatively little duplication or overlap. The Johnson community already shares a municipal building...
CGR was engaged by Geoffrey Rosenberger to analyze public funding for charter schools in hopes of comparing total levels with funding for traditional public schools. We interviewed school officials and reviewed documents from one new Rochester charter school (the Academy for Health Sciences, which opened this academic year) and a...
Bloomsburg University is central to the Bloomsburg MSA economy. Employing 1,070 FTEs directly, it is the second largest employer in the region after Geisinger Health System. Using detailed data provided by Bloomsburg University, CGR estimated the impact of BU employee, operational, construction and student spending on the local and...
The University of Rochester (UR), employs nearly 31,000 people, is the largest private employer in Upstate New York and NY's 5th largest private employer. Looking at the University’s entire economic footprint, CGR estimates that the direct and spillover impact of the University’s employee wages and spending, purchases, capital investments, and...
The lead contamination of Flint, Michigan’s water supply placed the problem of lead poisoning at center stage in cities across the nation. The Community Foundation of Greater Buffalo, along with the City of Buffalo and other partners, engaged CGR to help
In 2017 the State of New York created a competition to encourage communities to improve local government efficiency. Initial applications were reviewed in Phase I and the winners—Chautauqua County, Madison County, Montgomery County, Otsego County, Ulster County and Town of Brookhaven—were granted funds to support a Phase II submission for...
The cost of publicly funded construction projects in New York is inflated up to 25 percent by the state's outdated "prevailing wage" mandate, which requires contractors to pay workers the amounts required by union collective bargaining agreements. The Empire Center for State Policy Report was coauthored by E.J. McMahon, research...
The University of Rochester (UR), which employs nearly 29,000 people, is NY's 6th largest private employer. Looking at the University’s entire economic footprint, CGR estimates that the direct and spillover impact of the University’s employee wages and spending, purchases, capital investments, and visitor and student spending, is responsible for about...
Engaged by the Developmental Disability Alliance of Western New York (DDAWNY), CGR estimates that nearly 30,000 workers, receiving compensation exceeding $700 million, are employed by Western NY agencies servicing persons with disabilities. Spillover impacts push the estimated total to nearly 39,000 jobs and $1.2 billion in payroll. The proposed minimum...
CGR was engaged by Mensch Capital Partners to estimate the economic and fiscal impact of the proposed Westwood Country Club redevelopment in the Town of Amherst, NY. The developer proposes investing over $238 million to redevelop the site that currently houses the Westwood Country Club. This report details CGR's...
As the 8th largest private employer in New York State, the University of Rochester (UR) is not only the largest regional employer, but the catalyst for over 50,000 jobs overall. In the two years since our previous study, it has continued to expand its influence by establishing affiliations with...
Monroe Community College engaged CGR to support a survey of the workforce skill needs of the business firms in the Rochester metro area. In addition to training needs, the survey also explored business climate questions and the extent of the “skills gap”—i.e. the number of positions that remain unfilled due...
Educational service centers in rural Ohio sought CGR’s assistance to explore merger. Changes in Ohio state law have changed the competitive climate for what were originally county-level entities. Created to serve individual county school districts, the state eliminated their exclusive franchise. Smaller ESCs have struggled to be responsive to member...
Four Eastern Cleveland suburbs, originally one municipality, sought CGR’s assistance to explore the advantages and disadvantages of re-assembling under a single unit of government. CGR reviewed all aspects of municipal services for the 3 villages and 1 city, identifying likely synergies and service sharing opportunities. Cost savings associated with...
Gates-Chili School District in suburban Rochester confronted a problem that recurs among most school districts: The attendance boundaries for its 4 school buildings no longer matched the capacities of the individual schools. CGR was engaged to advise the district on the boundaries, measure the impact on the demographics of the...
Monroe Community College engaged CGR to support a survey of the workforce skill needs of the business firms in the Rochester metro area. In addition to training needs, the survey also explored business climate questions and the extent of the “skills gap”—i.e. the number of positions that remain unfilled due...
The Farash Foundation, considering providing support for charter schools in the Rochester NY region, asked CGR for a brief background overview. CGR’s report summarizes the arguments supporting and opposing charter schools; recounts the history of charter school development in the nation, NYS, and Rochester; and cites recent studies of charter...
Separate by water and an international border, Canada’s Golden Horseshoe region has been growing steadily for decades while Upstate New York languishes. What explains this stark difference in economic outcomes? Although many less measurable factors are surely at play here, the Golden Horseshoe’s formula combines an attractive immigration...
CGR was selected to coordinate the creation of Southern Arizona Indicators, an interactive profile of Southern Arizona now serving to spur discussion of community issues and solutions. Led by the Community Foundation of Southern Arizona and the United Way of Tucson & Southern Arizona, the initiative is also supported by...
The Village of Norwood, located in NY’s St. Lawrence County, is partially in the Town of Norfolk and partially in the Town of Potsdam. The Town of Potsdam also includes the Village of Potsdam. Driven by a desire for greater autonomy and concerns about the impact on Norwood...
Mannsville is a small village (population 354) in the Town of Ellisburg, located in northern NY. In late 2012, a study committee explored the impact of dissolving the village and developed a report and dissolution plan. The committee estimates Mannsville taxpayers will experience a 40% decrease in their...
Nearly 60% of the 10,000 residents in NY’s Town of Malone reside in the Village of Malone, located in Franklin County near the Canadian border. At village request, a study committee examined dissolving the village and outlined alternatives to dissolution. If the impact of an estimated $750,000 state incentive for...
The University of Rochester (UR), which employs more than 23,000 people, is NY's 7th largest private employer. In 2011, UR continued to expand, adding infrastructure and driving research-related dollars to the Rochester region even as the local, state and national economies struggled to regain their footing. CGR...
The Corning Museum of Glass is a unique resource and provides a significant stimulus for the economy of NY’s Finger Lakes region. In 2011 the museum generated more than 750 jobs, resulting in more than $32 million in labor income. CGR analysis found nearly 10% of tourism jobs...
CGR completed an implementation evaluation of five secondary schools opened in the Rochester NY City School District in 2010-11. CGR found the schools have successfully established generally positive environments where students feel cared about and teachers are proud to work. Some academic outcomes are higher that the district as a...
The Suffolk County Legislature engaged CGR to explore the balance of benefit and cost resulting from the County’s Bureau of Public Health Nursing. CGR also explored options for the sale or retention of the County’s Certified Home Health Agency. The final report includes a robust bibliography of cost-benefit analyses of...
CGR, with funding from the Beatrice Bibby Fund at CGR in cooperation with the League of Women Voters of Metropolitan Rochester (NY), set out to identify the number, type and characteristics of local development corporations in the Rochester area. These quasi-government entities are not subject to the same public oversight...
The Town of Aurora and Village of East Aurora in western NY engaged CGR to document the existing operations in their highway and public works departments and to explore options for increasing efficiency and effectiveness and maximizing the return to taxpayers. The communities have a history of identifying areas...
New York's higher education sector - including world-renowned Columbia, New York and Cornell universities - has long been acknowledged as a center of scholarship and culture. Now higher education is being recognized for having an economic impact as well. CGR was engaged by the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities...
CGR conducted a study of the Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection program for participants graduating in 2007, 2008 and 2009. Inquiries about CGR’s report should be directed to Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection at (585) 654-1600.
An analysis of the University of Rochester and its affiliates (UR) shows the economic impact on the 5-county Rochester NY region is substantial, and today UR is not only the #1 regional employer but also NY's #6 employer. Other key findings for 2009: wages paid totaled nearly $1.25 billion, and...
The Greater Rochester (NY) Health Foundation has a 10-year plan to combat childhood obesity and its Mini-Grant Initiative is part of this plan. Under the iniitiative, 129 community organizations (e.g., daycare centers, faith-based groups, schools and neighborhood programs) were awarded funding to increase physical activity and improve nutrition...
CGR was engaged by the Buffalo Niagara Builders Association to explore the fiscal consequences of new construction in the Town of Amherst, NY. The project entailed constructing a spreadsheet model that measures the impact on tax levies and tax rates of commercial and new home construction on the Town of...
The health of a region’s residents depends on the community’s ability to retain and recruit a full complement of health care professionals, which is a particular challenge in rural areas. CGR was engaged by the Community Foundation of Northern New York to document the deliberations and findings of the Physician...
The mining industry in New York is large and diverse, encompassing a range of commodities that support highway construction and repair, new housing, ice control, landscaping and other commercial activities. The NYS mining and construction materials industry was responsible for generating $1.2 to $1.3 billion in wages and 28,000 to...
Through the impetus of County Executive Tom Suozzi, Nassau County set out to develop an action plan aimed at reducing the growth of property taxes. What distinguished this effort was the County’s focus on units of local government over which it had no direct control. Using a collaborative...
The Town of Aurora in Erie County includes the historically significant Village of East Aurora, which features scenic views, natural resources, and a thriving tourism industry. In hopes of preserving the character, charm and economic viability of the village, town leaders engaged CGR to study how restricting residential development in...
CGR was engaged by SUNY Downstate Medical Center (SUNY-DMC) to estimate the economic impact of SUNY-DMC on Brooklyn, the surrounding areas and New York State. Direct effects are for Brooklyn, NYC, and NYS; Indirect and induced effects are based on the five boroughs of NYC, plus Nassau, Westchester, Rockland, Union,...
For the Columbus, Ohio suburb of Gahanna, CGR developed an interactive model that forecasts the net property and income tax revenue for alternative development scenarios. The model also estimates the impact of tax abatements of variable length and magnitude, adjusting for offsetting payments to school districts. With this tool, the City can “test” the...
Industrial development agencies (IDAs), the primary economic development entities in most NY communities, turned to CGR for independent analysis related to two key issues. First, proposals before the NY Legislature would require projects funded by IDAs to pay construction workers prevailing, instead of market, wage. Second, a 2007 report by...
CGR estimates the economic and fiscal impact of the new 5-year strategic plan of the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) on the economy of the Rochester NY region. We estimate URMC’s $300 million in planned construction projects will generate almost $270 million in construction-related wages involving 7,000 local jobs...
Industrial development agencies (IDAs), the primary economic development entities in most NY communities, turned to CGR for independent analysis related to two key issues. First, proposals before the NY Legislature would require projects funded by IDAs to pay construction workers prevailing, instead of market, wage. Second, a 2007 report by...
In 2007, CGR completed an analysis of the economic and fiscal impacts of the proposed gas line extension by St. Lawrence Gas Company Inc. into Franklin County NY.
Finger Lakes Wired, one of the first 13 federally designated “Wired” regions in the country funded by the U.S. Department of Labor to support economic development and transform regional economies, engaged CGR to identify key competencies in its 9-county region and recommend strategies to capitalize on them.
New York’s Franklin County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) asked CGR to conduct an economic impact study of an 86-tower wind farm project proposed for two towns. CGR assessed the number of jobs the construction phase will generate (332 jobs, direct and spillover), construction-related job earnings ($16 million) and the number...
CGR was engaged by the Rochester Business Alliance to complete a two-part study on worksite wellness issues. Part I included a summary of worksite wellness metrics and best practices based on findings in the literature, identified examples of worksite wellness initiatives nationwide, and described important resources available to employers of...
Late in 2006, CGR was approached by Empire State Development and asked to compile information that had been gathered by a state agency taskforce on rural access to broadband Internet. With the support of the taskforce, CGR prepared a report that described the current state of broadband access, explored the...
A new Sustainability Institute focused on sustainable design and manufacturing, fuel cell research, and renewable energy research has been proposed for Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). The institute would be part of RIT’s Center for Integrated Manufacturing Systems (CIMS). CGR explored the potential impact of the new institute on the...
The Rochester Area Community Foundation (RACF) assessed civic engagement opportunities and constraints for older citizens in the six-county Rochester region. As part of this project, RACF contracted with CGR to develop a demographic profile of the region's 60+ seniors, and provide some targeted data on the next younger age group.
CGR explored the catalytic effects, both on the University of Rochester Medical Center and the larger community, of URMC's selection by the National Institutes of Health as one of the first 12 Clinical and Translational Science Institutes. The NIH designation, and accompanying grant award, are designed to enable URMC...
In January 2007, CGR sponsored a forum in Albany NY on reforming New York's property tax. Among the standing-room-only audience members who listened and debated the different options proposed by well-respected experts were members of the NYS Senate and Assembly, state agency representatives and policy experts. CGR subsequently developed a...
NYS Industries for the Disabled (NYSID) engaged CGR to revisit our 1999 benefit-cost analysis of "preferred source legislation" that encourages state agencies to purchase products from organizations providing employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. CGR weighed the benefit of reduced social service expenditures for NYSID agency clients against the cost...
After reviewing the City of Rochester’s role in the High Falls area since it was first proposed as an historic district in the 1980s, CGR recommended the City assert High Falls’ success as an office park; end subsidies for the Center at High Falls/Brown’s Race Market complex; begin conversations to...
New York's higher education sector - including world-renowned Columbia, New York and Cornell universities - has long been acknowledged as a center of scholarship and culture. Now higher education is being recognized for having an economic impact as well. CGR was engaged by the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities...
New York's Mid-Hudson Valley is home to nonprofit institutions that enrich the quality of life of residents - including museums, foundations, colleges, hospitals and human service agencies. These same community institutions also contribute to the economic life of the region. The Dyson Foundation reached out to CGR to tally...
As a coalition of groups worked to pass lead abatement legislation in the NYS Legislature, CGR was asked to draft the "fiscal note" that accompanies legislation slated for a vote. The "fiscal note" assesses the net impact of the proposed legislation on all levels of government.
The exurban community of Geneseo, NY, is caught in a debate between residents who want to maintain neighborhood-scale, locally-owned retail concentrated in a village setting and residents who see benefit in becoming a market center for the surrounding area and welcome larger-scale retail development. CGR was engaged by the town...
CGR analyzed the $1.7 billion in grants (all borrowed funds) handed out since 1997 by New York State legislators for “capital” projects. This first-ever geographic analysis found stark differences in benefits for regions and interest groups; secret agreements among top state leaders; fewer checks on spending than other states; and...
Engaged by Empire State Development Corporation (through its USA Niagara Development subsidiary), CGR assessed the net economic and fiscal impact of the Seneca Niagara Casino on the City of Niagara Falls. CGR identified significant positive economic impact for the Niagara Falls region, although observed that the benefit was limited...
In preparation for a major capital campaign, URMC engaged CGR to assess the likely economic impact of a dramatic increase in the clinical and research activity stimulated by an expansion of the Wilmot Cancer Center.
A casino in downtown Rochester was proposed as partial settlement of a land claim from an Oklahoma-based Indian nation, the Seneca-Cayuga of Oklahoma. CGR was engaged by the nation’s representative, the Wilmorite development corporation, to assess the fiscal, economic and social impacts of the casino on the Rochester...
CGR analyzed information from various sources, including four years of the General Ledger of the State of New York , to trace the revenue and expenditures of New York’s budget by region. Contrary to the beliefs of many upstate residents, CGR’s study confirmed the conclusion of an earlier CGR analysis,...
Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) is a major contributor to the Rochester and NYS economies. CGR worked closely with RIT staff to gather data from the full array of RIT programs, capturing the impact of RIT purchases, staff and student spending, visitor spending, grant receipts and other financial impacts,...
CGR updated prior assessments of the economic impact on Rochester of the URMC expansion, prepared six case studies of the role academic medical centers play in their local economies and assessed the net impact of graduate medical education (GME) on the Rochester area. For the third component, CGR summed...
CGR provided staff support to the Monroe County Blue Ribbon Commission on county finances.
CGR updated prior assessments of the economic impact on Rochester of the URMC expansion, prepared six case studies of the role academic medical centers play in their local economies and assessed the net impact of graduate medical education (GME) on the Rochester area. For the third component, CGR summed...
CGR staffed the Westchester Public Issues Institute, aimed at studying public issues affecting the lower Hudson Valley. In 2002, CGR studied the impact of the closure of the Indian Point nuclear power plants and conducted a survey of Westchester businesses on the impact of high Human Services prices on...
CGR staffed the Westchester Public Issues Institute, aimed at studying public issues affecting the lower Hudson Valley. In 2002, CGR studied the impact of the closure of the Indian Point nuclear power plants and conducted a survey of Westchester businesses on the impact of high Human Services prices on...
CGR updated prior assessments of the economic impact on Rochester of the URMC expansion, prepared six case studies of the role academic medical centers play in their local economies and assessed the net impact of graduate medical education (GME) on the Rochester area. For the third component, CGR summed...
CGR staffed the Westchester Public Issues Institute, aimed at studying public issues affecting the lower Hudson Valley. In 2002, CGR studied the impact of the closure of the Indian Point nuclear power plants and conducted a survey of Westchester businesses on the impact of high Human Services prices on...
CGR assisted the Federal Reserve Bank of NY, Buffalo Branch, in the design and implementation of a survey of small business firms in Upstate NY, identifying key barriers to growth and profitability for this important part of the economy.
CGR staffed the Westchester Public Issues Institute, aimed at studying public issues affecting the lower Hudson Valley. In 2001 CGR studied the NYS mandates on Westchester County, local e-commerce impacts and Human Services affordability. CGR estimates that Westchester County will lose from $4 million to $52 million in...
CGR's Gleason Center for State Policy explored NYS's financial return from investments in biotech R&D. CGR found that investments in biotech are likely to yield a greater economic impact than investments in physical science research.
Depending on the scope and focus of the program, regional public health initiatives require different types of management structures. CGR documented the alternatives and established criteria for selecting one structural model over another.
CGR updated a prior assessment of the impact of the URMC Strategic Plan on the Rochester economy, responding to an expansion of the previous initiative.
In 1998, Nassau County’s Personal Care Services Program spent nearly $100 million, far above the average for NYS counties whether calculated per recipient or per capita. This is about a third of all non-NYC spending on personal care in the State of New York, even though Nassau County...
CGR assessed the economic impact of Human Services state agencies to purchase products from NYSID agencies. When reduced social service expenditures was balanced against the cost of the NYSID program, NYS taxpayers benefited.
In 1992, the former Rural Services Institute at the State University of New York College at Fredonia began an analysis of municipal services in the Town of Portland and Village of Brocton, New York. Building on this initial project, CGR conducted a study to identify opportunities for delivering services in...
CGR traced the revenue and expenditures of New York's $60 billion budget by region. Jointly funded by New York City and a Rochester group, the report summarizes trends in the geographic dispersion of revenue and expenditure for SFY 1992-1997.
CGR assessed the fiscal & economic impacts of a planned gas-fired, 1,080 megawatt merchant power plant near the Hudson River in Greene County. The report provides local officials with guidance for PILOT negotiations with the developer.
CGR was engaged to evaluate the impact of an environmentally-friendly system for cooling office and manufacturing buildings on new industrial development, local tax revenue and economic vitality in suburban Webster.
Mandated by NYS law, CGR was engaged to evaluate New York's industrial development agencies, assessing their effectiveness and exploring policy issues of concern to the Legislature.
Engaged by the Buffalo Renaissance Foundation through the initiative of then City Comptroller Joel Giambra, CGR assessed prospects for Buffalo/Erie County consolidation and developed an innovative municipal service delivery strategy for the City of Buffalo. Involving a radically-different relationship between the city, county and private sectors, CGR demonstrated that...
In 1995, Nassau County spent an estimated $30 million providing specialized transportation services. CGR recommended a radical re-structuring of the county's approach to contracting and supervising most specialized transportation services.
The City Council of Rochester engaged CGR to assess the impact of the business/residential tax differential permitted by the Homestead Tax Law on the competitiveness of the city economy.
Part of an effort to avoid bankruptcy for Troy, CGR summarized the highest priority action steps for fiscal stabilization & business climate improvement, including how the city might capitalize on its EDZ and Enterprise Community status.
NYS pays more per capita or per recipient for Medicaid than any other state. CGR identified the most costly program elements and what factors contributed to the differential between costs in New York and the rest of the nation.
In an attempt to systematically identify and better understand the barriers or obstacles to school district reorganization in New York, the State Education Department hired CGR to analyze factors that influence school district decisions to consider reorganization; perceived barriers to reorganization and strategies used to overcome them; and the impact...