LPCiminelli's Public Money

September 18, 2015
DirectorFormer directorBrothersPresidentPresidentFatherOwnerDirector$96,500 since 2008DonationDirectorDirectorFatherVice chairMemberMemberHierarchyPolitical allies$1 billion contract for school renovation$375 million contract for UB medical school$4.3 million in tax breaks$9.3 million for seventh floorSubsidiaryFormer director$110 million contract for office building$64 million contract for nursing home$36 million contract for parking ramp$1,000 since 2008$14,000 since 2008$5,200 since 2008Undisclosed amount to build SolarCity plant$1,000 since 2008AppointedCo-owner$291 million construction contractCo-ownerUniversity atBuffaloAndrew CuomoByron BrownPaul F CiminelliErie County IDALouis P CiminelliUniversity atBuffaloFoundation, Inc.Kaleida HealthBuffalo PublicSchoolsCiminelli RealEstateFrank L CiminelliLP CiminelliBuffalo NiagaraMedical Campus,Inc.Mark PoloncarzState UniversityConstruction FundAlain E KaloyerosFort SchuylerManagementCorporationConventus PartnersLLCClinicalTranslationalResearch Center
 

Cuomo donor gets big Buffalo Billion contract

On September 18, 2015, the New York Post reported that US Attorney Preet Bharara was investigating Governor Andrew Cuomo's Buffalo Billion economic development initiative:

“It’s a comprehensive look at the bidding process,” the source said.

“They’re looking at communications between contractors and state officials.”

In December 2014, Investigative Post, a journalism organization based in Buffalo, reported that the non-profit entity created to develop Buffalo Billion projects was refusing to answer Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests for documents related to the selection and pay of contractors. 

Investigative Post 
reported that the solicitation for the largest project – the construction of a $750 million factory for SolarCity – required contractors be limited to those based in Buffalo and that have been in business for at least 50 years. This requirement limited respondents to one company – LPCiminelli.

Though the Fort Schuyler Management Corp, the development entity that stonewalled Investigative Post, said the 50 year requirement was a mistake and corrected it to 15 years, LPCiminelli was still selected for the project. 

Investigative Post also noted that LP Ciminelli President Louis Ciminelli donated $96,500 to Cuomo's two gubernatorial campaigns.