Plant manager Ryan McGinnis told the Committee on Legislation on Tuesday that the Milk-Bone dog-biscuit facility on Urban Street seeks to buy three vacant city-owned parcels to expand employee parking and plan dock improvements.

The request matters because the facility says current on-site parking has reached capacity and additional secured parking and incremental dock doors would improve site safety and delivery efficiency.

Ryan McGinnis, plant manager of the Milk-Bone facility, said the J.M. Smucker brand has produced dog treats in Buffalo since the mid-1950s and that the plant currently owns seven adjacent lots within the CSX viaduct/Urban/Fuzron (transcribed) block except for three city parcels and one privately owned home at 192 Fuzron Street. He said his team has pursued the parcels since submitting an application in July 2024 and has met with City economic development and planning staff while negotiating acquisition of the privately owned lot.

“We respectfully request to enter into a designated developer agreement in which we will spend approximately $750,000 over its term to increase employee parking and begin planning for enhancements to trailer flow, which includes the dock door expansion,” McGinnis said. He told the committee the parcels would allow all employee parking to be housed within the secured lot, improve site security and accommodate additional staff.

Committee members asked about past labor disputes. Council Member Halton Pope asked whether a previous labor issue had been resolved; McGinnis replied that the labor issue had been resolved in May 2024 and that the affected employees had returned to work in December 2023. Halton Pope said she had met with the company and that she was not opposed to a designated developer agreement but wanted to ensure ongoing constructive relations between management and labor.

On a motion by Council Member Halton Pope, seconded by Council Member Gallumbach, the committee voted to send the item to the full council without recommendation. The committee record shows that the motion was made after public discussion and questions; no formal vote tally was recorded in the committee transcript.

Discussion only: committee members raised labor-relations and community engagement questions and requested continued compliance and constructive labor relations. Direction: Council Member Halton Pope said she would send the item without recommendation. Decision: the committee sent the file to the full council without recommendation.

The committee did not adopt any ordinance or binding condition at the meeting; final approval of any property sale or developer agreement would rest with subsequent council or administrative approvals.

Acknowledgements: McGinnis said the company had met with Economic Development Coordinator Trevor Griffiths, Deputy Director Yvonne Bailey and Nadine Marrero, executive director of the Office of Strategic Planning, as part of its outreach.

Next steps: The item will proceed to the full council for further consideration.