Economic Development

Mackenzie Hughes has a number of attorneys in our business department who provide economic development advice and guidance to our clients. These attorneys, some of whom are certified public accountants, focus on working with emerging and expanding companies throughout Central New York, and assist with tax and other incentive negotiations with state, county and local governments. Among other large development projects, we represented the owners in every aspect of the Hotel Syracuse redevelopment project, now Marriott Downtown Syracuse.

The firm’s Economic Development Group works closely with our clients in the negotiation, documentation and implementation of tax programs such as New York’s Regional Economic Development Councils and the Federal Empowerment Zone, and other financial incentives such as Power for Jobs.

In addition to assisting clients with investment decisions relating to start-up or expansion of their operations, Mackenzie Hughes attorneys provide companies and individuals with legal assistance in related areas such as corporate, partnership and limited liability company formations, taxation, finance, environmental, real estate, employment and labor, litigation, immigration, governmental contract and construction law. Specific services include:

• Financing options
• Job development credits: An arrangement under which a company may retain a portion of the state income tax employee wage withholdings and apply the proceeds toward the purchase of infrastructure and improvements
• Multi-county industrial parks
• PILOT agreements
• Government-funded/-provided infrastructure improvements and special source revenue bonds/credits
• Tax certiorari
• Site procurement and preparation
• Land acquisition
• Highway and railroad construction or improvement
• Brownfield redevelopment
• Solid waste disposal facilities
• Water and wastewater treatment facilities
• Manufacturing facilities
• Employee training and recruitment