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 more than $654 million in goods and services were purchased with 28% spent on purchases within the region. CGR also found capital improvement expenditures averaged about $214 million per year over the past 5 years. In addition, the university may have ties to as many as 46% of active patient care physicians in the region; more than 3,300 undergraduate and graduate students live off-campus and contribute to the area’s economy; and in 2009 visitors to UR accounted for more than 31,500 hotel night stays.

The mining industry in NYS 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 30,000 jobs in the state in 2007. CGR performed an economic and fiscal impact study of the industry at the request of the NYS Geological Survey.

In 2009, CGR was engaged to develop tools and approaches to estimate the economic impact of the New York Power Authority’s many activities.  NYPA operates 18 generating plants—including the Robert Moses Power Dam at Niagara Falls—and 1,400 miles of power transmission—including the 765 kV line bringing power to NYS from Canadian hydro sources.  CGR will provide decision support to NYPA as it allocates low cost hydropower to NYS business firms, plans major new transmission projects, and finances alternative energy research.

A New York City coalition that works on behalf of the poor and working class (Jobs with Justice), issued a report highly critical of IDA activity in NYS, and argued, among other things, that IDA project success rates were exaggerated.  CGR closely examined the same data that was used by the coalition and came to substantially different conclusions. CGR’s report includes a summary table of the many differences between the two studies.

The primary economic development entities in most NY communities are industrial development agencies (IDAs). At the time of CGR’s study, NY’s Legislature was considering proposals that would require projects funded by IDAs to pay construction workers prevailing, instead of market, wage. CGR analysis shows extending prevailing wage to the private sector would significantly inflate NY’s already above-average construction costs and weaken the state’s ability to compete in the ongoing competition for major development projects.