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By itself, the departure of Alan DeLisle from the Buffalo Economic Renaissance Corp. creates an opportunity for his boss, Mayor Anthony Masiello.
But, couple DeLisle's pending move to Durham, N.C., with the upcoming retirement of Joseph Ryan, head of Buffalo's Office of Strategic Planning, and Masiello has two key vacancies in his primary economic development agencies.
That gives Masiello a chance to help craft an economic development strategy that is both urban and regional in its scope and influence.
That opportunity has local leaders excited.
"The options become clearer and cleaner," said Andrew Rudnick, Buffalo Niagara Partnership president and chief executive officer.
Among the options:
* An outright folding of BERC into the recently created economic development alliance that has such organizations as the Buffalo Niagara Enterprise, Amherst Industrial Development Agency and Erie County Industrial Development Agency all working from the same set of guidelines and under the same leadership.
* Keeping the agency independent, but having a formal alliance with the BNE/ ECIDA/AIDA economic development axis.
* Creating a true, one-stop shop for urban and regional economic development matters ranging from big ticket, high profile projects to smaller initiatives that cater to neighborhoods, districts and housing programs.
* Buffalo conducting a national search to recruit a high-powered economic development leader to...