Alden, N.Y. (WBEN) - For brothers Ryan and Luke Rich their long-held dream and vision of turning the vacant Erie County Home & Infirmary complex into a cannabis cultivation and production center came true Monday night.
And, all it took was 60 seconds.
That's how long the Alden Town Board took to unanimously approve the Rich's project - set for the sprawling, 152-acre Erie County Home campus on Walden Avenue.
In truth, the board vote was the last step that included a series of public meetings, hearings, reviews and work sessions spread out over a period of years.
"We did go back and forth with the developers," said Councilman Mark Kerl.
At $40 million-plus, the project is one of the largest private sector-backed developments in recent memory in the Town of Alden.
The council members were tough on the development team because there were many questions raised through out the process.
"Everything they brought to the table, we hammered them on it," said Councilwoman Gwendolyn Bork.
The Rich brothers are heading a development team that will be investing more than $40 million to transform the Erie County Home property - vacant for years - into a complex that will focus on cannabis cultivation, processing and wholesale distribution to sales outlets across New York.
No dispensary will be part of the Walden Avenue complex.
Conservatively, the complex will have at least 150 workers.
First up, will be the construction of 57,000-square-foot cannabis production building. Renovations to the existing buildings will follow further down the road.
Ryan Rich creating the cannabis complex in his and his brother's native Erie County was both important and personal.
"We wanted to do this in our hometown," Rich said.
Preliminary site work and construction will start soon, Ryan Rich said.