The Erie County Industrial Development Agency today approved $2.7 million in bond financing

to help Flexo Transparent expand its custom-printed poly and plastic bag-making operation in

Buffalo. The loan was made through the Regional Development Corp., an affiliate of ECIDA.

The 55-year-old company is buying properties at 1070, 1132 and 1146 Seneca St. to grow its

bag production and warehouse operations nearby. The company, whose 98 employees make custom

bags for clients like 3M O-Cell-O, expects to add seven jobs.

The IDA also backed a $726,250 tax break package for OMFS Properties LLC to develop a $2.3

million "state-of-the-art" oral and maxillofacial surgery facility in the City of Tonawanda.

The 3,200 square-foot research, development and clinical facility will be located at 711

Young St., and will focus on providing care to low-income families with few other options. The

center, led by Northtowns Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, will create 10 new jobs and will

operate in conjunction with University at Buffalo's School of Dental Medicine.

Finally, the agency approved $80,600 in sales and mortgage tax abatements for apartment

developer Kissling Interests' $1.8 million conversion of an old Huron Street hotel into an

eight-unit apartment building.

Kissling, through Kanandague Interests LLC, will turn the building at 201 Huron St., in the

West Village area, into two-bedroom, two-bath units averaging 1,250 square feet in size. The

building, which dates to 1896, was originally the 201 Apartments, but was later called the

Darrow Hotel, Delmar Hotel and then Lake Hotel.

Finally, Regional Development Corp., which shares the same board as ECIDA, also approved a

$500,000 five-year term loan for Sweeney Steel Service Corp. in Hamburg to purchase equipment

for a steel strapping production line. The agency loan will be matched by a $500,000 term loan

from M&T Bank, as well as an Empire State Development Corp. grant of $150,000.