‘This project will be completed’ Biden senior adviser commits to Kensington project

BUFFALO, NY — Tom Perez has won numerous titles during his career. He currently serves as a senior advisor to President Biden and director of intergovernmental affairs at the White House.

Perez is also the former U.S. Secretary of Labor and the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

Perez is also from Buffalo.

“My first job when I was 16, I worked on Jefferson Avenue, Jefferson Street, I should say, at Sears, Main and Jefferson,” Perez said. “I had a lot of hair back then.”

Perez toured various infrastructure projects and the 5/14 Memorial in Tops, with Mayor Byron Brown.

The two toured the return of cars to Main St. in downtown Buffalo, the Kensington Expressway, the 5/14 Memorial and held a panel discussion at the Exchange at the Beverly Gray Center.

Regarding the billion-dollar Kensington Expressway project, Perez has redoubled his efforts to move the project forward, despite significant opposition to the project.

“The exams were done and they were complete,” Perez said. “And I would say they have been very, very inclusive.”

Several members of the East Side Parkways Coalition protested outside the Beverly Gray Center where the invitation-only roundtable was held.

“I really think this is a project that we will look back on and look back on with pride,” Perez said. “Reconnecting communities means reconnecting opportunities.”

During a panel discussion, Perez reinforced his commitment to the billion-dollar project.

“This project will be completed,” Perez said.

While at Tops on Jefferson Ave., Perez emphasized that the country still hasn’t done enough to combat gun violence following the May 2022 racially motivated shooting.

“We need to be much more aggressive in what we do,” Perez said. “But we don’t have enough dancing partners in the U.S. Congress right now to try to attack these issues.”