Fostering Talent, Innovation and Inclusion in Buffalo — that was the theme of Mayor Byron Brown's 2020 State of the City Address.

Brown delivered his annual address at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center Thursday afternoon.

In it, he discussed the investment at Seneca One Tower, announcing developer Douglas Jemal would forgo $15 million in potential tax benefits to the Accelerate Buffalo Fund.

"I want to make it sense of community. That's what's important and I want it to be contagious so it goes all the way down Main Street," Jemal said.

Brown said the city would also add $25 million, for a total of $40 million, to be used for infrastructure improvements around Main Street and across the city.

"With all of these investments in building infrastructure on the inside of buildings, we have to make the outside of buildings as beautiful as inviting as attractive," Brown said. 

Business incubator 43North recently moved into the massive Seneca One, Buffalo's tallest building. M&T plans to move 1,500 technology jobs into the tower. 

He also set a goal to create 2,100 new units of new housing along Main Street stretching from Canalside to UB South.

For those concerned about rents skyrocketing, Brown addressed that, too.

"I am announcing a commitment to ensure 40 percent of housing units in the city of Buffalo will remain permanently affordable to the middle class and low-to-moderate-income residents,” he said.

Brown also announced the Main Place Mall will be converted into a high-tech office space. The city will sell the Fernbach parking ramp to the mall's ownership group for an estimated $20 million, although that deal has not been finalized.

The idea is to attract talented people to live and work in downtown Buffalo through improving the aesthetics of the city, infrastructure, technology, and transportation. 

Brown also honored the late Mark Croce, the major downtown developer who died in a helicopter crash last month.

Brown announced a section of West Genesee Street will be renamed "Croce Street."