I just hope that with the city having extra revenue due to the increased values of houses, it can now cut some fees and pork spending. Once they show that the act of the city is finally coming around, and revenue can be found in things other than taxes...the city will be able to throw more money around on projects to make the city more appealing, in turn luring industries and businesses....it's a long road, here is the start

Anyone know anything about the Genesee Street demolition? From city hall

Builder seeks to raze 4 buildings eyed for preservation
By SHARON LINSTEDT
News Staff Reporter
5/1/2005
A developer who has been promising to develop six historic buildings on Genesee Street in downtown Buffalo for two decades now wants to knock down four of them.

Willard A. Genrich, who gutted and braced a string of circa 1880s buildings nearly two decades ago to preserve them for redevelopment, is seeking a city permit to create a parking lot where four of them stand.

Genrich told the Buffalo Preservation Board last week he needs the parking to support a future restaurant venture. :mad2:

City officials indicated they have serious reservations about the plan. Genrich did not return phone calls seeking details of the demolition request.

Genrich, who owns 99 through 123 Genesee St., situated on the south side of Genesee between Oak and Ellicott streets, announced plans last June to convert the gutted buildings at 99-101 Genesee St. into a restaurant and office complex.

The developer, who has raised the ire of city officials and preservationists with his years of inaction on the properties, received city Planning Board approvals in January to join the two buildings into one structure.

A first-floor restaurant was set to open this summer, with offices on the upper two floors to follow. The historic building, which once housed Werner's Photographic Gallery, is known for its prominent atrium window.

If Genrich gets his way, his remaining holdings, which extend to the corner of Genesee and Oak, would be razed.

Preservation Board Chairman John Lapping said the advisory panel will not take a formal vote on the demolition until its May 12 meeting, but he predicts the board will oppose the request.

"My guess is we'll vote against this. This is not something we want to happen," Lapping said. :bleh:

Mayor Anthony M. Masiello said he is opposed to knocking down the building shells because of their historic nature and their location. :applause:

"I am not happy with that idea. We shouldn't allow him to take down any of those buildings to make a parking lot. It's ridiculous," he said. "Genesee Street is a gateway to downtown and it is part of our comprehensive downtown plan."

In 2004, the mayor put Genrich on a target list of building owners who are sitting on key city properties without clear plans for their redevelopment. Masiello threatened the city will take action to gain control of the buildings if no plans are forthcoming.

Jessie Fisher, an architect and preservationist who is redeveloping buildings at 85 and 91 Genesee St., said the requested demolition would undermine her group's efforts.

"One of the reasons we felt comfortable making a significant investment of time and resources is because of the great potential of that block," Fisher said. "The ultimate success of my project is tied to the entire inventory of beautiful buildings in that neighborhood."

Ray McGurn, commissioner of permit and inspection services, said his office will weigh Genrich's demolition request against a city assessment of the buildings' condition, neighborhood and preservation concerns.

"There's certainly a lot of interest in the future of these properties and how they fit into that downtown corridor," McGurn said. "We'll consider all that when it comes back to this office for a final decision."

McGurn expects to issue a decision on the permit request by the end of May.

Jessie Fisher, an architect and preservationist who is redeveloping buildings at 85 and 91 Genesee St., said the requested demolition would undermine her group's efforts.

"One of the reasons we felt comfortable making a significant investment of time and resources is because of the great potential of that block," Fisher said. "The ultimate success of my project is tied to the entire inventory of beautiful buildings in that neighborhood."

Has anyone seen any construction on her buildings? She owns the two on the opposite end of the block, one that collapsed into the street during a wind storm. Its great if she's still moving forward with something!
:okay:

BTW- Isn't her name Jessie Snell?

well, good to see the mayor is awake for this one, and it seems that there is some public pressure here. Honestly Buffalo has one of the best plans (Queen City Hub) and to allow this owner to knock down treasures like these would be a big step backwards. It will be interesting to see if the mayor actually follows thru with the notion of taking control of the properties if this guy does not act, I mean, sounds like they are gonna stand but will he do anything afterwards? PLUS it looks like shit the way it is now, so they should have to do something.

Mayor's farewell budget cuts property taxes

James Fink
Business First

Calling it the "high point on the city's journey to fiscal stability," Buffalo Mayor Anthony Masiello presented a 2005-2006 budget that reduces property tax rates, but will see some user fees increase.

Masiello presented the budget Friday morning during the same press conference where he announced he will not seek re-election, thus ending his 12-year reign in Buffalo City Hall.

The $284 million spending package is $13.7 million less than the city's current $298 million budget.

"This budget is a winner for Buffalo and every Buffalonian," Masiello said.

The fiscal plan is being passed on to the Buffalo Common Council, which has three weeks to approve or refine the package.

Because Buffalo's assessed property values have risen more than $178 million during the past year, thanks to robust real estate market, the city's homestead property tax will decrease 3.4 percent and non-homestead properties will see their tax rate decrease by 3 percent, Masiello said.

Unlike the past two years, Buffalo will not need to go down the deficit borrowing route with the new package, Masiello said. The city had to finance nearly $27 million in deficit financing the past two years.

Part of the change is coming from an extra $13.1 million in state aid.

"It goes a long way," Masiello said.

However, the garbage collection fee will be increasing about 8 percent, the mayor said. The increase is attributed to Buffalo taking back the control of its garbage tipping station -- something Erie County had run for the past five years.

By taking over the transfer station, the city is faced with $1.8 million in new costs.

In keeping with an employment re-engineering process that began four years ago, Masiello said he is slashing another 85 positions from the city's work force in the new budget. That will save $5.4 million in salaries and other related costs.

Since 2001, the city has gone from 3,610 employees to 2,534 workers, a reduction of just under 30 percent.

"We are doing it responsibly and over time and not under chaos," Masiello said. "We will continue to right size city government without chaos or rancor."


***This is more important than any Bass Pro or Adelphia, or any building, this is what Buffalo needs, and should continue to do.***

Thats great news........now the unions will ask for raises. :bash:

I read on the Preservation Board agenda that Chris Jacobs was presenting his plans for the renovation of 731 Main Street. This is the last rendering I had of that project:

http://img229.echo.cx/img229/1482/731main4hl.jpg

This is the project that he was originally proposing at the corner of Main/Tupper kitty-corner to Studio Arena. Sucks it never went forward- it was going to be offices in the base and condo's on top:

http://img229.echo.cx/img229/8733/maintupper5lq.jpg

This would be the first time that any kind of taxes in Buffalo will have been lowered probably since God knows when. Hope the city council votes against that tearing down 4 building already EYED FOR PRESERVATION? What is that developer thinking?

might not be much of a lowering of taxes, but if they go down...I will tip my hat to Maciello.

you guys have to understand that companies all over the world will know the tax rates are gonna dip here, and if the city plays its cards right...this WILL jump the economy, the amount of the cut usually reflects the growth reflected.

Hello- HSBC- what about Buffalo?!?!? If we've had any success locally its been attracting these type of jobs. Buffalo better be one of the other two cities under consideration! :wtf:

Tampa Among 3 Cities Vying For Call Center
By DAVE SIMANOFF
dsimanoff@tampatrib.com

TAMPA - Financial services giant HSBC North America may open a call center in Tampa, creating 500 jobs in an area that has seen more than 3,000 call center positions disappear during the past year.
The company has narrowed its search to Tampa and two other cities, and a decision is expected in two to three weeks, spokesman Rahsaan Johnson said.

The Prospect Heights, Ill., company won't disclose what other cities are in the running for the call center. Neither competitor is in Florida, Johnson said.

It's too early to say what salaries would be and when hiring would start if the company chooses Tampa, he said.

HSBC has a presence in the Tampa Bay area. In 2003, HSBC acquired Household International Inc., a consumer finance and credit card firm that, at the time, had 1,250 workers in Brandon and had announced plans to hire 500 more over three years.

Johnson said he didn't know how many employees HSBC has in the Tampa Bay area.

Myron Hughes, vice president of economic development for the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, said he couldn't comment on HSBC, citing a chamber rule about confidentiality on prospective employers.

``Generally speaking, any time there's new jobs created, that's great for the region,'' he said.

well I imagine if they are gonna place 3,000 workers in a call center someplace, it's gonna come down to who has the best senators, and NY senators are crazy kiss ass freaks.

new call center in Buffalo, that would be suprising, but not out of the question.

well I imagine if they are gonna place 3,000 workers in a call center someplace, it's gonna come down to who has the best senators, and NY senators are crazy kiss ass freaks.

new call center in Buffalo, that would be suprising, but not out of the question.

Geico & Definity Health just opened up big Buffalo area call centers in the last few months, so it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility if HSBC did, especially with the banks strong Buffalo ties.

I would love to see 3000 jobs come to the area, would be great for the local numbers

I emailed Matt Glynn at the News about HSBC- he replied that they were looking into it. :)

nice, just for that....here are a few....

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v69/Citysky/Buffalo%20Arena%20Skyway/hsbc_tower.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v69/Citysky/Buffalo%20Arena%20Skyway/IMG_3128.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v69/Citysky/Buffalo%20Arena%20Skyway/hsbc_arena.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v69/Citysky/Buffalo%20Arena%20Skyway/hsbc_glass_II.jpg

given the current world economic developments, and the shift in the purpose of the city itself, I'm scared for buffalo. The 'world city' (NYC, and increasing chicago) is taking on certain economic role that a small city simply cannot fulfifll. What is the economic role of the small city going to be? I can explain this more, I just don't want to

please explain, because I think many of us here are wondering the same thing/

given the current world economic developments, and the shift in the purpose of the city itself, I'm scared for buffalo. The 'world city' (NYC, and increasing chicago) is taking on certain economic role that a small city simply cannot fulfifll. What is the economic role of the small city going to be? I can explain this more, I just don't want to


The world's largest corporation is located in a small city. I am not sure what you are talking about.

Okay, as much as I love NYC, I have to say one thing...its a complete clusterfuck for businesses now. The taxes, utilities and rents are so out of reality that it explains why not all the corporations in the country are based there, and plus smaller cities, as small as they might be are still hubs for regional activity, so logistically they have to contain institutions like those found in NYC or Chicago. Take M&T Bank for example, started in Buffalo and is now in Baltimore and east PA, yet they are not based out of NYC, they stay in Buffalo for more reasons than the awsome weather.

With highspeed net, sats and wireless coverage, the need to base an entire office economy in one city becomes limited. IMO

small cities won't really be going anywhere, unless the population moves out of an area. as buffcity said, cities form because they are hubs of business, trade, etc.

as an example of this hub concept, let me use a small delaware hamlet as an example. harbeson is a small community in wouthern delaware with just a few houses. a small place like that is not going to get goods delivered right into town. so the people have to go to a hub to get their stuff. a hub for harbeson might be georgetown, de; milford, de; or lewes, de. these places are small towns in the countryside, but they get a very limited amount of goods into the town. however, for most stuff, people in this town might have to go to a bigger town or city to get stuff. a hub for georgetown, milford, etc would probably be dover, de. dover isn't the biggest of cities, and so they are lacking some thing in their town, which you could get in a bigger town. so for people in dover, a hub might be wilmington, de; or annapolis, md. a hub for wilmington could be baltimore, md; or philadelphia, pa. lastly, you reach what is arguable the top of the chart: a hub for philadelphia would be new york city, which many people would agree is the most important city in our country. you can keep going up the ladder, because you will always find something that is not available in your town or city (furniture stores, talent in a certain industry, etc), or something might not be as widely available in your city as a bigger city (selection of restaurants, amount of vegetables delivered to grocery store, etc). anyway, you can visualize this chart as branches of a tree. new york city is the trunk of the tree, and it branches out into philadelpahi and boston, then from philadelphia to wilmington and atlantic city, then from wilmington to dover and middletown, etc.

I need to stop posting when I'm drunk

Lawley picks new HQ downtown
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Firm will move to Pleu Building on Delaware at Tupper

http://img75.echo.cx/img75/6673/0507sketch1ow.jpg

Lawley Service Insurance has selected a new home, and will remain downtown on Delaware Avenue.

The firm's 169 employees are leaving Niagara Square and moving into the Pleu Building, at Delaware and Tupper Street. The building is owned by developer Carl Paladino.

Lawley will fill about half of the building at 361 Delaware Ave. Paladino is building a 30,000-square-foot addition along Tupper, and all of that space will be leased by Lawley, said Christopher Ross, managing partner of Lawley.

The addition will be built above the parking lot behind the building, creating a covered parking lot for employees.

Lawley's move from Niagara Square, its home for the past 25 years, has been long anticipated. The federal government has chosen it as the future home of a $100 million federal courthouse. But delays in that project have led to a legal challenge by Lawley, whose principals owned the building at Niagara Square.

The federal Government Services Administration initially ordered tenants of 120 Delaware to leave by May 1, 2004, then pushed back the deadline. But all the tenants except Lawley have left, resulting in lost rent, Ross said. The building's owners have filed suit in the U.S. Court of Claims, seeking $5 million in damages.

"To the best of our knowledge, they have acquired (120 Delaware)," Ross said, referring to the GSA. Ross said the GSA has told the owners what it decided was the building's fair market price. Ross declined to reveal the figure, but he said the building owners are challenging it as too low.

Until the firm moves later this year, Lawley will remain there and pay operating expenses, he said. Ross said the firm plans to move by the beginning of October.

A GSA spokeswoman on Friday did not have details about GSA's short-term plans for the 120 Delaware building. Earlier this year, government officials said construction of the courthouse will not begin until fall 2006 at the earliest, due to a lack of funding.

Ross said Lawley's leaders wanted to keep the firm downtown. At one time, Lawley had intended to buy a building in the 500 block of Delaware Avenue owned by Benderson Development.

The Pleu Building is also home to RealtyUSA and Interim Health Care. The Erie County Industrial Development Agency is considering incentives for the project and will hold a public hearing on Monday.

The Pleu location puts Lawley in a high-profile spot, with on-site parking spaces and room to expand, Ross said.

"We like the neighborhood," Ross said. "There's been some investment that's taken place up there."

The former Asbury Delaware United Methodist Church, which will house Hallwalls and Ani DiFranco's Righteous Babe Records, is directly across Tupper. Other recent projects nearby include the Mansion, a boutique hotel in the former Victor Hugo mansion on Delaware Avenue, and the opening of Laughlin's Beef and Barrel Restaurant at Franklin and Tupper streets.
----
Does this mean Paladino's Court St. Tower is delayed? What about Uniland's Delaware Ave. Bldg:
http://img75.echo.cx/img75/4863/uniland1gv.jpg

In any case- one less surface parking lot! :cheers:

It is great to fill in a blank spot but the architecture is pretty uninspired. I don't expect much from Paladino or uUniland for that matter.

I actually have confidence in the Maguire building on court, as for the uniland spot on Delaware, unsure.

If this stuff only started getting built...wow, Buffalo would look hot.

BuffCity - I used you photos of One HSBC Centre and HSBC Arena in my HSBC thread - hope you don't mind :)
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=4084204#post4084204

it is my honor.

City projects get ECIDA OK
James Fink
Business First

Two Buffalo projects moved a big step towards reality Monday morning, thanks to some crucial approvals from the Erie County Industrial Development Agency.

The ECIDA's directors unanimously approved a $17.9 million inducement package that will help GFD LLC construct a 150,000-square-foot warehouse and manufacturing operation for a Delaco Steel operation in the Buffalo Lakeside Commerce Park.

Delaco Steel is a major supplier to the nearby Ford Motor Co. stamping plant, located in Woodlawn.

For Delaco Steel, the Buffalo Lakeside Commerce Park is essentially a new operation, predicated on the "just-in-time" needs for the Ford plant and some potential customers in Ontario.

The plant is expected to hire 66 people.

"This is truly the type of deal that IDAs are set up to deal with," said Erie County Executive Joel Giambra, an IDA director.

For its investment, Delaco will receive $338,250 in sales tax savings and $178,600 in county mortgage recording tax savings. It will create $3.88 in new taxes for Buffalo and Erie County.

"We consider this a win-win," said Al Culliton, ECIDA treasurer. "It's a new company with new jobs and it helps cement Ford's operations here."

The ECIDA also unanimously approved a $13.3 million inducement package for Norstar Development USA LP, which is in the process of acquiring the Shoreline Apartments on Niagara Street near Buffalo City Hall.

Norstar plans to give a much-needed facelift to the subsidized housing complex, including dropping about 55 units as the property takes a new look and marketing initiative.

James Pitts, Norstar executive director, expects to start the renovation work by September, pending some final approvals from the City of Buffalo.

"This action puts our financing into place," Pitts said.

The project has been endorsed by a number of city, civic and business leaders.

"On the merits alone, this is something that has to happen," said Buffalo Mayor Anthony Masiello, another ECIDA board member. "We want more of this, not less of this."

From this morning's Buffalo News:

Developer eyes ex-AM&A's building
Retail, residential, office space planned

By SHARON LINSTEDT
News Staff Reporter
5/11/2005


The former AM&A's department store in downtown Buffalo - which had been targeted for demolition - could get a fresh start as a commercial and residential complex.
Buffalo developer Rocco Termini, who has reinvented a string of commercial buildings as housing and commercial space along Ellicott Street, confirmed he's "taking a serious look" at the sprawling building at 377 Main St., as well as its former warehouse at 369 Washington St.

"It has so much potential. It could be a showpiece for downtown . . . for Buffalo," Termini said. "It's time we stopped looking at downtown buildings as "shovel ready' sites. We need to look at them as significant pieces of our past and our future."

Termini declined to disclose his specific ideas for the 10-story store and adjacent warehouse, but he said office space will be a key component, combined with retail and residential uses.

The ballpark price for bringing both buildings back to life is $75 million.

Termini's interest comes less than a month after Uniland Development dropped plans to tear down the former AM&A's flagship store to make way for a new office building. The Amherst-based firm had sought about $11 million in government aid for its $40 million project, promising to bring 400 workers to the prime Main Street address.

An independent engineering team concluded the cost of razing the complex and clearing the site of asbestos and other contaminants would exceed $7 million.

Like Uniland, Termini expects to seek an unspecified amount of public money. But instead of spending millions to demolish the existing structures, it would be a reinvestment in downtown, according to Termini.

"We will need to garner significant community support to make this a reality. We'll need community stakeholders, the state, the city and preservationists to come together around the vision," he said.

The developer also expects building owner Richard Taylor to play a key role in any redevelopment of the site. Taylor expressed interest in finding a reuse for the building when Uniland shelved its plans last month, saying that every opportunity to "save the building through redevelopment" should be explored.

Taylor, who has owned the buildings since 1996, attempted to inject new life into the department store with an upscale specialty store and restaurant. It has sat empty since that venture folded following an eight-month run in 1999.

Termini said he recently toured the store and warehouse buildings with a team of architects and engineers and found the structures to be in "remarkably good" condition.

"Contrary to popular belief, it's a solid building with great potential," Termini said of 377 Main St. "There are no leaks in the roof, the original construction was good and the past water problems in the basements aren't an issue. I've tackled a lot worse on other projects."

Mayor Anthony M. Masiello, who has met with Termini regarding the AM&A's site, said he's delighted about the developer's plans.

"Anytime we can take a vacant building and bring it back to life, that's a great victory for our downtown," said Masiello. The mayor also had supported Uniland's plan to tear down the buildings to make room for a new-build office tower.

"At the time Uniland made its proposal, it was the only thing on the table for that key section of Main Street. I'm committed to finding a viable reuse for the site, and if we can save the building in the process, that's even better," Masiello said.

The fact that Termini would not demolish the building is welcome news to Susan McCartney, director of the Small Business Development Center at Buffalo State College, who opposed aid for Uniland's project because it called for demolition of the existing building.

"It would be a tremendous victory for our whole community, historically, financially, aesthetically and emotionally," she said. "So many people here have ties to that building and its a gigantic anchor for Main Street. This is just fantastic."

The AM&A's store is actually five separate buildings tied together with a single facade on Main Street. The view from the rear of the complex reveals a series of structures dating to 1892, 1896, 1909 and 1948.

Two Buffalo architectural firms of the era, Green & Wicks and Esenwein & Johnson, contributed buildings to the complex. The building's unifying front facade was the handiwork of New York-based Starrett & Van Vleck, a firm noted for its department store designs, including Lord & Taylor, Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdale's stores in Manhattan.

The warehouse complex is also made up of multiple structures, the oldest of which dates back to 1886.

While the buildings do not have landmark status, state historic preservation officials have said it's likely a case could be made for an official historic site designation.

:righton:
Great news for downtown if Termini can pull it off! Mixed-use is the way to go with this building. Lets just hope M&T approves! :ohno:

because there will be no demolition, I think that M&T will likely go with this, mixed use is the way to go in Buffalo now, and as long as the building keeps good clients.

hope this gets done.

If M&T was the mystery tenant for AM&A's then this change in plan opens the possibility of a new structure for M&T in downtown. We might be able to eliminate another of those all important shovel ready sites that are supposedly in such short supply downtown

HSBC call center?

Thought this hasn't been posted here yet, so I'll do the honors. Great to see this place coming back to life. Whoever let it get to it's current state should be executed.

---

The flick of a light switch illuminated the long-lost art deco clock on Tuesday, officially returning the gold metallic timepiece to the Central Terminal.
For many present, including Ann Peck of Buffalo, gazing upon the 14-foot-tall, four-sided clock once more turned back the hands of time.

The East Side resident recalled it was by the concourse fixture that she looked for her future husband, Ambrose, when he returned home on furlough during World War II.

"I used to come here and wait for him. The whistle of that train, as it neared this beautiful architectural building. . . . Here we were, standing by this clock, and tears would start pouring out of my eyes," Peck said.

Politicians, railroad enthusiasts and schoolchildren, along with several veterans of World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War who remembered departing from the station, were on hand to celebrate the clock's return. It was sold in the 1990s after the shuttered station fell into private hands.

Speakers at the unveiling forecast the clock's return as a harbinger of things to come for the landmark, which opened in 1929 and operated as a railroad station for 50 years.

Since 1997, the volunteer Central Terminal Restoration Corp. has owned the building, which is on the national and state registers of historic places. The group has pursued the dream of restoring the building while preparing it for occupancy, having secured funds to stabilize and seal the building, remove 300 tons of debris and relight the building's exterior.

Council President David A. Franczyk, a longtime supporter of the Central Terminal, predicted a bright future for the building.

It was Franczyk who discovered the clock on eBay about five years ago. Then, in the fall of 2004, a fund-raising effort spearheaded by WBEN radio returned it to Buffalo. The M&T Bank Foundation paid the full $25,000 purchase price to a Chicago architectural salvage store, and an additional $14,000 was raised by radio listeners to repair, maintain and display the clock.

Franczyk said he has been told some items from the Central Terminal may have wound up in Hong Kong. He also heard items turned up in a Woody Allen movie.

"I keep looking at eBay. Maybe I'm going to find more of this stuff," Franczyk said.

Dan Harter, of Amherst, remembers leaving Buffalo on a sleeper train as a serviceman during the Korean War. He said he hopes someone with deep pockets will help the building forge a new future.

The Central Terminal Restoration Corp. has brought a flurry of activity to the former railroad station in the past two years, including tours that have allowed many people to go inside for the first time.

A student art show was held last weekend, and on May 21 photographer Spencer Tunick will return, in association with the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, to unveil photos taken during his nude photo installation last August.

If M&T was the mystery tenant for AM&A's then this change in plan opens the possibility of a new structure for M&T in downtown. We might be able to eliminate another of those all important shovel ready sites that are supposedly in such short supply downtown

And if Uniland is their 'developer of choice,' they have other sites downtown 'shovel ready': Pearl St. behind Sheas, Delaware Ave., and the Genesee/Elk/Oak parcel.

what's up with Paladino's "Elicott Court Building"? I thought that was supposed to start construction last year. Any updates?

what's up with Paladino's "Elicott Court Building"? I thought that was supposed to start construction last year. Any updates?

I think the official name is "McGuire Building" also known as his Court Street Tower. The last word from Paladino was he was going to start work "this summer." It may have been only talk since he is trying to show that he has a viable project that will be built when he's talking to possible tenants. One of which was Lawley Insurance who was in the market for 50,000 sq.ft. but has opted to go to the Pleu Bldg. that Paladino also owns. IMO the chances are less than 50-50 that he'd start construction with no pre-leasing.

well now that Lawley is over on Delaware...this Maguire deal might be a bit distant. shitty.

I think the official name is "McGuire Building" also known as his Court Street Tower. The last word from Paladino was he was going to start work "this summer." It may have been only talk since he is trying to show that he has a viable project that will be built when he's talking to possible tenants. One of which was Lawley Insurance who was in the market for 50,000 sq.ft. but has opted to go to the Pleu Bldg. that Paladino also owns. IMO the chances are less than 50-50 that he'd start construction with no pre-leasing.

I was just going by what they call it on emporis.com, I haven't been able to find a consensus name for the building and your post is the first I've heard it called that. Interesting, thanks for the update.

see thats what happens when you hang out too long at SSP, we been calling it the Maguire building since the begining of the year if not before.

SSC is where it's at if you wanna get the "dirt"

^ yeah true, which is why I pop in from time to time but more frequently as of late...just sometimes seems like there is a bit more Buffalo-bashing over here that I get called over to help defend. But yeah, lots of good stuff over here though.

Buffcity, you have some excellent pictures in that link in your sig. There are a lot of great angles of downtown...did you take all of them yourself?

Casino pitched for outer harbor

Las Vegas developer talking with Senecas

By SHARON LINSTEDT
News Staff Reporter
5/13/2005

A Las Vegas-based gambling corporation has met with Seneca leaders to pitch a $350 million casino and entertainment complex on Buffalo's outer harbor.

Pinnacle Entertainment told the Senecas it would build a complex with a 90-table gambling facility, 300-room hotel, six restaurants, a 12-screen movie theater and a live performance venue.

The casino complex would be on a 40-acre parcel along Fuhrmann Boulevard between the Bell Slip and the Small Boat Harbor.

http://www.buffalonews.com/graphics/2005/05/13/actualsize/0513lakemap.jpg

Pinnacle, which already owns eight casinos, said it would help the Senecas finance, build and operate the casino. The nation would own the facilities as part of its sovereign territory.

"It was all very preliminary, but we're hopeful we'll be meeting with them again in the very near future to get into the details," said Pinnacle President Wade Hundley, who proposed the casino plan to Seneca leaders two weeks ago.

"It's in their camp now. It's only a concept until they buy into it because it would be their casino, not ours," Hundley said.

Seneca leaders did not respond to inquiries Thursday regarding the waterfront casino idea. But under the nation's gambling compact with New York State, the nation must break ground on an Erie County casino by Dec. 9.

"Time is of the essence, so this has to happen quickly if it is going to happen at all," Hundley said.

Pinnacle's interest in Buffalo was initiated by Erie County Executive Joel A. Giambra, who has played a behind-the-scenes role as facilitator.

"We think it's a compelling proposal and a great opportunity for the Seneca Nation," said Hundley, who has visited here three times in recent months. "Our studies show Buffalo is an underserved gaming market and that site on the waterfront lends itself to a first-class casino that could be extremely successful."

The Senecas in recent months have said they are interested in putting their third casino in Buffalo.

As part of its plan, Pinnacle proposes a temporary facility that could be open within six to nine months of an agreement. The company estimates the permanent casino could be up and running 36 months from the start of construction.

But the gambling floor would be substantially smaller than the Seneca casino in Niagara Falls and the two Canadian casinos across the river.

The Pinnacle proposal is for 80,000 square feet. The Seneca Niagara Casino in Niagara Falls is 112,590 square feet; Niagara Fallsview is 200,000 square feet and Casino Niagara, 99,000.

A 2004 court ruling blocked the nation from opening a casino at its preferred site in Cheektowaga, and while that ruling is being appealed, Seneca leaders have indicated they are reviewing alternative sites in Buffalo.



Giambra contacted Pinnacle

The Senecas previously have expressed interest in an outer harbor site and toured the exact location Pinnacle is proposing back in 2003.

Giambra contacted Pinnacle through Samuel Katz, who was a consultant on the HSBC Arena project and now serves as a consultant to Pinnacle.

Giambra, who describes his support of gambling as "ambivalent," said he strongly backs the outer harbor proposal.

"I'm being a realist. If the Senecas are going to open an Erie County casino, it has to be in Buffalo. And if it's going to be in Buffalo, it should be on the outer harbor," Giambra said. "We have desperately needed something to spark outer harbor development and I think this is exactly what we've been waiting for."

The Pinnacle casino plan comes as the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, which owns the outer harbor land, is in the midst of a high-profile effort to develop its entire lakeside parcel. Last December, following a national search, the NFTA selected Buffalo Lakefront Development as the master planner of the prime waterfront lands.

Buffalo Lakefront - a partnership that includes Amherst's Uniland Development, along with Opus East of Philadelphia and VOA Associates of Chicago - has proposed a $750 million project to develop housing, marinas, a convention center, two hotels, an amphitheater and public green space on the property.

Pinnacle's casino proposal would locate the gambling development on a section of the site Lakefront had set aside for a convention center, amateur sports facilities, a festival pavilion, amphitheater and family park.

Uniland owns the Cheektowaga property the Senecas had picked as their preferred site and was going to be the nation's development partner on the project until the court ruling derailed things.



Lakefront group must decide

NFTA Executive Director Lawrence Meckler confirmed Giambra contacted him about the casino proposal, but said it will be up to the Lakefront group to decide whether the casino fits into its waterfront vision.

"We went through a very lengthy public process to pick a preferred developer, so any new ideas or concepts will need to bubble up through our developer," Meckler said.

He also said if the Lakefront group sees a way to work a casino into its plans, "community consensus" would be the ultimate deciding factor.

The NFTA had been on record against a casino on its waterfront land, but that stance shifted as it began to explore development options for its near-dormant property.

Mayor Anthony M. Masiello said he opposes the outer harbor proposal.

"A casino belongs downtown where it can support the hotel and entertainment infrastructure we already have in place. The outer harbor should be for housing, recreation and passive activities," the mayor said.

Pinnacle Entertainment is a publicly traded company that owns fives casinos in the United States, located in Nevada, Indiana, Louisiana and Mississippi, and three in Argentina. It will open a $365 million casino resort in Lake Charles, La., on May 26, and is building two casinos in St. Louis.

I guess if there is going to be one in Erie County, it should be in Buffalo so that the city can get a slice. It won't draw from out of town, so it'll just suck money from the locals. Even the Niagara casino hasn't helped the hotels up there. It would have been ideal to get it into the Statler to rescue that building. And I hate the idea of a multiplex cinema out there!

In other news- Uniland is seeking an extension of their previous approval of their office bldg. on Delaware- it is on the Planning Boards' agenda. Looks like that project isn't eminent. Maybe Uniland is focusing all their efforts on the outer harbor and suing HealthNow. :bash:

and why are they gonna sue healthnow?

did I miss a week on here...wtf


I guess if there is going to be one in Erie County, it should be in Buffalo so that the city can get a slice. It won't draw from out of town, so it'll just suck money from the locals. Even the Niagara casino hasn't helped the hotels up there. It would have been ideal to get it into the Statler to rescue that building. And I hate the idea of a multiplex cinema out there!

In other news- Uniland is seeking an extension of their previous approval of their office bldg. on Delaware- it is on the Planning Boards' agenda. Looks like that project isn't eminent. Maybe Uniland is focusing all their efforts on the outer harbor and suing HealthNow. :bash:

This crap is so frustrating. It just reminds me of how projects are thought about to death in Buffalo, and argued about, until the project just dies. This seems really bad for Uniland's PR, but whatever. From today's Buffalo News:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Uniland files suit against HealthNow
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Uniland says it had preferred developer status for new building

By SHARON LINSTEDT
News Staff Reporter
5/13/2005

Uniland Development Co. has turned to the courts over HealthNow's decision to hire an Indiana firm to develop a new corporate headquarters in downtown Buffalo.
The Amherst developer has filed suit in State Supreme Court seeking financial damages tied to HealthNow's selection of Duke Realty Corp. of Indianapolis to develop its $100 million corporate campus. Uniland claims HealthNow violated a pre-existing agreement with the local firm.

Uniland, which is HealthNow's long-time landlord at its current location, at 1901 Main St., charges its contract with the parent company of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western New York gave Uniland preferred developer status.

Uniland executives declined to discuss the specifics of its claim, but confirmed the legal challenge.

"Uniland has filed a claim to assert our rights under a 2002 contractual agreement with HealthNow to develop its new facility," Uniland Chairman Carl J. Montante Sr. said in a written statement.

"HealthNow has chosen the Gasworks site at West Genesee Street in Buffalo as the location for this new facility. It will become an excellent addition to the city landscape and complement Uniland's recent project of similar size at Niagara Center, and our future efforts to develop the Buffalo outer harbor," he continued.

HealthNow has filed a motion requesting the Uniland suit be dismissed. A hearing on that request is scheduled before Justice Eugene M. Fahey on May 31.

"We're disappointed the lawsuit has been filed," said HealthNow spokeswoman Laura Perry, noting the companies' amicable landlord-tenant relationship of many years.

"We have a fiduciary responsibility to our subscribers and the community to select a developer that submitted the best price and best value. We believe our selection process was objective and fair," Perry said.

HealthNow announced in February that it had selected Duke to develop its downtown campus, citing the developer's pricing, experience in managing brownfields projects, and its all-inclusive proposal that offered the best value and flexible lease terms. The nation's No. 2 real estate developer also has extensive experience with Blue Cross Blue Shield companies around the U.S., having developed more than 1 million square feet of space for the health insurer.

The selection of Duke was a shock to many in the local development community who expected Uniland to have a leg up on the other bidders given its long relationship with HealthNow. A third competing bid came from Ciminelli Development Co., of Amherst.

The three finalists came from a field of six proposals following a national solicitation of more than 20 developers.

Late late year, HealthNow announced it planned to build a new headquarters at 249 W. Genesee St., on a nearly vacant parcel of land that was once home to the Buffalo Gas Light Co. National Fuel Gas is the current owner of the land, which is known to contain contaminants from the turn-of-the-century gas production operation.

As part of the project, HealthNow will incorporate the remaining stone facade of the gas plant into it campus.

Uniland is selling the health insurer's Main Street home to Canisius College to make room for campus expansion. HealthNow, which faces a Dec. 31, 2007 deadline to relocate, is targeting an August 2007 move.

this is dumb, just build the shit so we can have some jobs

Buff-
Thought you'd like this:
http://www.deviantart.com/view/18281649/

From SSP.....

Did anyone else catch in the paper a few weeks ago that the State allocated funding to build a new Education Center downtown to replace the one on Washington and Mohawk? Its the six story or so yellow brick building on the corner. If they relocate- that building is an excellent candidate for residential conversion- right near Holling Press and Belasario. Starting to get a neighborhood over there!

wish that was what I looked at sometimes, but then again...it looks more like Frankfurt there LOL

cool pic

Funny that even with the addition of those super skyscrapers, the streets are still abandoned downtown. LOL

the buildings are UGLY as sin, pic is cool, but there is no way the skyline would look like that and have 3 cars on the Kensington.

In today's News, 510 Washington was sold by the City to Southwest Holdings for $105,000.

http://img140.echo.cx/img140/3109/washington1cm7ac.jpg

Its next door to the building Epstein is converting to three story loft/townhomes and across the street from Holling Press Lofts.

sometimes its good when the city grabs these properties, it's best when they sell them off for more than 1 cent to developers.

Funny to think 2 years ago Buffalo was the one with the crisis, needed a control board and had no money. Now the city has a control board (and it's working) they are more than likely able to give a tax break on property. They are selling off vacated property they have gained and are in all honesty looking okay. Erie county is in need of a BIG brother, they are running in circles like idiots all of a sudden they wanna raise the taxes again, and yet it's going to boil back down to people telling them...eat shit, lay off more workers...the notion of which I agree.

sad.

I guess they don't plan on rehabbing it themselves...

http://www.hastingscohn.com/realestate/forsale/510Washingtonst.htm

Suckers are looking to make a quick buck. Can't the city take it back through eminent domain? :)

well shit, atleast it has a freight elevator

Texas firm to consult on downtown retail

To help bring more retailers into the city, Buffalo leaders are turning to one of the industry's site selection firms.

Buxton, the Fort Worth-based firm that specializes in retail industry analysis, has been retained by the Buffalo Economic Renaissance Corp. to help identify national stores or restaurant chains that might be interested in coming to Buffalo. :hahaha:

Buxton was hired on the eve of a team of city leaders including Mayor Anthony Masiello and Tim Wanamaker, head of the Buffalo Office of Strategic Planning traveling to the annual International Council of Shopping Centers conference in Las Vegas. The ICSC show, considered retail's version of the Super Bowl, runs next week.

Wanamaker said information provided by Buxton will help the city lure and land more retailers and restaurants.

"It will help us focus on retailers that we have a real opportunity to bring in," Wanamaker said.

Buxton's client list includes Pier I Imports, CompUSA and California Pizza Kitchen. :sly:

This crap is so frustrating. It just reminds me of how projects are thought about to death in Buffalo, and argued about, until the project just dies. This seems really bad for Uniland's PR, but whatever. From today's Buffalo News:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Uniland files suit against HealthNow
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Uniland says it had preferred developer status for new building

By SHARON LINSTEDT
News Staff Reporter
5/13/2005

Uniland Development Co. has turned to the courts over HealthNow's decision to hire an Indiana firm to develop a new corporate headquarters in downtown Buffalo.
The Amherst developer has filed suit in State Supreme Court seeking financial damages tied to HealthNow's selection of Duke Realty Corp. of Indianapolis to develop its $100 million corporate campus. Uniland claims HealthNow violated a pre-existing agreement with the local firm.

Uniland, which is HealthNow's long-time landlord at its current location, at 1901 Main St., charges its contract with the parent company of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western New York gave Uniland preferred developer status.

Uniland executives declined to discuss the specifics of its claim, but confirmed the legal challenge.

"Uniland has filed a claim to assert our rights under a 2002 contractual agreement with HealthNow to develop its new facility," Uniland Chairman Carl J. Montante Sr. said in a written statement.

"HealthNow has chosen the Gasworks site at West Genesee Street in Buffalo as the location for this new facility. It will become an excellent addition to the city landscape and complement Uniland's recent project of similar size at Niagara Center, and our future efforts to develop the Buffalo outer harbor," he continued.

HealthNow has filed a motion requesting the Uniland suit be dismissed. A hearing on that request is scheduled before Justice Eugene M. Fahey on May 31.

"We're disappointed the lawsuit has been filed," said HealthNow spokeswoman Laura Perry, noting the companies' amicable landlord-tenant relationship of many years.

"We have a fiduciary responsibility to our subscribers and the community to select a developer that submitted the best price and best value. We believe our selection process was objective and fair," Perry said.

HealthNow announced in February that it had selected Duke to develop its downtown campus, citing the developer's pricing, experience in managing brownfields projects, and its all-inclusive proposal that offered the best value and flexible lease terms. The nation's No. 2 real estate developer also has extensive experience with Blue Cross Blue Shield companies around the U.S., having developed more than 1 million square feet of space for the health insurer.

The selection of Duke was a shock to many in the local development community who expected Uniland to have a leg up on the other bidders given its long relationship with HealthNow. A third competing bid came from Ciminelli Development Co., of Amherst.

The three finalists came from a field of six proposals following a national solicitation of more than 20 developers.

Late late year, HealthNow announced it planned to build a new headquarters at 249 W. Genesee St., on a nearly vacant parcel of land that was once home to the Buffalo Gas Light Co. National Fuel Gas is the current owner of the land, which is known to contain contaminants from the turn-of-the-century gas production operation.

As part of the project, HealthNow will incorporate the remaining stone facade of the gas plant into it campus.

Uniland is selling the health insurer's Main Street home to Canisius College to make room for campus expansion. HealthNow, which faces a Dec. 31, 2007 deadline to relocate, is targeting an August 2007 move.

That really sucks. Hope something gets resolved about that.

Texas firm to consult on downtown retail

To help bring more retailers into the city, Buffalo leaders are turning to one of the industry's site selection firms.

Buxton, the Fort Worth-based firm that specializes in retail industry analysis, has been retained by the Buffalo Economic Renaissance Corp. to help identify national stores or restaurant chains that might be interested in coming to Buffalo. :hahaha:

Buxton was hired on the eve of a team of city leaders including Mayor Anthony Masiello and Tim Wanamaker, head of the Buffalo Office of Strategic Planning traveling to the annual International Council of Shopping Centers conference in Las Vegas. The ICSC show, considered retail's version of the Super Bowl, runs next week.

Wanamaker said information provided by Buxton will help the city lure and land more retailers and restaurants.

"It will help us focus on retailers that we have a real opportunity to bring in," Wanamaker said.

Buxton's client list includes Pier I Imports, CompUSA and California Pizza Kitchen. :sly:


oh great let's bring suburban chains downtown! Downtown is unique because it doesn't have all that crap... but I suppose if some of those retail establishments came to the core it couldn't hurt, but hopefully (if they come) downtownit won't become flooded with them.

I wonder how many other cities have their mayors attend this? Masiello has gone the last couple years with no results to show. Now with Bass Pro signed, maybe they'll start to listen. I still think they need someplace to put a retailer if they were interested in downtown. Yes, there's plenty of vacant space in Main Place and AM&As, but if they want to be near Bass Pro- there's nothing! Maybe he can do some schmoozing with some developers that can get something going here, say a nice retail/hotel/condo project, oh about 20 floors, on the Webster Block. :cheers:

Preservation Board Say’s “No” to Request for Genesee Street Demolition

The Buffalo Preservation Board has said “no” to Willard Genrich’s proposal to demolish a group of properties known as 109 Genesee Street. The buildings are late 19th and early 20th century commercial structures that form a contiguous block in what is known as the City’s Genesee Village.

The Board noted that, at a recent public meeting, eight citizens spoke in opposition to the demolition of the structures and none in favor. Those in opposition spoke of the importance of the architectural character of the entire block, the ample parking that already exists in the area, the importance of density to urban centers, the successes of downtown venues that do not have adjacent parking and how the proposal, flies in the face of the Queen City Hub Plan. The Buffalo Preservation Board at its meeting on May 12, 2005, recommended that the properties at 109 Genesee Street not be demolished for the following reasons:

- This block is an important 19th century streetscape for the city to preserve in its entirety;
- There are multiple examples of successful city restaurants without parking, examples include The Pearl Street Brew Pub, Fiddleheads, and Vincent’s Just Pasta;
- Building density is what distinguishes a city from a suburban setting. That density is what makes the entertainment venues along Chippewa Street so successful. It is critical to the future success of Genesee Street to maintain an urban density;
- The Buffalo Preservation Board concurs with architectural historian Martin Wachaolo in that the block has significant historical and architectural merit and should not be demolished in whole or in part;
- Most importantly, the Buffalo Preservation Board believes there is an opportunity in the block to both preserve an important link with our past and to re-develop these buildings in a manner that is sensitive to what’s happening downtown with housing, with developments like those on Chippewa Street, and that at the same time making a lively entranceway into Downtown.

It is important to note, however, that the structures located at 109 Genesee Street are not located within a historic district nor are they a locally designated landmark; therefore, the Buffalo Preservation Board can only issue a non-binding recommendation to Commissioner of Permit and Inspection Services, Ray McGurn. Commissioner Ray McGurn may now deny the demolition request, or allow it to progress. If the demolition proposal progresses, jurisdiction goes to the City Planning Board, which has authority through the legally binding Site Plan Review process.

That was a first good step, now they need to be officially denied and given a deadline for reuse or sale. If not, the City should buy it and put out an RFP. I think it is safe to assume that Burke would want this block- he's redeveloping the Oak School behind it and it is around the corner from his Ellicott Commons development. Genrich is an ass.

I wish Trump knew about Buffalo...lol

23 High...possible demo? :bash:
And Paladino adding to his inventory of properties that will take years to develop.... :bash:

Developers eye medical campus
New life will be injected in properties from Goodell to North Street

By FRED O. WILLIAMS
News Business Reporter
5/23/2005

A shiny new research complex may not be the only development going up in Buffalo's medical campus.
Developers, following in the path of scientists, are starting to gravitate toward the 100-acre campus north of downtown, which is grooming itself for a spurt of new construction.

The development trend - if it turns into one - would help fulfill the campus's vision as a mix of medical services, businesses and researchers, while injecting new life into surrounding neighborhoods.

"There's a lot of momentum - we're maybe 5-10 percent of the way to what our mission is," said Matthew K. Enstice, executive director of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. The organization is a site planning group that includes major campus employers like Kaleida Health.

Some of the sites where plans are focusing:

• A vacant apartment tower at 23 High St. was bought in March by a partnership headed by developer Michael L. Joseph. He plans to turn the site into a new, $6 million home for AIDS Community Services in 2006. The AIDS outpatient service, with 1,000 clients, is outgrowing its West Side home and wants to partner with medical campus researchers for drug trials.

"We'll either tear it down and rebuild, or renovate and add to it," Joseph said, depending on the success of fund-raising efforts. The building cost $410,000.

• The former home of the Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute at 73 High St. is available, now that its new building on Ellicott Street is complete. Talks to sell the four-story structure to the adjacent Buffalo Medical Group haven't borne fruit. Walter Pangborn, executive vice president, said Hauptman Woodward is talking with several potential buyers. Another possible use for the 35,000 square-foot building, with its mix of offices and lab space, could be as an incubator for life science start-ups, others have suggested.

• Two vacant Kaleida buildings, on High Street and Goodrich Street, are slated to be removed and the land prepared as shovel-ready development sites. The demolitions will clear three to four acres for reuse, Enstice said. Kaleida is hearing about interest in the sites, Chief Financial Officer Bob Glenning said, but declined to elaborate. The medical campus organization, which would act as developer, is seeking state funding to clear the land.

The activity on the northern half of the medical campus comes as the multimillion-dollar life sciences complex a few blocks south, at Ellicott and Virginia streets, nears completion. Hauptman-Woodward held opening ceremonies for its building on May 12, and the remainder of the three-building complex is to open late this year and early next. Some 500 scientists and staff are expected to work in the complex in coming years, about half of them new hires.

Investors are betting that the influx of jobs and investment will lift neighborhoods bordering the medical campus. Buffalo developer Carl Paladino bought three vacant properties on the 1000 block of Main Street with plans for mixed-use residential and commercial space, with an undisclosed retail component at the corner of North Street.

"I think there's a lot of residential interest all over downtown," he said. "We're hoping the medical campus will increase that even more."

In addition, Joseph has plans to add to his residential developments on the 700 block of Main Street just south of the campus. Eventually the lure of downtown living near their labs should be a magnet for life science workers.

"We haven't seen that yet, but we expect to," he said.

About 8,000 people work in the medical campus, which includes major employers like Buffalo General Hospital and Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

I hear today there might be some talk of a control board for Erie County, and that could lead to an easy merger of city and county...has anyone thought about this, thats what Giambra has been pushing all along, ? lol

Please merge the metro for the sake of the people within.

General contractor named for courthouse project
James Fink
Business First
The proposed federal courthouse in downtown Buffalo took a major step forward Tuesday afternoon when the General Services Administration named a general contractor for the $100 million project.

Mascaro Construction Co. LP of Pittsburgh was selected from bidder that included local and out-of-town companies.

The project, which is still pending a final funding package, will begin the construction process in 2007.

Mascaro will work with Kohn Pederson Fox, the project's architects, on the 265,000-square-foot, 10-story building slated for the edge of Niagara Square.

Construction documents are slated to be completed by the end of the year.

The GSA, the federal government real estate arm, has acquired the necessary buildings and properties needed for the courthouse.

Final funding is due by February 2007.
______________________________________________

Two more years until construction starts?!?! :dunno:

awsome another baby step...lol

Yeah, unless Uniland decides to sue GSA for selecting an out-of-town developer.

Holling Place to open June 1 for 'new income' tenants
By SHARON LINSTEDT
News Staff Reporter
5/25/2005

Downtown Buffalo's newest residential address, Holling Place Apartments, will welcome its first tenants June 1.
The 82-unit apartment complex in a former commercial printing plant at 501 Washington St., is the first in the recent wave of new downtown housing ventures designed exclusively for low-income tenants.

"I like to think of our target tenant as "new income,' rather than low income," said developer Eran Epstein. "Our tenant demographic is the young person or young couple just starting out who wants to live downtown without breaking the bank."

Tenant income guidelines, which are dictated by the project's government-backed financing strategy, limit annual income for singles to $23,940, while income for two people is capped at $27,360 per year. Those who qualify will be able to rent a one-bedroom apartment for as little as $540 a month. Two-bedroom units will start at $750, about half the market rate for downtown apartments.

"We're appealing to the 25-to-30-year-old who is working an entry-level professional job and who wants a really cool place to live within walking distance of their jobs, bus and rail and downtown bars and clubs," Epstein said. "It's an untapped market right now."

More than 120 prospective tenants have filled out preliminary applications for Holling Place's 82 apartments.

"Conservatively, 30 or 40 will make it through the screening process and move in in June, and we should be at 100 percent occupancy this fall," Epstein said.

Mayor Anthony M. Masiello, who has championed efforts to develop downtown housing, said he is thrilled to see low-cost housing come on the market.

"For downtown housing to be truly successful, there has to be a mix of options for people at all economic levels," Masiello said. "We need to have young adults living and working and playing downtown, so it's critical to offer a range of prices and product."

Holling Place amenities include loft-style open floor plans; wireless Internet connections; storage units for each apartment; business and fitness centers; and laundry facilities. A rooftop patio lounge is planned for 2006. :okay:

Epstein's E Square Capital is planning two more income-restricted developments. Work will begin this summer to convert a four-story building near the Broadway Market into 40 apartments for lower-income senior citizens.

The firm is also in the process of buying the YMCA building on North Street in the city's Allentown section for conversion into 65 units of senior citizen housing.

:cheers: Club owner takes act across street :cheers:

Two years ago Jesse Zuefle bought a long-vacant Washington Street building with the intent of opening a nightclub.

Zuefle dropped those plans and instead looked across Washington Street where he will open Club Diablo at the site of the former Washington Street Grill on May 26. The opening comes just in time to take advantage of the "Thursday at the Square" concert season.

The building is between Mohawk and Huron streets and almost next door to the soon-to-open Holling Place Apartments.

Zuefle is best known for operating Second Skin in Allentown and for being security chief at the Continental nightclub in downtown Buffalo. He closed Second Skin in April and left the Continental earlier this month to focus entirely on Club Diablo.

Also, Zuefle has sold the other Washington Street property to developer Eran Epstein, who plans on converting the 16,000-square-foot building into his latest condo project.

Epstein is developing the Holling Place Apartments and is working on a similar project in Buffalo's Broadway-Fillmore district and converting the YWCA Building on Franklin Street into condos.

Better late than never- but Esmonde came out against demo of the Genesee Block buildings! And strong words from Wannamaker- :applause:


City getting tough on idle developers

5/27/2005
By DONN ESMONDE

It's the next battleground for the soul of downtown. It's a stretch of buildings whose hollow shells have greeted morning commuters for two decades.
Anybody coming off the Kensington Expressway sees it: The noble 19th century brick structures on the corner of Oak and Genesee streets, with an outdated "Support the Mohawk Ramp Convention Center" sign on the side.

Bill Genrich Jr. bought them two decades ago and did the right thing: gutted the insides, braced the walls with steel I-beams and waited for a better day. The problem is Genrich has been waiting for that day since Ronald Reagan's first term.

A city notorious for letting dawdling developers sit on buildings until they rot finally cracked down last year.

Mayor Tony Masiello fired a warning shot to owners of vacant downtown eyesores: Fix them or sell them, or we will push you out. It was a long-overdue sign of spine, and the right thing for a recovering downtown.

Genrich said, OK, I'll put in offices and a restaurant in about half my buildings - and knock down the other structures for parking.

We've waited two decades for him to do something with empty buildings in a prime spot, and his plan is to demo half of them for a parking lot. Wrong answer.

Genrich says they're his buildings and he can do what he wants.

"I have to look at this as a businessman," he said.

Maybe so. But there's a broader community issue here. The city has taken a beating from building owners who do nothing for decades waiting for values to rise. When it doesn't happen, they call in the bulldozers and leave a parking lot behind.

Real estate is an investment. With investment comes risk. It's like the stock market - sometimes you cut your losses, sell and move on.

Genrich didn't want to hear about bad investments.

"I'm not one of those people," he said, "who shows up in Buffalo and expects to take a loss."

This isn't just about a few buildings. Downtown is the hub of the region, the place we go to work and play, the place that tells visitors what sort of community we've got. Having empty shells or a parking lot at the downtown gateway screams that this isn't a good place to live or to do business.

Old buildings are turning into new housing all over downtown. Multimillion-dollar projects are getting done. It hikes the value of Genrich's empty shells. Other developers are interested in his properties, but say he wants way too much for buildings needing a total rehab.

The city will do everything it can to stop the buildings from falling.

"I don't do urban-renewal plans for nothing," said Tim Wanamaker, city planning director. "We could move forward, if (Genrich's) properties were in other hands. I'm completely against any demolition there and will use all of my powers to stop it, including eminent domain." :rock:

Genrich said he tried for years to get city-owned land for needed parking. The same land is now part of a nearby development plan from Rocco Termini, who has political juice at City Hall. Genrich isn't happy that Termini got the parking he wanted.

I sympathize with him. I hope there's room for compromise. But Genrich has had plenty of time to do something - something better than knock down half the shells we've had to look at for 20 years. And he hasn't.

"If (Genrich) had a plausible plan, then we could figure out parking," said Wanamaker. "But we haven't seen it."

The city finally is playing hardball. I wish it luck. And I wish it would've thrown the high hard one - at Genrich and a half-dozen other wait-forever developers - a long time ago.

Regarding Wannamaker's statement, "I'm completely against any demolition there and will use all of my powers to stop it, including eminent domain." I thought that eminent domain could only be used by a municipality that planned on developing the property for their own use. I'm no lawyer, but maybe someone knows something about the requirements for E.D.

I saw an article once somewhere that said that's why the city couldn't use Eminent Domain to save the Schmidt and Vernor Buildings on the 700 block of Main Street. Because the City of Buffalo had no plans to use the buildings for the city, and so they had no right to eminent domain powers. Anyone?

I don't know all the rules- but I think if a property is within a designated Urban Renewal Zone, the city can take a property through eminent domain. The City is currently preparing a plan for this area with the intention of designating it a zone (it now falls between the Theater District and Elm/Oak zones). They have a consultant preparing it now. Buffalo Place is also encouraging the city to declare the 500 block a zone so that eminent domain can be used if needed to redevelop the block.

If it is outside of a zone, it may have to be for the City's use. I don't know.

New Millennium Group Spoofs Itself

To Demonstrate Over-Abundance of Parking in Downtown Buffalo
Buffalo, NY -- With tongue planted firmly in cheek, the New Millennium Group of Western New York,
building off their successful “Walk Buffalo” book, promoted a different kind of walking tour today at the
corner of Franklin and Huron in downtown Buffalo. They called it “Park Buffalo.”

Jeremy Toth, President, explained, “We stand in front of a parking ramp, across from a recently demolished
occupied office building that will soon be a parking ramp, across the street from a surface parking lot and
just down the street from yet another parking garage and surface lot. Nothing says Buffalo like lots of
parking.

Our walking tour will help people see each and every one of the scores of parking lots in
downtown Buffalo.”
Patrick McNichol, Co-Chair of the group’s Transportation Action Group, displayed a diagram of downtown
Buffalo showing, in red, over 50% of the property devoted to parking. He said, “Sure, there’s a lot of red on
this map, but not enough. If our master-plan is to demolish all of downtown, then we’re only halfway there.
If you look very closely there are still some buildings that are standing—standing in the way of parking
progress.”

NMG was joined by George Grasser, President of Partners For A Livable W.N.Y., who said, “I was never a
believer in city living, but taking the New Millennium Group's Park Buffalo tour has totally changed my
opinion. I now plan to move downtown because, even though there are few buildings left and even fewer
places to go, there's plenty of parking!”

Also joining them were Councilmembers Golombek and Franczyk who have sponsored a Resolution calling
for a moratorium on construction of any more parking until a comprehensive plan is created.

“Despite a solid demolition plan, there have been a few minor setbacks,” said Golombek. “The bulldozers
unfortunately did not arrive soon enough to places like Chippewa Street and Elmwood Avenue, and those
areas are now suffering a resurgence of vitality and economic activity.”

“As the cars and their parking spaces take over downtown Buffalo, humans have become an endangered
species. It’s as desolate as a scene from a Terminator movie,” said Franczyk. “But those were really
awesome movies, though!”

Nate Neumann, NMG Board member, leaving the levity aside for a moment, explained that the group has
three main recommendations to help solve what they view as over-development of parking in Buffalo:

1. Downtown Buffalo needs better parking management; not more parking. Therefore, in the short-term, a
moratorium should be placed on additional downtown parking until a comprehensive plan is developed.

2. Instead of focusing on parking alone, the City of Buffalo should concentrate on improving all kinds of
access to downtown, including the completion/expansion of the light-rail system, more frequent transit
service, adding bike lanes and paths, and promoting walkability through good urban design.

3. Parking issues should be considered in the larger, long-term context of urban planning. Parking is not an
end to itself.

Buffalo Civic Auto Ramps and the City of Buffalo Board of Parking should therefore be
wholly subordinate to the Office of Strategic Planning.
Toth concluded, “Cities around the country are revitalizing themselves by creating vibrant, walkable
villages in their downtown cores. That’s why it’s so great we are doing exactly the opposite. We believe our
walking tour will be the first in the country. We may be able to create a whole new tourism industry. And
since there is so much parking, we expect visitors will spend a night or two to see it all—a real boon for our
downtown economy.”

From Buffalo's New Millennium Group
http://www.nmgonline.org/news/

Although I agree for the most part with what this group is saying, I do believe there are some inaccuracies. The statement made by Jeremy Toth, President, “We stand in front of a parking ramp, across from a recently demolished occupied office building that will soon be a parking ramp, across the street from a surface parking lot and just down the street from yet another parking garage and surface lot" is false. The recently demolished structure to which he is referring was actually an outdated parking ramp, not an occupied office building. The parling ramp they were staniding in front of was recently completed, and it has something like 7 levels of parking. I don't see this as completely evil, because I would rather see one block used up for parking (on several levels) rather than 7 blocks used for surface parking. The site of the demolished parking ramp, by the way, is being shopped around for develpment. If there are any takers out there, then it won't remain just another parking lot. And this idea of expanding the metrorail as a way of eliminating the need for parking is preposterous. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. And you can lead a suburbanite to the metrorail station, but you can't make him get on. Western New Yorkers love their cars, and it's a real tough sell to try and get them to ride public transportation. Simply offering more of it, isn't going to entice anyone into using it if they're not using it already. And depriving people of parking spaces, imo, will only encourage people to continue going out to the suburbs for entertainment and shopping, where they can park for free. Buffalonians are a lot of wonderful things, but they are not very metropolitan. And they are not going to give up their SUV's that easily.

Actually there was an office building on that site. It was occupied by the local HQ of the church of Scientology and a few other businesses. The one good thing that did come out of this is that The Scientologists did a great renovation job on a very nice building up Main Street.

As far as parking and development go it must be noted that Buffalo's most succesfull neighborhood (Elmwood) has the least ammount of parking in the city. People will do what ever it takes to be in attractive urban environments. If that means taking public transit or driving around the block ten times to park they will do it. The need for lots and lots of parking kicks in when the urban environment is less than stellar. If the powers that be put their efforts into making the environment attractive parking would not be an issue no matter how little was provided.

All I was saying is that the way his sentence reads, he is greatly exagerating the number of parking ramps. There is now only one parking ramp on that block, and he makes it sound like there's more that that. That kind of double talk is just as shady as the politicians and developers who got us into this mess in the first place. And I think comparing the Elmwood Village to the downtown core is comparing apples to oranges. There are no commercial high rises on Elmwood, no large office buildings (OK, you might be able to think of some weird exception) so the needs of that neighborhood are vastly different. Where would you expect the employees in the Key Center, HSBC Center, M&T Center, etc to park if not in a parking ramp? The side streets between Elmwood and Delaware (i.e. Lancaster, Lexington, Auburn, etc.) are fine for a quaint shopping district, but that is not feasible downtown. Believe me, I work in the Federal Building and I hear grumbling every day about the lack of parking.

Anyone who can say with a straight face that Downtown Buffalo does not have enough parking may be eligable for free housing in the state mental hospital.

Here is the downtown Buffalo parking map. Red is surface, orange is ramp parking (this map makes it look slightly worse that it really is since some of the ramps are underground...now there is a concept ...underground parking)

http://www.nmgonline.org/action_groups/tag/images_park_bflo/downtown_parking_web_large.jpg

Note that the Federal building is almost completely surrounded by surface parking (as are a large number of buildings). Also note that the best parts of downtown are the areas with the least amount of parking.

I think that the people of Buffalo should be embarased by this map. Adding more parking to this map is just plain stupid.

^ It is embarrassing as a Buffalonian, I'd prefer not having all those lots but no one is going to build anything downtown anyways. So I'd rather see parking lots and have cheaper parking for Bisons/Sabres games than see overgrown grassy fields.

You can look at maps and listen to opinionated speeches all you want. The fact remains that highrise buildings contain hundreds or thousands of workers. If those workers do not use public transportation, and I have already outlined why I believe Buffalonians do not, then you are going to have hundreds or thousands of cars--for each highrise building! The lots you talk about that surrond the Federal Building, I'd like to know where you think they are. The recently completed Niagara Center has a lot of their own, but it is not open to the public. There is a parking lot, which you can park in for $80/month, behind the former Federal Reserve bank, but not enough for everybody who works in the area, not to mention all the visitors to the buildings. The other surface parking lots, like the one on Delaware and Huron will take about 15 cars each. So, yeah, your map might be colorful--but once again, it's misleading. I don't think that map looks so crazy. Let's take a poll. How many of the people in this discussion live and/or work in the downtown core and need parking on a regular basis? I live and work downtown and have some personal experiences to share, not just useless rhetoric and unfounded opionions.

Downtown Buffalo hasn't the value of downtowns like NYC, Chicago or Boston, therefore you are not going to see every zoned lot developed to capacity with highrises or condos. Surface parking pisses me off as well, but it does reflect both the land values and the economic status of Buffalo in general.

I don't mind parking ramps, especially ones like Augsurger which blends well into the streetscape.

there are studies I have seen on the parking situation downtown, and there is a hell of alot of people driving to work there everyday, so I guess it's just the way it's going to be until either (a.) people start living downtown and working there as well ( Ahhh haaaaa) or mass transit expands like crazy (LOL)

in all honesty, lets look at the projects proposed, both developing parking lots and loft conversions, those are actually two great moves both shrinking the need for parking space, expanding jobs and moving people downtown.

Buff and Steel are right....
There's too much land dedicated to parking downtown. Granted we're not a transit-oriented city and parking is a necessary evil. But, there's way too much of downtown 'soiled' with surface parking. I don't know why the New Millenium Group was roasted for their report. I saw another forum beat it to death over the accuracy of one or two errors on the map. Bottom line is- we've decimated the downtown core. I also prefer ramps over surface lots, but the ramps we've built are also dead zones. Only one has commercial space on the first floor (Fernbach on Franklin)- that is inexcusable. Augsberger was expanded and we were told the old Scientology Bldg. had to go but there would be retail on the first floor of the ramp. Well, they designed it for future retail but never finished it out. The Parking Board's repsonse was they'd finish it when they had a user! BS- they won't get a tenant until they create the space. The urban fabric is ruined by a sea of cars. Some of these lots should be turned into parks so they at least contribute to the city until someday redeveloped.

Downtown Buffalo hasn't the value of downtowns like NYC, Chicago or Boston, therefore you are not going to see every zoned lot developed to capacity with highrises or condos. Surface parking pisses me off as well, but it does reflect both the land values and the economic status of Buffalo in general.

I don't mind parking ramps, especially ones like Augsurger which blends well into the streetscape.

there are studies I have seen on the parking situation downtown, and there is a hell of alot of people driving to work there everyday, so I guess it's just the way it's going to be until either (a.) people start living downtown and working there as well ( Ahhh haaaaa) or mass transit expands like crazy (LOL)

in all honesty, lets look at the projects proposed, both developing parking lots and loft conversions, those are actually two great moves both shrinking the need for parking space, expanding jobs and moving people downtown.

The absolute truth is that there is NO shortage of parking in Downtown Buffalo. When people say that there is a shortage of parking they mean that there is a shortage of FREE parking right next to their building. They want Downtown to be an Amherst office park and that is NOT what Buffalo should have as a goal for its downtown.

Believe what you will in a Buffalo defeatist way. Buffalo can and should have streets full of pedestrians but parking lots have never attracted pedestrian use not even in Boston, New York and Chicago. Make Buffalo's streets active and pleasant and companies will flock to downtown weather there is abundant cheap parking or not.

This can be done in stages. Build from successe such as Chippawa. Build denser fill in the gaps gradually moving outward. Success will build on success. Remember this Pittsburgh is a basket case just like Buffalo and it has a far bigger downtown with many more workers than Buffalo but you don't see thie over the top demand to have most of the land devoted to parking. These parking lots are eating away at what makes Buffalo unique. The Unique character that buffalo gets form its historic buildings and density is what will eventually save the city. Once it looses that it will be just like any crappy sunbelt city except without the good economy.

That colorful map that started this debate shows only 17 or 18 parking ramps, and only 5 of them South of Huron Street. That just does not seem excessive to me. Like I said originally, I would rather have an 8 story parking ramp on one city block, then 8 city blocks being used for surface parking. And if we're living in the real world, there is nothing wrong with wanting to be able to park for free at your job. Don't you think that when companies like National Fuel moved from downtown to Amherst they considered that ammenity? I am willing to bet that most of the employees who now commute to work in the suburbs are more than happy that they no longer have to pay nearly $100/month to park. That's almost a quarter of what a lot of Buffalonians pay for rent! I know my coworkers view their parking fees as a "tax." When we leave the Dulski Fed Bldg, they are going to have free parking, and they're happy as clams. When developers decide whether or not to sink millions of dollars into building projects, they want to be pretty sure that they are going to get tenants for those builidings. There's no point of constructing new buildings if you can't attract people to live and work in them. One of the things that people in Buffalo still insist on is a place to put their car, convenient and, yes, free. Sorry, but that's the real world...or at least the way the world is in Buffalo. And speaking of the so-called success on Chippewa, it might seem like a success to most people who go there to party at night and on weekends. But I am typing this at 12:30 in the afternoon about a block away from Chippewa, and I can tell you that the place is almost completely deserted right now, except for a few office workers and Hutch Tech students trying to avoid the pan-handlers. So I don't know about some of the assumptions people base their opinions on. I wish that some of the people who assert those opinions would invest some of their own money in downtown neighborhoods (by moving into the city perhaps) rather than arrogantly insisting on what other people should do. If you want to see downtown improve, then come on down!

[QUOTE=steel]The absolute truth is that there is NO shortage of parking in Downtown Buffalo. When people say that there is a shortage of parking they mean that there is a shortage of FREE parking right next to their building. They want Downtown to be an Amherst office park and that is NOT what Buffalo should have as a goal for its downtown.
QUOTE]

^^^This is Paladino-speak. He's the one beating the drum for more parking and parking everywhere. I think his goal is to only have his buildings left downtown and everything else torn down to supply parking to his kingdom. Its insane. I'll repost this excerpt that sums it up well:

The Ten Crappiest Things About Downtown.

10. Surface Parking Lots

A quick glance at a satellite image of downtown shows that almost half of its surface area is blanketed in grey. Countless surface parking lots riddle the downtown landscape, causing many streets to resemble an old boxer’s smile—a sad grin with plenty of missing teeth. This gap-toothed arrangement turns streets into hostile pedestrian environments, with cars constantly crossing over the sidewalk. Parking lots turn away pedestrians because there is nothing more boring to walk by than, well…parking Lots.

West Chippewa Street, one of downtown’s few remaining intact streetscapes, draws large crowds (on drinking nights) because all the street activity provides for interesting sights and sounds. Few bare parking lots exist on the revitalized portion of the strip. Every few steps taken reveal another interesting building.

Downtown’s parking lot surplus becomes most apparent when walking down Franklin Street south from Allentown, well into the core of downtown. Upper Franklin, in Allentown, offers a glimpse at some of Buffalo’s finest vintage architecture dating from the 1860s-70s. This urban continuum comes to an abrupt halt upon crossing Edward Street as neatly preserved houses and small apartment buildings give way to a vast sea of parking lots stretching all the way to adjacent streets (restaurateur Mark Croce, ostensibly the savior of Franklin Street, owns most of these lots and makes a killing on them). Toward the end of the block are a few remaining buildings, housing the Tudor Lounge, Croce’s newly fixed-up Laughlin’s, and some beautiful, 19th century walkup apartments. Once a lively, interesting streetscape, this entire block was lined with a solid wall of these buildings. Now this mostly-bleak stretch is one big parking lot hell. Oh, and I almost forgot Croce’s Buffalo Chophouse. But that is easy to miss thanks to it being obscured by, yes, a parking lot!

These lots offer a cheap and extremely profitable business venture, thanks to our regressive tax code which taxes land solely on its built improvements rather than its development potential. Lot owners get away with paying minuscule property taxes while collecting a steady stream of parking revenue each month. Often, owners of multiple parking lots sit on their land for speculation, waiting for a major developer to come in, buy their lot for a small fortune and plop down an office tower. If this doesn’t happen, the lot owner will still make a killing from parking fees. Either way, it’s a win-win situation for them. If Buffalo really cares about quashing the proliferation of surface parking downtown, they just might want to enable a land-value taxation system that would tax parking lots at the same rate as a next door office tower.

And this about Chippewa that NYC007 touched-on:

Chippewa’s clientele primarily includes tasteless suburban trash, frat-type meatheads, and 30-40ish professionals who still think they are young. On this three-block strip we get a monoculture of noisy bars that spin the same tired Top 40 booty-shaking tunes and pander to the shallow culture of suburban jocks and fake-boobed hussies. :rofl:

If downtown Buffalo is to eventually build up a sizable population, streets like Chippewa will have to diversify and accommodate residential and retail uses. City planners and officials should be doing their best to lure popular retail outlets onto the street and the general area. This could turn the Chippewa area and theater district into a 24-hour destination, which would be much better than an urban theme park, only active on weekend nights.

why, why do we find ourselves discussing the mistakes that so many have made before us? Buffalo has so much to offer, the city is beautiful, look at the marina, chippewa, and Elmwood...the city is awsome.

Here is an idea that I think would do Buffalo justice, instead of having city and county workers getting paid to sit on their asses all day looking important, why don't the city and county get together and pool enough money together to pay representitives of Buffalo to travel the US and the world promoting and working deals for Buffalo, exclusive travel destinations, time share properties investment locations both in Buffalo and abroad...doing something that can bring Buffalo together financially, economically and even more so...culturally.

Buffalo should stop waiting for idiots in Albany to look for the "right" idea...many cities have made themselves known using tourism manufacturing ect...this is what Buffalo needs to do.

Parking lots, they will remain so until Buffalo, the people, the ones who care can fill them with buildings and ramps, thats the plain simple truth. We can get ticked off about the number of lots, but that does not fix the problem, it only makes people more depressed and so far...Buffalo seems to be good at giving itself headaches but not giving itself motrin.

You can look at maps and listen to opinionated speeches all you want. The fact remains that highrise buildings contain hundreds or thousands of workers. If those workers do not use public transportation, and I have already outlined why I believe Buffalonians do not, then you are going to have hundreds or thousands of cars--for each highrise building! The lots you talk about that surrond the Federal Building, I'd like to know where you think they are. The recently completed Niagara Center has a lot of their own, but it is not open to the public. There is a parking lot, which you can park in for $80/month, behind the former Federal Reserve bank, but not enough for everybody who works in the area, not to mention all the visitors to the buildings. The other surface parking lots, like the one on Delaware and Huron will take about 15 cars each. So, yeah, your map might be colorful--but once again, it's misleading. I don't think that map looks so crazy. Let's take a poll. How many of the people in this discussion live and/or work in the downtown core and need parking on a regular basis? I live and work downtown and have some personal experiences to share, not just useless rhetoric and unfounded opionions.

You're right, which helps the argument for expanding the "subway to nowhere". I don't think having all the parking lots is that big of a problem right now considering the subway doesn't go to the burbs where people that work downtown live...and no one is building anything or has plans to build anything in Buffalo. I wish people would utilize the metrorail more, eventhough we already have one of the highest rider counts for that one mile strip in the entire country. I don't like the idea of parking being cheaper than metrorail and being an incentive to drive more downtown...but when (if) they expand metrorail or decide to ever build anything again then I'll be back on here being one of the biggest parking lot complainers.

If the rail line was cleaner, safer and did a loop thru the entire city and suburbs...well holy shit, it might work well, infact it might just be awsome.

suburbanites might actually ride into work from Amherst if the ride was fast, reliable, clean and free of loiterers...and because these things can't even be eliminated within the city limits, the chances of metrorail going into the $$$ town of Amher$t are gloom and distant.

Buffalo needs to do like NYS and kill this tax burden...if companies didnt have that overhead and saw themselves this close to Toronto...Buffalo might perhaps be much the size of Seattle and with a tax rate of that like Austin TX.

These clowns who own the parking lots are laughing because the people are bitching about appearance, but they don't get the key point...nothing wants to replace that parking lot...if there was a competitive market for commercial property downtown, these lots would be history, simply because anyone can make more money off a 20 story tower vs. 30 cars rent.

Taxes, it's all about Taxes!!!

Buffalo One Of America's "cleanest Cities"
WBEN Newsroom - Friday, June 10, 2005 07:19 AM

Buffalo, NY (WBEN) -- A new ranking of the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the United States lists Buffalo as the nation's third cleanest city.

Reader's Digest came up with five criteria, rating each region's air and water quality, sanitation, industrial pollution and Superfund sites for hazardous waste.

Buffalo trails only Portland, Oregon and San Jose in the rankings. Chicago and New York City ranked last.

The Buffalo metro area -- defined as Erie and Niagara County -- rated a perfect score for its water quality.

The region also ranked fourth for its sanitation,thanks to Buffalo's fleet of high-tech street sweepers and the blue garbage totes, what the researchers called part of the "award-winning restructuring" of the garbage collection system.

Those strong qualities helped the area overcome sub-par scores for its industrial pollution and hazardous waste sites.

However, the magazine says the region has taken "great strides" in cleaning up sites such as the former Bethlehem Steel plant, quoting the proposal to use part of the complex for a wind farm.

'Urban village' planned for 800 block of Main Street
By SHARON LINSTEDT
News Staff Reporter
6/10/2005

Ronald J. Colleran/Buffalo News
Long-targeted by city urban renewal officials for a renaissance, several roadblocks caused the dilapidated structures in the 800 block of Main Street to languish for the past several years.

A derelict strip of commercial buildings in the 800 block of Main Street in Buffalo is about to reborn as an "urban village."

First Amherst Development has kicked off its long-planned renovation of seven vacant structures, stretching from 844 to 850 Main St., at the intersection of Main and Virginia streets. Crews have begun performing asbestos abatement and interior demolition of the buildings, with reconstruction to start in late July.

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20050610/1067513.asp

Great news on First Amherst breaking ground (or cleaning out in this case!). This is one of those smaller, yet critical projects that helps bridge the gap between nodes in a city. Even better is the fact that they're saving a row of old buildings on the edge of the preservation district. Way cool- First Amherst was the pioneer in this round of residential projects with Elk Terminal which they plan to expand with new construction.

Cleanest city? I would have thought all the brownfields and superfund sites (especially in Niagara County) would have dragged us down.

Here is a great new Buffalo web site full of Buffalonia and many great Buff-links

http://buffalorising.blogspot.com/

Progress on the new Lexington Real Foods Market.
http://img141.echo.cx/img141/4135/coop8ql.jpg


And another new storefront being constructed across the street!
http://img252.echo.cx/img252/9648/11814160f3dd454ef76tt.jpg

Courtesy of BRM at Buffalo Rising Journal

I know Elmwood is uniquely Buffalo and has great locally-owned shops and is primarily known as a commercial strip. But I really hate seeing these commercial additions put on the front of these two-flats. Yes its great to see investment and have the building out to the sidewalk, but you lose the architecture of the original house and you change the character of the street. Am I being too critical or is this a good thing?

-Not talking about Lexington Co-op, that project is a major WIN, I'm speaking of the other photo-

I think it is fine to add onto the fronts of these houses.

Many of them were originally single family houses. Round about the 1940's many were split up into apartments and rooming houses. The house next to this one has been in bad condition with bad tenants for years and has had several fires. (it kind of looks like it is getting some work in the pic). Adding storfronts to houses goes way back in Buffalo and if you look most of Buffalo's commercial strips are made up this way.

There are parts of Elmwood with more distinctive architecture than this part where I would not want to see strorefronts. But some areas such as this will benefit form making the commercial fronts more contiguous.

As for the COOP, It is a great addition to the street but the architecture is quite humdrum. Lets hope we get some more inovative design in the future.

http://img111.echo.cx/img111/3100/800main0nv.jpg

Rebirth for 800 block :applause:
After long delays, work is under way to bring vacant eyesore back to life
6/19/2005

The 800 block of Main Street is undergoing a revitalization that has been a long time coming - in fact, too long.
First Amherst Development has started its renovation of seven vacant structures, from 844 to 850 Main St. It is good to see crews out working on the buildings, giving hope that their current dilapidated state will soon be transformed into an attractive urban streetscape. Currently, crews are performing asbestos abatement and interior demolition of the buildings. Reconstruction is expected to begin in late July.

This is a $5 million-plus project that will turn a slum into housing and retail space with 31 parking spaces behind the building. Completion is set for late next spring. For neighbors and the community, late next spring cannot arrive too soon.

The road to rehabilitation has not been an easy one. The 800 block of Main Street has long been an eyesore and a haven for vagrants. After having been neglected by an earlier developer, an April 2003 fire ripped through two of the buildings, prompting a court battle about whether to raze the structures. After preservation groups won their fight to prevent the buildings' destruction, the preservationists and First Amherst had to work out a dispute that pitted historic preservation goals against the developer's redesign plans.

As one delay led to another, hope began to dim as the buildings sat and further deteriorated. The interiors reflected the dim shell. Mold covered some walls. Darkness pervaded throughout and rickety staircases led to what once were prime spaces. A clutter of bicycles and a neatly arranged living space could be found in the upstairs of one of the buildings, taken over by an urban squatter.

Still, the developer continued to push forward and the mayor - finally - began to register his impatience with the state Historic Preservation Office more vociferously. Finally, the developer and preservation officials came to an agreement that will save interior elements where possible. Meanwhile, the exteriors will retain their 19th century flavor.

Signs of life are already beginning to creep into the buildings that will sit directly across the street from the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. Pretty soon, instead of staring at a squalid embarrassment, researchers will be looking at rejuvenated facades and signs of retail and residential life.

In a way, it's a nice symmetry. As the folks at the medical campus seek to save and prolong human life, First Amherst is in the process of doing the same for the urban landscape in the 800 block of Main Street.

______
The rendering only shows the northernmost building- I believe it used to be a stone cutters' shop- the facade is granite. It is a small but great building. Most of what you see in the rendering is the new addition in the back that First Amherst had a hell of a time selling to the State Preservation folks. The addition is primarily going to be three stories with parking on the first floor- a building on stilts like the new building at 655 Main and the planned addition to the Pleu Bldg.

Why Buffalo is sittin pretty and does not yet realize it. Just think of the pent up ability to buy buy buy.

from the Buff News:

Home prices over the last decade have increased two to three times faster than incomes in places like L.A., San Diego, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, according to a new report by the Harvard think tank.

Here in Buffalo, it's just the opposite: Our incomes over the last decade have grown almost 30 percent faster than our home prices, which makes our housing more affordable and, combined with low mortgage rates, is a big reason why home sales this year are on a pace to top last year's record high.

I think its simply awsome to see this kind of turnaround, and when Bass Pro finally gets rolling likewise the new courthouse Buffalo will enter a new age, hopefully a little more successful one at that.

during our Buffalo-meet, we all observed the old canal slips by the heavy cruiser down on the inner harbor. Very nice how they found this stuff, and in a way I completely support a nice museum for the canal and waterfront.

Take Ellicott and lets get moving on this....

Waterfront to choose housing project
By ANTHONY CARDINALE
News Staff Reporter
6/20/2005

Waterfront Village residents have been asked to come to a consensus on which of two developers should build $30 million-plus worth of new housing near Erie Basin Marina.
Timothy Wanamaker, executive director of the city's Office of Strategic Planning, told members of the Waterfront Village Advisory Council last week that, once he receives their letter, he will decide within 30 days which to recommend.

Both developers presented their proposals to residents during a three-hour session in the Chief Petty Officers Club. Both said they could start construction next spring on the city's 5.3-acre parcel, just southeast of the 11-story Admiral's Walk.

Carl Paladino, chief executive officer of Ellicott Development Co., proposed a 15-story :) condominium complex at Lakefront Boulevard and Waterfront Circle. Prices would range from $250,000 to about $600,000 for penthouse units. He also would build three 31/2-story townhouses along Ojibwa Drive - priced from $275,000 to $315,000 - and a luxury apartment complex composed of four- and six-story units that would rent for $1,035 to $2,640 a month.

A very different development was proposed by Richard L. Higgins, president of Norstar Development. He described rows of 21/2-story "stacked townhouses" that would lend the waterfront a European look but would sell for as little as $145,000 - for young downtown professionals - to $400,000 or more for other buyers. The project includes space for "convenience retail stores" for Waterfront Village residents only.

Some residents of Admiral's Walk expressed concern that their view of the harbor would be blocked. Some residents of Rivermist, south of the site, wondered if their view would be obstructed.

But most of the discussion with the developers focused on the housing development's density and whether it would cause traffic problems for Waterfront Village. w The 37-acre Waterfront Village has a density of 8.2 housing units per acre. The city originally specified at least 30 units per acre for this project but later relented because of objections from Paladino, whose plan calls for 23.6 units per acre.

Rivermist residents also faulted the Norstar plan to place a row of $145,000 townhouses along Ojibwa Circle, across from their property along the water. Some said it would cheapen their neighborhood. Higgins said they were the most profitable part of Norstar's investment.

Traffic problems at waterfront village PUHleeeease. That area is almost suburba as it is (not to mention the residents got their way when the roads were kept from connecting to Front park)

As Far as Paladino goes. He does not seem to have a track record of getting thinsg done very fast. He took about a hundred years to finish the Bergers Building even with heavy subsidies. If he gets it look for years of inaction.

the waterfront has become so nice IMO, they built low enough to allow a view from most of Buffalo's downtown buildings facing that direction, not blocked by highrises. One day if there is ever a HUGE demand for highrises on the lake, someone will build them, but until then developers like Ellicott are going to be in the area of 3 story condos. Paladino is a charactor to say the least, I wish he would act more on what he owns and promises, but who knows...maybe he is just waiting to see what happens here before that.

As for access to the waterfront, damn...there would be very nice, easy and simple solutions to this, but money walks at city hall and they dont want easy public access to those parts...it takes away from their suburbia feeling.

Traffic problems at waterfront village PUHleeeease. That area is almost suburba as it is (not to mention the residents got their way when the roads were kept from connecting to Front park)

As Far as Paladino goes. He does not seem to have a track record of getting thinsg done very fast. He took about a hundred years to finish the Bergers Building even with heavy subsidies. If he gets it look for years of inaction.

Paladino does have a spotty record. Graystone hotel is still empty three years since his announced conversion project. I don't know if he got spooked after a worker was injured there or what. Then he had an office to residential project at Allen and Delaware- that hasn't moved. And the Webb Building, and his two properties in Cobblestone, and Court Street Tower/Maguire Bldg. UGHH. Now he's even buying property near Main/High Streets- more speculation.

He did get his Lakefront Commons units up relatively quickly. His original plans were to rent those eight units but I think they've now all sold for $240-$260k. They don't look any different than the existing units there except he added some stone work- the older units sell for closer to $200k. He also built some units near Cazenovia Park that he's now trying to sell in West Seneca.

We should probably demand that the rest of Waterfront village be torn down so that there is enough parking for this new phase. If not for parking then at least to make it shovel ready.

Interesting....

Atlanta is among just six metropolitan regions in the 1990s that had an increase in infill construction within a five-mile radius of the central business district. That is according to a report last week by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. The study used census figures to compare the 1990s with the 1980s. The other regions are Buffalo, N.Y. :eek: , Charleston, S.C., Houston, Knoxville and Seattle.

http://www.jchs.harvard.edu/publica..._markets_bw.pdf

I guess this means Paladino has dropped plans to convert this office building to residences:

Gurney, Becker & Bourne moving offices to Delaware Avenue
6/23/2005

Gurney, Becker & Bourne is moving its offices from Main Street to Delaware Avenue. The real estate firm will start doing business in its new location, at 560 Delaware Ave., on Monday, said Sam Gurney, vice president.

The firm has grown to a total of 50 people, and needed more space, Gurney said. "We've expanded quite a bit."

The move also puts Gurney, Becker & Bourne into a more visible spot, at the corner of Delaware Avenue and Allen Street, in a building that is being renovated.

I guess this means Paladino has dropped plans to convert this office building to residences:

Gurney, Becker & Bourne moving offices to Delaware Avenue
6/23/2005

Gurney, Becker & Bourne is moving its offices from Main Street to Delaware Avenue. The real estate firm will start doing business in its new location, at 560 Delaware Ave., on Monday, said Sam Gurney, vice president.

The firm has grown to a total of 50 people, and needed more space, Gurney said. "We've expanded quite a bit."

The move also puts Gurney, Becker & Bourne into a more visible spot, at the corner of Delaware Avenue and Allen Street, in a building that is being renovated.

Either way space gets used which is good. That would have been a good spot for residences though. I think Paladino floats all this stuff just to get a reaction in the market. He has a lot of unrealized proposals out there

infill, hmmmm...thats some good company.

Two items of interest on the Preservation Board agenda:

Proposed Demolition: 504-506 Elmwood Ave., Demolish 2- ½ story brick building with 1 storefront & 2 apartments facing Elmwood Ave. & a wood frame building with 2 apartments facing a public parking area in rear; construct a 3 story block/frame mixed-use commercial/residential building on site (1st floor storefront, 2nd & 3rd floors to have 8 apartments/lofts

599 Delaware Ave.
-Restore rear & 2 side facades; provide landscaping; repave areas, where required, install new site lighting; install new fixed, aluminum frame windows/doors; patch & paint existing damaged concrete panels; replace existing overhead doors & metal man doors; install new EPDM roof system
Delaware Ave. elevations: - remove/replace existing entry canopy with new “Kalwall” covered steel frame canopy, install a new masonry entrance façade using matching brick, pre-cast concrete coping & cornice & ground face monumental facing blocks; install furred & faced with metal panels north of the entrance façade; install aluminum sun screens on 2nd floor windows, where required (J. Schneider to appear @ 3:15 PM)

599 is the mansion that burned near North Street- only facade is standing. 504-6 Elmwood is near Hodge- Casa di Pizza is at 477 Elmwood, Le Metro is at 520.

Either way space gets used which is good. That would have been a good spot for residences though. I think Paladino floats all this stuff just to get a reaction in the market. He has a lot of unrealized proposals out there

Allentown could use additional residential and less office space along Delaware wouldn't be a bad thing. This is the second firm to locate along Delaware in recent months (Gourney and Lawley). I think it shows the need to get some space spec space built downtown.

Allentown could use additional residential and less office space along Delaware wouldn't be a bad thing. This is the second firm to locate along Delaware in recent months (Gourney and Lawley). I think it shows the need to get some space spec space built downtown.

I think a good mix of uses makes for the best neighborhoods. We try to segregate uses too much these days.

News Release
U.S. General Services Administration
Northeast & Caribbean Region
________________________________________________________________
26 Federal Plaza, New York, New York 10278 www.gsa.gov
GSA R2-05-103
For Immediate Release
Contact: Renee Miscione (212) 264-0424
May 24, 2005
renee.miscione@gsa.gov

GSA Selects General Contractor for Buffalo Court Project

The U.S. General Services Administration today announced that Mascaro Construction Company, LP will be the general contractor (GC) for the new United States Courthouse to be located on Niagara Square in Buffalo, NY. This $100 million project will provide a new 265,000 gross square foot facility to meet the current and future needs of the U.S. Courts in Buffalo, NY. GSA has acquired all of the existing buildings on the Niagara Square site and will have the site ready for construction when the anticipated funding is received in February 2007. Mascaro, headquartered in Pittsburgh (PA), will work with the architect, Kohn Pederson Fox (KPF), in the completion of the construction documents, expected by the end of this year. GSA’s contract will allow the agency to exercise an option with Mascaro to start construction when funding is received.


...Sounds promising.

just build the damn thing...so much politics and waiting here it's pathetic

More lofts for upper Main:

N. Buffalo landmark getting new owners
James Fink Business First

The state Office of General Services has officially confirmed what has been the buzz in the local real estate community for the past week - that a New York City area investor has acquired a historic Buffalo landmark.

OGS officials confirmed that Meyer Landau of Brooklyn was the successful bidder for Bethune Hall, a century-old Main Street building near Bennett High School that was designed by Louise Blanchard Bethune, the nation's first female architect.

Landau paid $384,000 for the three-story, 77,000-square-foot building during a June 22 auction. His name was being withheld by the OGS until they could complete their due diligence.

Sources say Landau, who is part of a real estate investment group, plans to convert the vacant former industrial building into a combination of loft and studio-style apartments along with some loft-style offices and artists studios.

Landau outbid several other interests for the property during the auction, conducted by the state Office of General Services. Until the deal is signed off by OGS's legal team, the state agency declined to name or comment on the bidders.

"Housing might be the strongest option," said Clinton Brown, a local architect and former president of the Landmark Society of the Niagara Frontier. "The building is really the gateway to the rejuvenated University District."

Originally built as the corporate home to Buffalo Meter Co., the structure gained renowned because it was designed by Louise Blanchard Bethune, the first female architect in America. Bethune's firm, Bethune Bethune & Fuchs, also designed such local landmarks as the Hotel Lafayette in downtown Buffalo.

Located next to Bennett High School and All-High Stadium, Bethune Hall has had a number of uses since then including serving as the one-time home to the University at Buffalo's School of Architecture and Design. UB also used the building for art classes and exhibits. Since 1993, it has been basically vacant.

Because of its age and historic value, any re-development effort would be eligible for both state and federal preservation tax credits and programs.

"Those credits could help fill in financial gap and make a project both feasible and strong," Brown said. "It really could be a signature project for Buffalo and the region."

good to see some outsiders are looking here for properties, and properties worth saving and investing in. I have heard of alot of NYC development, owning and buying in Buffalo over the last year or so...perhaps with the city just getting bigger and the rich getting richer they will look towards Toronto and settle in Buffalo...would be nice atleast.

I don't know how real this project is or how far along they are in planning but it would be real interesting if it becomes reality. It is a solar powered Carosell to be located some place near the Erie Basin Marina.

http://www4.bfn.org/wnysea/projects/carrousel/jpegs/carrA_9inw.jpg

Check out these web sites for more info

http://buffalorising.blogspot.com/
http://www4.bfn.org/wnysea/projects/carrousel/players/players.ht

I'm sure that would be the single biggest FLOP in the cities history, not only is it stupid looking, it has no real reason to be funded!

Now-now Buff!
If located near Bass Pro who's to say it wouldn't be successful. Even if it was only open during the warmer months- I think it has potential! Its not a huge project but could be another gem in the waterfront crown. Look at the Wright Gas Station project- that is receiving public money and that isn't a 'saviour' project. Let the group put something together before we dump on it.

I'm in town for a week- lots of renovations and construction, but many projects that I was hoping to see started show no signs of activity: Ellicott Commons Part II, Baker Shoe Renovation, Graystone Renovation, Trico Renovation, Grevers Florist, Schafer Mill lofts (old Spaghetti Warehouse), Lake Hotel, etc. Good to see crews on the 800 block of Main, Pierce Bldg. in the Theater District, Oak School Lofts and a few others including the Pleu Bldg. expansion that is getting built faster than anything Paladino has ever built (well, save a few Rite Aids!). I stopped in the lobby of Holling Place- there were 12 names on the directory (thus far anyway)- a decent start if that is an accurate measure, they've been open a month or so.

Lots of pics, but I'm old school 35 mm. :dunno:

There is precident for an enclosed all year mary-go-round. I believe that WNY has the only carousel factory in the US up in Tonawanda. they also have a museum displaying wood carousel horses over 100 years old.

I think that the building is a pretty interesting mondern structure. It would look good on the waterfront. The solar aspect is pretty interesting too.

This one looks like it has a long way to go though. I do remember when the Naval Park was at a similar stage and it has been quite popular even though the state closed down its building for so many years for the long stalled and soon to start Erie Canal Harbor.

http://www.carrouselmuseum.org/

sorry guys, I had to rant-like LOL

they really need to stop building "stuff" though, maybe start doing some more suburban infill stuff towards the east side or something, something that will give the city a back bone.

ECoastTransplant: "I'm in town for a week- lots of renovations and construction, but many projects that I was hoping to see started show no signs of activity: Ellicott Commons Part II, Baker Shoe Renovation, Graystone Renovation"

I have some "news" about the Greystone. As I think I've stated lots of times before, I live in the West Village, near Johnson Park. The Greystone has been an item of interest for my neighborhood group(s), The Johnson Park Community Association and the West Village Renaissance Group. We have a really awesome leader who works in Buffalo's Housing Court, and she has been successful in getting a lot done for us, including winning some grants to improve the streetscaping and parks around the neighborhood. And when I say "parks" I mean vacant lots on Whitney Place and Prospect Ave, which are being turned into small parks, one with a playground for kids and the other with tables and chess boards for old folks. Anyway, we have learned that the owner (Paladino?) is now saying that the building cannot be turned into condos, as previously announces, because the building was originally put up as a hotel, and all the rooms are small--and most of the interrior walls are load-bearing. That's why part of the ceiling collapsed a couple years ago, injuring some workers. So although it has not been in the news, it looks like the plans for the Greystone have been shelved. We are now putting on some pressure to try and get it restored as a hotel or youth hostile. I don't necessarily buy the story about the walls all being load-bearing, and I have always thought that you can replace some of those with steel beams. But if he is not going forward with his plans, he's not going forward with them. So in the end, it doesn't really matter what his official story is.

If paladino's name is associated with it I would not hold my breath for an early start.

well that sucks about the Graystone- its an awesome building in a location that can bridge downtown to the west village. Thanks for the info. As you said, it seems doubtful that the interior walls are load-bearing- especially on a taller building. So he announces the project, start interior demolition, and then finds out about load-bearing walls? Where were the engineers? The City should throw a subsidy at it if it would mean a green-light for the project. Hopefully someone else comes forward- a small boutique hotel would be awesome. Another Paladino non-go.

I didn't see his Macquire Bldg. underway on Court Street- he was saying a summer start. :ohno:

Looks like the Hampton Inn on Chippewa will finally have all of its retail space filled by restaurants/bars. The Mexican joint is being constructed on the corner of Chip and Delaware, and this article is about the space on the Chip/Elmwood end. (the other two storefronts are filled by a Subway shop, and Papaya, an excellent Asian fusion restaurant.)

This new idea is creative, IMO. Read on:

Strategies for Success / Butterwood Desserts
'Chocolate bar' to open in city

Owner of West Falls bakery plans a "sexy' chocolate dessert nightclub

By MICHELLE KEARNS
News Business Reporter
7/4/2005

The way women dip cups, steak and even their faces into Bill Panzica's chocolate fountains confirmed the wisdom of the latest in a series of the sweet money-making ideas he and his wife make happen from their Butterwood Desserts headquarters in rural West Falls.
Coming soon to downtown Buffalo: A chocolate-centric dessert nightclub.

"There's something about chocolate that makes people forget the rules of normal society. Chocolate evokes anarchy," said Panzica. He has a weakness for eating it himself.

"I'm stoned for 20 minutes and then I go into depression," he said.

New dessert ventures - from petit fours for NFL stadium suites to mint julep tortes for Kentucky Derby partyers - have been coming out of the bakery since the couple joined forces and dug out their basement to build their first bakery kitchen in 1995.

"I love sweets. It's my life," he said.

This fall Panzica intends to use his creative sense for making sweets to open what he describes as a "sexy," "contemporary," "slick" club and confectionary and bar among the cocktail and beer joints on Chippewa Street.

At the base of the Hampton Inn he will sell chocolate drink shots infused with lavender or chipotle or vodka and truffles from fancy stores in New York City, where he went on a recent nightclub-chocolate-research vacation with his wife.

While the couple has a mutual love for confection, they each have particular money-making dessert specialities.

Carolyn Panzica, 38, who can be shy and quiet, is a Rhode Island School of Design graduate who specializes in cake design. The bakery display room features copies of her cakes - from a perfectly inverted upside down one to a fish seascape in aqua fondant and lacy layers that float above a cake's surface like harp strings. (In five years, four such "Australian string art" cakes, averaging $1,500 and 10 hours of work, have sold.)

Bill Panzica, 47, likes to mix unexpected dessert flavors, such as the inverted rhubarb torte with baked blue cheese cheesecake.

Still, he thinks much of their joint success comes from running a retail bakery and a Williamsville dessert restaurant and taking what they learn to wholesale customers.

"I'm able to talk the lingo. I understand the business," he said. "We try to fit right in between."

In one example, he started thinking about how to save on dessert waste. To help, Butterwood developed a mousse cake: The filling is airy so that it thaws in 15 minutes, as opposed to the overnight thaw frozen cheesecakes require. That way restaurant staff can take out one piece at a time to match customer orders rather than thawing an entire cake in hopes that enough orders come in.

Hotel and restaurant orders - from Baltimore to Kentucky - started to climb for cakes with names like Chocolate Kahlua Heath Bar Mousse and Raspberry Cloud.

"Our business grew over 400 percent a year until September 11th," Panzica said of the years 1996 to 1999. "Our wholesale business grew at an alarming rate."

He declined to give sales figures.

In the last decade, Butterwood has gone further with networking and cold calls and getting attention for being good.

He's even used his bakery's talent to fixed last year's dispute with the barbershop neighbor to his Williamsville bakery. "I go over and bring him pie every week," said Panzica. "We truly are friends now."

He started out selling to the local hotels after visiting with his basement-kitchen samples. High-end wedding cake orders came after Carolyn started winning international pastry chef contests: A People magazine staffer had Butterwood cakes made to look like ribboned gifts and then served them one by one from silver platters.

By working with a local catering company, Panzica got the job sending desserts to the U.S. Open golf tournament.

By dropping into stadiums and restaurants - "Never go at lunchtime" - he eventually got work selling custom dessert for luxury NFL boxes: "Sweets for the Suites."

He signed up for a Department of Agriculture program designed to promote small businesses in foreign markets. That landed a regular gig baking his deep dish carmel apple pies for the American embassy in the Bahamas. "We have an open invitation to go there and bake," he said.

And now, to break into the Canadian market - he says the nation imports some $60 million worth of desserts each year - he's negotiating to buy a Quebec company.

The Panzica's still work from the first bakery they opened in 1998 by converting the town's 1899 firehouse. It fits their work-family style, even as the business grows. The couple's house is 1.8 miles away from the firehouse they renovated and turned into a store in 1998.

Their two young children - Bill Panzica has an older daughter from a first marriage - have a nursery behind the kitchen where they play with their nanny while their parents work.

"We just have this exact same passion about culinary arts," he said.

Sharing the success together makes the business fun. It was cool to get the call a few years ago saying they got the job to cater dessert - including 200 mint juleps tortes - for the Kentucky Derby. "It's tens of thousands of pieces of dessert," Panzica said.

Even the simplicity of making money from a fountain pouring warm chocolate over skewers of pineapple is amusing. Two years ago, sensing a good happy-hour gimmick, he bought one. Now he has 12 of the machines, in small, medium and large, the biggest one with five tiers costing about $5,000. "It's a fad and it will probably be over in a year or two," he said.

He makes a point of using the pricier $7-a-pound chocolate that proves so seductive some people call to extend the rental for $50 for every extra hour.

Women, he noticed, lose control, sometime sticking their tongues straight into warm chocolate, more than men.

"It's like they turn really naughty," he said. "It is funny."

He rents the largest one for $429 for the first two hours.

He said he has made his money back on the machines many times over.

But it was ice cream, not chocolate that led Panzica to love and his true calling.

In 1986, when a West Seneca ice cream shop went up for sale, he bought it with the $10,000 he'd saved working as a respiratory therapist, the profession he'd studied for in college.

Panzica's romance with Carolyn began sometime after he hired her to decorate ice cream cakes.

Now he still makes his Seared Habenero Carmelized Pine Nut flavor he invented there.

"I think that's the best ice cream that I've ever made," he said. "Cake, to me, it's the most boring dessert in the world."

I always wondered why the first floor was vacant so long at the hotel (besides Shaker Lounge). According to a previous article, Benderson was being selective in who they were leasing to. Supposedly they had alot of inquiries for bars- good to see they also got a couple local operations in there. With their deep pockets, I wish they'd do more downtown (appropriate for the setting of course).

a chocolate bar? watch all the fat bastards have a nightclub...wow, but hey, it's business and tax rev.

Here is a guy who has done much to improve Buffalo only to get a big kick in the @ss by the political cronies of Buffalo city hall.

This is the kind of guy who is doing what it takes to improve Buffalo, the kind of guy City Hall should be thanking. They should be kissing his feet. But City Hall can't control this kind of guy so they have to tear him down. Let them know what you think if you like by calling the numbers listed in this article.

This story was reported in the Buffalo News. The story below is from Buffalo Rising Journal http://buffalorising.blogspot.com/

If you are interested there is info in this story that will let you know where you can call to protest this outrage!!!


How City Hall Rewards Heroes...

Years of crime, blight and neglect had driven down the quality of life and property values on Essex Street. Long time neighbors were leaving out of despair. But property values have increased from $2K to $70K, home ownership has gone from 50% to almost 90% and Essex is considered a very cool street.

In 2003 and 2004 crime dropped 6% and 2% respectively in the entire City of Buffalo. On 19th Street, crime dropped 80% and 92% for the same years and within the three blocks surrounding 19th Street, crime dropped over 80% in 2002.

On Connecticut Street, most of the crime has been eradicated, vacant lots have been turned into gardens, 95% of the houses have had façade improvements, and several new key investors have been attracted to the area including Greater Buffalo Savings Bank, Polis Realty and a new $11M D’Youville dormitory.

What happened?

Harvey Garret happened.

Harvey helped put together the West Side Community Collaborative—25-35 groups focused on approximately one-third of Buffalo’s West Side and spent 18 months working on a five year plan to revitalize the area block by block. His group’s approach has been to start with an area of strength and expand it by a few blocks at a time, wipe out crime and blight, focus on home improvement and beautification and follow up with housing investment to stabilize and sustain the area by increasing home ownership.

Then he keeps expanding the cycle and all he asks from the city is cooperation. He asks the police department to do their job. He asks for the Health Department and City Housing Court and Family Court and the District Attorney’s Office and area Common Council members to do their jobs. And for the most part, they’ve been cooperating.

But not Buffalo Housing Inspectors.

Today’s News reports:
The day after Garrett complained in The Buffalo News about a backlog of housing violations not reaching City Court, an inspector went to the century-old Victorian home Garrett is slowly restoring on Richmond Avenue.

Garrett's home was cited for renovation work not yet completed, and the case was sent immediately to Housing Court.

"My house is apparently a higher priority than all of the 523 cases in the backlog," Garrett said. "There's no way it can't be retaliatory."
Of course it’s retaliatory. That’s how thugs work. It’s the stupid and the venal way of far too many in City Hall who instead of doing their jobs and helping make the city better by cooperating with motivated, organized and effective activists, would rather sit on their asses and punish those who call them on their indolence.

And what lame and pathetic punishment it is. Rather than putting in a few extra hours at their desks to get more housing violations to City Court, some dim and listless city employee decided to punish Garrett’s progress by rushing his case to the front of a backlog of 523 initiated by complaint letter of questionable validity. And what a heinous case Garrett’s case must be, right Mr. McGurn? To be brought to the top of a pile of 523 cases, Harvey must own some dilapidated crack den with a brothel in the basement and rats frolicking in his overgrown, untended and garbage strewn lawn, right?
Nine years ago, Garrett bought a run-down Richmond Avenue double for $100,000. He's been slowly restoring it to its original grandeur as a single-family home ever since. He ripped out interior walls, took out a second kitchen, rebuilt the front porch to match its appearance in 1901, and restored stained glass windows, including a curved Tiffany-styled cameo that he said cost about $1,000 to repair.

The house is part of the Richmond Avenue History Project and was featured in the August 2004 Home and Garden Television series "If Walls Could Talk."

Garrett is proud of the work he has done but concedes progress has been slow.
We’ve known for some time that local government can’t lead. We’ve learned recently that they can’t manage either. Now we discover that they can’t even cooperate with people who can get things done. Is it so much to ask that they simply perform the most perfunctory of their burocratic tasks and get the hell out of the way?

Raymond K. McGurn, commissioner of the Department of Permit and Inspection Services, Democratic Party committeeman, and prominent supporter of Byron Brown claims "This is not retaliation. It's what is right."

Tomorrow, please give McGurn a call and let him know how not right this is at 716.851.4972. Or, if you can’t wait until tomorrow, give him a call at home at 716.824.4461.

And if you’re really pissed off, give Byron Brown’s office a call and ask why he’s letting Ray McGurn host a fundraising dinner for him on July 20. Does Byron support McGurn’s actions? Does Byron consider what McGurn did to Garrett “what is right”?

State Senator Byron Brown
518.455.3371
716.854.8705
bbrown@senate.state.ny.us

Update:
BuffaloPundit is all over this story as well. He elaborates on the union angle. A taste:

Why, I never expected a UNION BOSS to be quoted in an article having to do with dirty, nasty, South-Boston style retribution with the assistance of administrative cronies. Whassamatter, Kevin? Were the good fellas from Laborers’ Local 91 in the Falls too busy to just throw bricks through Garrett’s window?


And David at fixbuffalo offers more background, information on the Retain Judge Nowak Petition, and Citizens for Accountabilities thorough examination of this "suspicious letter".

Make calls. Send emails. Write letters. Let McGurn and Brown and anyone else you can think of know that this shit won't happen in New Buffalo

Sounds like he called him out and the guy used his job to get revenge...good reason to fire the guy and find someone who would appreciate the position.

Just got back from Buffalo....lots of pics and I'll start posting them but won't put them all on at once...

Here's the Pleu Bldg. expansion. Didn't really expect this building to be this far along considering its a Paladino project!

http://img351.echo.cx/img351/7558/0507sketch0ba.jpg

http://img351.echo.cx/img351/5943/picture0015gh.jpg

http://img319.echo.cx/img319/6753/pleu21qg.jpg

I think this article from the Buffalo News was missed last week, when the SSC Forums were down. Looks like more (potential) good news, though I tend to be skeptical till I actually see the construction under way. A new highrise on the waterfront, and the Court Street Building finally moving along!

Agency approves building projects
By SHARON LINSTEDT
News Staff Reporter
7/15/2005

Three housing and office building projects won approval from a key city agency Thursday, setting in motion some $70 million in development on the waterfront and downtown.
"We're going to look back at this meeting and see it as history in the making for downtown development," Mayor Anthony M. Masiello said of the major projects approved by the Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency. "These housing and commercial projects are key steps in putting together a resurrected Buffalo that brings together the old and the new."

The projects include:

121 new units of housing for the Erie Basin Marina neighborhood, including a 14-story condominium tower.

An 11-story office building on Court Street.

Conversion of a historic Oak Street school building to 29 apartments.

Ellicott Development Corp. will develop a vacant, five-acre site adjacent to the Admiral's Walk development.

The review found Ellicott's $30 million proposal meets the city's goal of "completing Waterfront Village and creating a neighborhood," according to Timothy Wanamaker, director of strategic development.

Ellicott intends to build three distinct types of residential buildings: a 14-story, 46-unit condominium tower at the corner of Lakefront Boulevard and Waterfront Circle, with units priced from $255,000 to $540,000; 25 21/2-story townhouses along Ojibwa Drive, across from Rivermist, with prices ranging from $275,000 to $310,000; and a four- to six-story, 50-unit apartment building, with rents ranging from $1,250 to $2,400 per month, along Lakefront Boulevard to the east of Admiral's Walk.

Construction will begin this year, with completion in 2007, Ellicott principal Carl Paladino said.

Ellicott beat out another Buffalo firm, Norstar Development USA, to become designated developer for the city-owned site. The agency board also renewed Paladino's developer designation for 50 Court St., where he proposes to construct a $30 million, 11-story office building. Agency board members also approved $550,000 in housing aid for conversion of the former Buffalo Alternative High School, at 260 Oak St., into a 29-unit apartment building. Developer Rocco Termini is nearly finished with the $4.5 million school-to-homes overhaul.


e-mail: slinstedt@buffnews.com

From Business First of Buffalo...

DOT on move to Seneca Street site
James Fink
Business First

The state Department of Transportation, one of the largest tenants in the soon-to-be demolished Gen. Donovan Office Building, has found a new downtown home.

The DOT will be moving its offices to the Empire Plaza building on Seneca Street, just beyond Dunn Tire Park, later this year or by early next year, at the latest.

DOT officials confirmed the decision during a Tuesday meeting of the Buffalo Planning Board. The board unanimously approved the move and proposed renovations to the building.

Empire Plaza, a one-time back office operations center for the former Empire of America Bank, has been vacant for more than a decade. It was acquired in the mid-1990s by local businessmen Frank McGuire and Carl Paladino, who have courted a number of tenants for the 75,000-square-foot building.

The DOT must leave the Donovan Building, which is slated to be demolished as part of Bass Pro's conversion of Memorial Auditorium into a 250,000-square-foot store. The Donovan site will be used for parking for the Bass Pro store.

"They will drive the schedule," said Paul Gregory, who works with Paladino and Ellicott Development Co.

In other planning board action:

Local architect Karl Frizlen, who along with businessman Paul Johnson, want to convert a series of buildings along Elmwood Avenue into a new multi-use structure that will house retail outlets and apartments received the green light from the board. "This building is something that is much more in line with the rest of the street," Frizlen said.

© 2005 American City Business Journals Inc.

...And, also from Business First

Planning Board OKs pharmacy lab relocation
James Fink

A proposal by a pharmaceutical testing lab to move its operations to a larger Buffalo site has cleared one of its final public sector hurdles.

The Buffalo Planning Board, Tuesday morning, unanimously approved a series of actions that will enable the Buffalo Clinical Research Center to move into a former federal Food and Drug Administration testing facility on Delaware Avenue.

With the board's action, the city now must issue routine building and construction permits before the $2.5 million project can move forward.

Buffalo Clinical Research is leasing all 25,000-square-feet in the building from October Road Development, which is developing the property for Zion Holdings LLC. Zion Holdings is partnership between local architect Jake Schneider and businessman Greg Koessler.

Buffalo Clinical Research currently leases spaces elsewhere on Delaware Avenue.

"This puts them closer to the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus," Schneider said.

The company handles "Phase I" testing for a number of private sector pharmaceutical companies. Buffalo Clinical Research had considered a number of sites before selecting the 599 Delaware Avenue site.

As part of the project, the Erie County Industrial Development Agency approved a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes package that was critical towards keeping the company in downtown Buffalo.

Schneider said he expects Buffalo Clinical Research to move into the renovated building by next April.

© 2005 American City Business Journals Inc.

And some more:

From the Preservation Board agenda- confirms First Amhersts involvement with the 700 block project (B. Obletz appearing).

752 Main St. (Vernor Building)
-Demolish 3-story masonry commercial building; plan is to abate hazardous materials from interior, then demolish existing structure & remove the basement & foundation, subsequent to the demolition, a level surface will be created by backfilling the basement/foundation, then surface will be filled with stone/topsoil; where required, concept plan is to construct a two building complex surrounding an internal courtyard, with a total of 100-125 apartments, 11, 500 SF of ground level commercial space & covered parking for 125 vehicles on the full 2-acre site encompassing the vacant crescent shaped parcel @ Main & Goodell plus the Vernor Building.
(W. Murray, B. Obletz, C. Gordon, B. Smith to appear @ 3:15 PM)

Sources are saying there will be two, 8-10 story buildings as a phased development. :cheers:

Also:
Senecas to designate downtown casino site by fall
James Fink Business First
The president of the Seneca Nation of Indians and the head of the Seneca Gaming Corp. both confirmed late Tuesday afternoon that they expect to make a final designation for a downtown Buffalo casino site by the end of summer.

The Seneca Nation is facing a Dec. 9 deadline to designate the site for a Buffalo casino and have at least some preliminary construction or renovation work underway. The deadline was imposed in a compact the nation negotiated with New York state three years ago.

"Will we have a site picked out by Labor Day? Probably," said Barry Snyder Sr., Seneca Nation president.

John Pasqualoni, recently named Seneca Gaming Corp. president and chief executive officer, said several factors will come into play before the Indian nation makes its decision. Among those factors are site accessibility and enough surrounding land for any ancillary development, including a hotel.

While neither Pasqualoni nor Snyder would identify a specific site, the street buzz has a number of locations reportedly on the Seneca Nation's short list including the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center, the Statler Towers and large chunks of Buffalo waterfront land currently owned by the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority. Even the long-vacant Central Terminal on Buffalo's east side is being considered, sources said.

Found a rendering of the ArtSpace Project on upper Main:

http://img303.imageshack.us/img303/5241/artspacebuffalo00020zx.jpg

They unveiled the design of the HealthNow HQ buildings in Buffalo today. 450,000 sq. ft. and two towers connected by a 6 story atrium. It's the largest office building in the area. Anyone see a photo of it yet? Can't find one.

They unveiled the design of the HealthNow HQ buildings in Buffalo today. 450,000 sq. ft. and two towers connected by a 6 story atrium. It's the largest office building in the area. Anyone see a photo of it yet? Can't find one.


http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/9365/0721gasworkscolor5gg.jpg

Here it is in its mediocre glory! :tongue:

Maybe the waterfront side is better:

The four-part complex will include an eight-story tower with a curved glass wall facing Lake Erie, a six-story operations building facing the city, and a seven-story interactive atrium linking the two. A 1,500-space parking garage would be connected by bridges to the main building.

Like most people, I was thrilled when I heard they were incorporating the Gas Work's facade (an 1840s structure) in the design. But am I the only one who's thinking it looks odd with the new design? I thought I heard they were breaking ground today, so does that mean that it's too late for the design to undergo revisions?

the building looks great...idk about the old facade...but it will certainly give Buffalo that badly needed modern feel. This is a definitely a solid positive step in the right direction for downtown Buffalo...I still have my dream that one day we'll get a new 20 story building. But i'll take HealthNow

the building looks great...idk about the old facade...but it will certainly give Buffalo that badly needed modern feel. This is a definitely a solid positive step in the right direction for downtown Buffalo...I still have my dream that one day we'll get a new 20 story building. But i'll take HealthNow

Lets hope that sooner or later M&T Bank will outgrow their current facilities and build something 700+ in downtown Buffalo.

Here's a cool link. Buffalo and Toronto together...

http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/mirrors/images/images/pao/STS60/10097465.jpg

...Hmmm, then again maybe not. Is this just Lake Erie? I'm sure someone can tell me. Either way, it's a cool night time aerial shot.

Here's a close-up....It doesn't help make the design any more appealing! :toilet:

http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/9769/healthnow9hf.jpg

Lets hope that sooner or later M&T Bank will outgrow their current facilities and build something 700+ in downtown Buffalo.

This is a rendering that M&T had made when they were studying the lots they own around M&T Center. They sold a parking lot behind Sheas to Uniland/Croce. I wish they'd develop these lots. This 'plan' was created in 1995, so don't get your hopes up.

http://img324.imageshack.us/img324/3198/mtand3se00003xv.jpg

http://img344.imageshack.us/img344/3108/mtand5se00005hh.jpg

Here's a cool link. Buffalo and Toronto together...

http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/mirrors/images/images/pao/STS60/10097465.jpg

...Hmmm, then again maybe not. Is this just Lake Erie? I'm sure someone can tell me. Either way, it's a cool night time aerial shot.

Yup, that's Toronto & Buffalo. You're just thrown off by the unusual orientation, north is the lower right hand corner of the picture (Erie, PA would be somewhere just off the top).

I'm not sure of Toronto's metro area population and how it compares with the US Census methods; but looking at that picture, Buffalo sure stacks up well against Toronto, especially in light of all the disparities between the two.

Aug. 5 decision vowed on Vernor Building
By JANICE L. HABUDA
News Staff Reporter
7/22/2005

Promising a decision Aug. 5, Buffalo's Preservation Board heard arguments Thursday from a developer and preservationists about whether the Vernor Building should be demolished.
Built in 1903 as a showroom for Pierce-Arrow automobiles, the three-story building at 752 Main St. - within the Theater Historic Preservation District - later housed the Vernor Bottling Co.

First Amherst Development Group wants to buy the building, vacant for decades, from David Shifrin of Cleveland to construct a mixed-use development.

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/1317/vernor7de.jpg

Still in the conceptual stage, architect Charles Gordon said the multiphase plan is to build between 100 and 115 residential units around an internal courtyard, with about 11,500 square feet of ground-level commercial space and off-street, partially underground, parking.

Whether the deteriorating building - or at least its facade - can be saved is the issue dividing the developer and preservationists.

Attorney William Murray, who represents the developer, said Shifrin "has not taken steps to maintain that building over the last several years. During that time, nothing's been done to improve the condition of the building.

"At this point, the building remains standing - but barely," Murray said.

Last summer in Buffalo Housing Court, Shifrin was convicted of 35 violations, including a gaping hole in the roof, damage to the terra cotta facade, broken windows, missing bricks and debris.

A construction cost analyst testified in Housing Court that rehabilitating the building would cost $3 million; saving just the facade would cost more than $700,000.

Preservation Board members had wanted to view the building's condition for themselves, but Shifrin set conditions that couldn't be met, according to Chairman John Laping.

Preservationist Scot Fisher, who led a court battle to block demolition of the Vernor and Schmidt buildings, said he was in the Vernor Building this week, taking photographs.

"The building is not really different than it was in 1998," Fisher said. "This building can be saved. Absolutely. There's no doubt about it."

A pending contract to buy the building is making the developer eager for a decision. Murray said the "due diligence" part of the deal will expire Aug. 25.

http://img319.imageshack.us/img319/1010/599delaware1gi.jpg

Delaware Avenue site to house drug-testing firm
By SHARON LINSTEDT
News Staff Reporter
7/23/2005


Buffalo Clinical Research Center plans to renovate this former laboratory building on Delaware Avenue and make it its new home.

"Going from 7,500 square feet to 25,000 square feet will allow us to take on more work because we'll be able to conduct several studies simultaneously," Blum said. "We've had to turn away work in the past year because our clinic space is so tight."

In addition to having more lab space, the research firm will grow from a 24-bed to a 60-bed clinic, with significantly more room to house test subjects who spend anywhere from one day to a week on premises.

Blum, whose company conducts drug trials on healthy, paid volunteers for such drug giants as GlaxoSmithKline, Merck and Pfizer, anticipates adding as many as eight staffers to handle the expected larger workload.

Blum co-founded the drug-testing company in 2000 with Charles Ballow. The two had done similar work for more than a decade under the auspices of Millard Fillmore Hospital.

Buffalo Clinical's search for larger quarters fit perfectly with developer/architect Charles "Jake" Schneider's interest in bringing the languishing FDA site back to life. Schneider and investment partner Gregory P. Koessler had been eyeing the empty building on the prime Delaware Avenue site for awhile, contemplating its potential as office space or even residential use.

It has been vacant since 1997 when the government merged regional lab operations at a downstate site. A Missouri bank took title to the property via foreclosure in 2003 and put it up for sale, but it has failed to attract a buyer until now.

"Structurally, it's a terrific building. The location is wonderful, and it has the holy grail of on-site parking," Schneider said.

He bought the building with Koessler last month for $435,000, and said he intends to "transform it into something beautiful." In addition to gutting and rebuilding it to fit Buffalo Clinical's needs, the facade will get a total makeover with a mix of stone, masonry and steel.
________
Anyone else sense increased momentum downtown??? :cool:

Hell yeah. I just took a walk around my neighhborhood last night, and it was easy to see all the things going on. I went past that old school building on Oak Street that's being turned into 29 more apartments for downtown (a Rocco Termini project, I think) and it looks great. I didn't realize how close it is to the Holling Press apartments and the Ellicott Lofts. It's cool because it's really creating a cluster or neighborhood around the Washington Market, Market Arcade, Eddie Brady's, etc. They have groceries, movies and bars...what else would they need?

I also went past the Lawley Building on West Tupper St and was amazed at how fast that addition is moving along, and how much bigger it makes it. It looks really good so far. Also, those single-level buildings on the 700 block of Main Street are getting a huge makeover. They used to be bars: Squeeze, Jam Club, Metroplex, Liquid, etc. but now they're going to be offices or retail. The rear of those buildings has already been renovated, but now the facades on the front of the buildings are gone, so this project is well underway.

The foundation for the 5-story parking ramp on Niagara Street (behind the Niagara Center which faces South Elmwood) has been poured. And it looks like they're getting ready to start building upward. It should be interesting to see how that project impacts the residential neighborhood that it borders along Huron Street (The West Village). It might serve as a wall between the business district and the homes on Rabin Terrace.

There are three big projects going on within a 20-minute walk near my house. Add that to all the projects that were announced in the news recently (and posted to this thread) and there is definately a lot of momentum right now.

well everyone, it's been a while, infact we had loads of news in the spring and this summer its been slow thus far....looks like things are finally rolling.

Think about this...

Bass Pro, HealthNow, Federal Courthouse, Seneca Casino, waterfront development, loft conversions...are all actually reality now, and perhaps they will help spur interest moreso...and the trend will continue.

I like the idea of this Erie County fiscal control board...they really need it.

BuffCity, Where the hell have you been? It's been a while, hasn't it? I agree about the Erie County Control Board. It's like the State Comptroller Havessi said, they need some adult supervision. I get pissed every time I pay my property taxes, and then I see how it's all squandered. I never cared so much about that kind of thing until I owned my house. Though we all pay taxes in one form or another (a hefty sales tax in Erie County, for example) so we all have reason to be interested in making sure those guys in Erie County Hall have a babysitter.

I forgot to mention before that the West Village Renaissance Group and the Johnson Park Community Association had a major victory last week. We bent the ear of Ellicott District Common Councilman Brian C. Davis for help with a problem in our neighborhood. There's a market on the corner of Johnson Park and Carolina Street that sells some groceries, but mostly drugs and whores...and we got it shut down! Councilman Davis worked with other City departments to create a sweep that closed the store and also resulted in two arrests at 76 Tracy St. Now we're meeting on Wednesday morning to fix up the space. There's a huge planter in front of the store that contains neglected plants and small trees, but also invites thugs to sit on and hang out. Brian Davis has engineered the removal of the dreaded planter located next to the market this coming Wednesday Morning at 9:00. City departments will assist with the actual removal of the planter and the trees will be offered to our friends in the Fruitbelt and/or Connecticut Street.

We will be contacting the media to create a strong statement of solidarity and are looking for neighbors and friends to lend a hand to demonstrate for the viewing public that when the city and residents come together in partnership to combat drugs and enhance the quality of life in our great city, you really can make a difference. We'll be installing replacement barriers, vintage iron fencing donated by a closed-down cemetary. Mr. Davis is working with Public Works to assist in the fence installation. Last evening already provided proof of the impact of the closure of the West Side Market on this neighborhood. More residents sat out, in awe of the silence and safety, on their front stoops. If one person sat down on the planter, it was only for a minute or two. There were no overt drug sales, prostitution, fights, heavy traffic or other issues that this area deals with seven days and nights a week. Police cruised by without having to stop. It seems everyone has been put on notice.

If anyone is interested in helping out, let me know. Just post something here, and I'll give you the specifics, though I think they're already given above. I'll thank you personally, and maybe provide beer and festivities at my house (back deck and yard) afterwards. We're hoping for lots of people, so if the media shows up people will see a news story about how residents of the city really can make a positive change in their neighborhoods.

Here's the 700 block project NYC mentioned....

http://img351.imageshack.us/img351/7879/picture0075ni.jpg

And the 800 Block 'village' project:

http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/1087/80011iw.jpg

Looks like this victorian, one of the few Main Street mansions left, is also included in the First Amherst project:

http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/4056/80030pc.jpg

NYC- good for you- keep plugging away on the west side! Wish I was in town to help out!!!

NYC, you need any help...I'll be there.

These Main street blocks are gonna look nice...the city has so much, there is a passion about Buffalo.

And the 800 Block 'village' project:

http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/1087/80011iw.jpg

Looks like this victorian, one of the few Main Street mansions left, is also included in the First Amherst project:

http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/4056/80030pc.jpg

I like this rendering of the "The Granite Works @ 846 Main Street".
http://www.graniteworks.com/graniteworks.jpg

Great find Luv....didn't know they had a name and web page started.

BuffCity, If you really want to help that would be totally awesome. Are you able to get away from work though on a Wednesday morning? I have a government job, so it's usually not too hard for me to get away. We are meeting at the far end of Johnson Park, just past the New Phoenix Theater on the Park. Do you know where it is? There's a (now closed) market on the corner of Carolina Street--that's the one that got shut down--and the planter is the barrier that keeps traffic from entering the park on the Carolina Street side (a "traffic calming" technique, I guess). From what I've been told, the city's Parks Department is going to be there to do most of the work, but the leader of the Johnson Park Community Association is still trying to get volunteers (friends and neighbors) to come and help, so this is more of a "community activity" instead of a government initiative. We have asked the press to show up, and they usually do. Each Spring, we have a "cleaning of the Green" event, where the people from the neighborhood clean up the park--and we usually get on TV. And since we did this with Councilmember Brian Davis, the news will probably be interested. If you're going to be able to help (which, again, would be really great) you should try to get there as close to 9:00 AM as possible because the news crew usually comes at the very beginning. We started our clean-up of the park this last year at 10:00, and only a few of us were there that early (It was a Sunday.) but Channel 7 was waiting a 9:45, so when they filmed, it didn't really show how many people got involved. And that's one of our objectives...to show how involved the community is with its own improvement, instead of waiting for the cash-starved city or county to help and bitching about the problems.

There has been an interesting development, though, since my last post on Saturday. Apparently, the owners of the market are Middle Eastern in descent. I don't know if they're from Yemen, Iraq, or what country specifically, so I'll just say Mid Eastern. Most of us who helped to get the market closed did not even know who the owner was, but we targetted the business because we were tired of them allowing vagrants to hang out in front of it, the cops continually needing to stop by to break up fights, chase out hookers and drug addicts, etc. There were even some recent stabbings there, and the neighborhood is really trying to make a positive transition. My sister, for example, just bought a house around there, and she would like to be able to walk to my house and not have to avoid Carolina Street because of this "West Side Market." Anyway, Councilmember Brian Davis has been getting several angry phone calls from the Arab Advocacy groups, Muslim groups, and Mid-Eastern individuals who are accusing us of being racist. This really pisses me off, because as I said, most of us didn't even know, or care, who the owner was or where he/she was from. Now we're seeing this effort to clean up our neighborhood becoming a controversy because of race relations. Incredible! The damaging part, IMO, is the next time I hear someone complain about being a victim of racism, I am going to have to struggle with myself not to think of this incidence where someone is carelessly throwing out the race card. Pisses me off!

...Anyway, It looks like the ridiculous argument from the Mid-Eastern community is not going to prevent our efforts from materializing, so I'll get over it. On Wednesday morning, we'll be removing a huge planter with trees and plants in it, where the scumbags used to like to sit down and hang out, and replacing it with beautiful iron fencing/gates from a century-old cemetary. It should look great, while discouraging people (scumbags) from congregating there. BuffCity, my offer still stands too. If you show up, I'll buy the drinks afterwards!

...Sorry, double post

FYI...

PRESS RELEASE

Ellicott District Councilmember Brian C. Davis Partners with Neighborhood to Fight Crime and Drugs

The Johnson Park Association, West Village Renaissance Group and all residents work with Councilmember Davis, Buffalo Police, and other City of Buffalo departments to eliminate sore spots in neighborhood.

Buffalo, NY – July 23, 2005: On Friday, July 22, 2005, Councilmember Brian C. Davis and officers from the Buffalo Police Department’s B District, successfully closed a local West Side deli that has been the center of frequent neighbor complaints that include drug sales, lewd behavior, public intoxication, assaults, rape, panhandling, robberies, and more.

“Children and other residents have been prevented from sidewalk accessibility and safe passage due to illegal and illicit actions that take place by the West Side Market on Carolina Street on a daily basis. 77 direct 9-1-1 calls were logged from 3/1/05 through 7/24/05 with an additional 51 calls that were logged due to the actions of patrons to this store on neighboring properties. We realize some of the calls may have been made from the management of the West Side Market, but in the first 23 days of July there were over 21 calls. The neighbors feel this shows a lack of responsibility to the community and to the children in the area on the storeowners’ part. “
– West Village Renaissance Group

Please join Councilmember Davis, the City of Buffalo Public Works Department, Buffalo Police B District, the Johnson Park Association, the West Village Renaissance Group, along with neighbors and volunteers on Wednesday, July 27, 2005 at 9:00 am when the planter located on Johnson Park and Carolina Street is removed providing additional safety and security for our community. This will be the second action to rid this area of crime and drugs, making it a safe place for residents of all ages to access and enjoy.

Replacement vintage iron fencing is donated by Bob Biniszkiewicz and remediation of the fencing is donated by Gerry Standard of Sunshine Painting, both local homeowners. In addition, a local welder will assist with the installation of the fencing to abate traffic flow, as will the City of Buffalo Department of Public Works. Trees in the planter will be relocated to other sites.

I would really like to see more of the west side have more crime and drugs "squashing" going on...the East side could use the same mentality, but the people of these communities need to be aware that there is be problems, it's not easy, its worth it if they know the task at hand and feel for their communities and the safety of each other.

This kind of Community pride can breed new political figures, city pride and even an odd happiness to live where they do, if it's ghetto, its because of poor politics, low work initiative and high crime and poverty...but there are ways to turn the tides.

Buffalo has so many neighborhoods, and a new one seems to be appearing out of downtown itself...this is a great feeling, and Buffalo will soon see some results.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v69/Citysky/Buffalo%20Special%20Edition/IMG_3958.jpg

http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/9415/oak6sg.jpg

Buffalo Alternative school gets new life as apartments
By ANNA MILLER
News Staff Reporter
7/28/2005

The name outside may still say it's a school, and it may still look like a school, but a step inside the former Buffalo Alternative High School shows that it's anything but.

Signature Development Buffalo is transforming the former school building into a mixture of residential and business space, as the development of more downtown housing continues.

Although the $5 million construction project began just one month ago, developer Rocco Termini said the first floor apartments will be ready for residents in September.

The model apartment, complete with hardwood floors and stainless steel appliances, was completed Wednesday.

http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/8279/oak25re.jpg

Because the 1919 building was certified earlier this year as a National Historic Building - the first such building in Buffalo to be converted into apartments - Termini had to incorporate many aspects of its original character into the design of the 29-unit Oak School Apartments.

"It's basically a lot of the old and the new mixed together," he said. "We designed the units around the architectural elements of the building so they're useful."

One apartment, for instance, was built around two bookcases that covered a significant portion of the wall. The apartment's bathroom was built around one bookcase, which will serve as the linen closet. A walk-in closet was built around another bookcase, now a shelving unit for clothes.

In an innovative style Termini said he found at a design show, the bedroom may open out into the living room, or may be closed off by a floor-to-ceiling sliding door.

"Every inch of space is utilized, while preserving the historic characteristics," he said.

And as a bonus for technology-junkies, Oak School Apartments will feature plasma screen televisions in the units.

Termini said he hopes to draw a cross-section of Buffaloians and Western New Yorkers into the new apartment building, which he believes will attract people working in the area, those just starting out, and even retired couples looking for a change.

The one-bedroom apartments will start at $775 a month, and four units will be rent restricted, based on income, at $450 a month.

"It's important to have diversity downtown," he said. "We're striving for that."

The apartment complex will also feature some two-bedroom apartments as well as two-story lofts in the basement and on the third-floor.

The former auditorium, gym and swimming pool are being transformed into commercial office space.

Termini said creating a critical mass in the neighborhood he calls the "gateway to Buffalo" is important to the development of the downtown area.

He hopes to have 250 people living in the area he's dubbed the Genesee Village in the next few years.

As more housing projects develop, that goal becomes increasingly possible.

Termini first developed the highly successful Ellicott Lofts in 2002, followed by Ellicott Commons, both located just one block from the Oak School Apartments.

And in just two weeks, Signature Development Buffalo will begin work on the Is Lofts and It Lofts, two new housing projects to be built behind the Commons building.

"We're forming a community," he said. "That's exactly what we need downtown."

________________________

Is and It Lofts? :wtf:

very good point, in order to see a downtown flourish again, we need developers who are willing to work together, and on their own to create a brand new set of communities in the downtown districts. The cobblestone district saw this, the waterfront has it to a point (with more soon.) and now other parts of downtown are filling the gap. If there becomes a great deal of people living and working downtown, the advertising will increase and convenience and status will combine to build our fine downtown to a great and busy place.

This is what Buffalo needs to get to the next level, and by fighting crime, policing neighborhoods, thinking of safety and overall comfort, the standards have been raised.

Keep them coming! Mid-700 block project- this confirms that First Amherst is only utilizing the northern and Vernor Bldg. parcels with their proposal. Business First in this weeks edition is reporting it to be four stories with underground parking and ground floor retail.

Main street condo project slated for fall
James Fink
Business First

Construction on the first new condominiums in more than a decade along the Main Street spine of downtown Buffalo is expected to start this fall.

Developer Michael Joseph confirmed that he expects to begin building the 36-unit, upscale condo project on the site of the former Schmitt building on Main Street's 700 block by early fall. The complex could welcome its first tenants by next spring.

The still unnamed project is the first condo development since City Centre opened its doors in the early 1990s. While downtown, in recent years, has seen several apartments, lofts and studio-style units opened, condos have yet to take hold in downtown.

The units will range from 1,300-square-feet to 1,800-square-feet and feature top of the line amenities such as granite countertops, fireplaces and patios that overlook a protected courtyard.

Joseph expects the units to sell for more than $200,000 each.

^Sounds like a very ambitious construction schedule, especially for a project in Buffalo. They want to start construction this fall and be selling the condos in the Spring? I'm assuming they mean Spring 2006. LOL. I can't wait to see some of the renderings! I used to live in the Spaulding Building, next to the Sidway Bldg, on that block exactly across Main Street from where this new building is going to go. I always thought this is exactly what that corner needs. It's a very high profile location because people exiting the Kensington (Rt 33) on Goodell Street enter downtown that way. It's on the border of the Theater District and Allentown. And just a few posts earlier, a rendering was posted for that other building (the old Jam/Squeeze/Metroplex/Liquid club) that's getting a new facade. Big things happening on this block. Great!

I'd imagine that if he's going to start construction this Fall, he'd start pre-selling ASAP and try to get as many units committed before construction. Unless he's financing it himself, most banks would want to see half the units sold before releasing construction financing.

I'm anxious to see what the larger project at the corner is going to look like and what Paladino is proposing for Waterfront Village.

I like the Delorean in that hand sketched photo.

Med Campus buildings almost complete. Pretty nice!!!!

http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/1964/med11kt.jpg

http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/6715/medcampus26at.jpg

Some pics of the Benlin Warehouse taken from the WNY Heritage website...also a decent rendering of the proposed residential restoration project which I believe is still supposed to start construction this year....

1940's:
http://img309.imageshack.us/img309/9375/benlin1940s4qg.jpg

Today:
http://img309.imageshack.us/img309/8137/benlin20059tt.jpg

Future:
http://img309.imageshack.us/img309/8796/benlinplanned0ub.jpg

Alright, Though it's an inside track most of the time, this developments thread seems to get lost in itself, especially with as much info coming in all the time.

East Coast, Steel, Jaybird, NYC, BJfan, IluvNY...is there any way we can get a full status of all projects going on as we know them, like proposed, building, complete, before the planning board...ect ect?

Bass Pro, Federal Court, Peace Bridge, Various lofts, Lawley Ins move, and continued work on the medical campus are all items to note, but I think its been a while since we had a good rundown.

we are not far from going to part II on this thread, so we should do this IMO.

what do you all think?

Business First of Buffalo - 7:31 AM EDT Monday

WNY construction plummets 55%

Construction activity slowed dramatically in the Buffalo-Niagara Falls area in June, according to new figures from McGraw-Hill Inc.

Contracts for future construction in Erie and Niagara counties totaled $78.6 million in June 2005, down 55 percent from $174.9 million in the same month a year ago.

Cumulative totals for the first half of the year, as a result, were down 17 percent from last year. Contracts for future construction that were signed in the first six months of 2005 for the Buffalo-Niagara Falls area were worth $451.4 million, down 17 percent from $542.6 million in the first half of 2004.

The slowdown was experienced on both sides of the local construction sector.

Residential construction was down 11 percent in June and 6 percent for the entire first half of the year.

Nonresidential construction was down 73 percent in June and 26 percent for the first half. Nonresidential projects include stores, industrial plants, schools, churches, office buildings and hotels.

Business First of Buffalo - 7:31 AM EDT Monday

WNY construction plummets 55%

Construction activity slowed dramatically in the Buffalo-Niagara Falls area in June, according to new figures from McGraw-Hill Inc.

Contracts for future construction in Erie and Niagara counties totaled $78.6 million in June 2005, down 55 percent from $174.9 million in the same month a year ago.

Cumulative totals for the first half of the year, as a result, were down 17 percent from last year. Contracts for future construction that were signed in the first six months of 2005 for the Buffalo-Niagara Falls area were worth $451.4 million, down 17 percent from $542.6 million in the first half of 2004.

The slowdown was experienced on both sides of the local construction sector.

Residential construction was down 11 percent in June and 6 percent for the entire first half of the year.

Nonresidential construction was down 73 percent in June and 26 percent for the first half. Nonresidential projects include stores, industrial plants, schools, churches, office buildings and hotels.


One month fluctuations are not indicative of a trend. any one month may have a large contract signed which would warp the figures. For instance next moth they might sign the contract for steel beams on the Blue Cross building which perhaps is worth $30M creating a spike which will not exist next year

Alright, Though it's an inside track most of the time, this developments thread seems to get lost in itself, especially with as much info coming in all the time.

East Coast, Steel, Jaybird, NYC, BJfan, IluvNY...is there any way we can get a full status of all projects going on as we know them, like proposed, building, complete, before the planning board...ect ect?

Bass Pro, Federal Court, Peace Bridge, Various lofts, Lawley Ins move, and continued work on the medical campus are all items to note, but I think its been a while since we had a good rundown.

we are not far from going to part II on this thread, so we should do this IMO.

what do you all think?

Call me a nerd- but I have a spreadsheet with all of the proposed, planned, and completed projects since the 1980s. :dunno:

I can work on putting a condensed version on showing recently completed, proposed and UC.

RESIDENTIAL

COMPLETED
Development Units Type
Ansonia Center 59 Apartments
Bellasario Apartments 29 Apartments
City Centre 41 Condominium
Elk Terminal Lofts I & II 52 Loft Apartments
Ellicott Lofts 38 Loft Apartments
Holling Press Lofts 82 Apartments
Market Arcade Lofts 10 Apartments
Sidway Building 67 Apartments
Spaulding Building 19 Apartments
St. Mary Square 52 Condominium
The Netherland 6 Apartments
University Club (Bellasara) 14 Apartments
Watkins Apartments 6 Apartments
Total: 478

Under Construction
651-3 Main Street (Pierce) 4 Apartments
844-852 Main Street 29 Apartments
Buehl Bldg. Reno. 6 Apt. or Condo
Ellicott Commons 58 Apartments
Oak School Lofts 29 Loft Apts.
Total: 126

Proposed
112 Genesee Street 2 Apartments
456 Main Street (Bakers) 12 Apartments
504 Washington 6 Condos
537 Main St. (Grever's) na Apartments
Arctic Freezers na unknown
Artspace - 1219 Main 50 Lofts
Ben-Lin Warehouse 30-40 Condo
Elk Terminal Lofts III 12 Lofts
Greystone Hotel 26 Apartments
H.O. Oats na unknown
Hager Mills Lofts (141 Elm) 32 Apartments
Lofts at Elk Terminal 48 Lofts
North St. Y Senior Apts. 65 Sr. Apts.
Saturn Rings Building 20-25 Loft Apartments
Schmidt Lot Condos 36 Condo
Vernor Site 100-125 Condo
Waterfront Village 71 Condos/TH
Waterfront Village 50 Apts.
Total: 560-600

If anyone knows a way to insert tables....let me know. And if there are any mistakes/updates/omissions/cancelled projects (i.e. Greystone?)!

OFFICE

Project Developer Sq. Ft. Status
67 W. Chippewa Offices- Sherk/Macaluso 5,000 UC
Niagara Center- Acquest 290,000 DONE
100 Seneca St.- Paladino 76,000 PL
222 Genesee St.- WNY MRI 33,000 PL
285 Delaware Avenue- Uniland 110,000 proposed
361 Delaware (Pleu)- Paladino 30,900 UC
599 Delaware- Scheider 25,000 PL
487 Main Street- Carmina/Wood 14,400 DONE
505 Pearl- Croce 15,000 PL
737 Main Street- Avalon 15,000 UC
844-64 Main Street- First Amherst 4,600 UC
City Centre Annex- CityView 23,000 DONE
Court Street Tower- Paladino 290,000 proposed
Courtyard Mall Offices- Paladino PL
Elk Terminal- First Amherst 25,000 UC
Ellicott Commons- Burke 32,000 DONE
Federal Res. Bldg- Ciminelli 100,000 PL
HealthNow HQs- Duke 452,000 PL
Knights of Columbus Reno.- Jerge 54,000 DONE
Larkin Building- CityView 600,000 DONE
Michigan/S. Division Bldg.- Paladino 45,000 PL
Niagara Mohawk Bldg.- Iskalo 148,000 UC
Trico Renovation- Ciminelli 585,000 PL
Elm/Oak North Block- Uniland 84,093 proposed
Waterfront Village Office Bldg.- DiNapoli 150,000 proposed
Total 3,195,993

What about Larkin Exchange?

PUBLIC/OTHER

Project Status
AM&A's- Burke Purchase Study
Asbury Church- Righteous Babe UC
Augsburger Expansion Done
Auto Museum- Greasing Station UC
Auto Museum- Wright Gas Station UC
Bass Pro Shop (old Aud) PL
Bioinformatics Center UC
Bus Terminal Renovation PL
Children's Museum- 173 Elm Street PL
City Centre Ramp Expansion PL
Corn Exchange--- Ramada Plaza PL
Donovan Bldg- Transit Hub PL
ECC Dorm Study
ECC Hockey Rink Study
ECC Ramp/Transit Center PL
Erie Canal Harbor Parking Ramp PL
Federal Courthouse PL
Franklin, 204- Boutique Hotel? PL
Franklin, 294- Warehaus Club Done
Franklin, 333 Rehab/Restaurant Done
Genesee, 112 Reno/Apts. PL
Genesee, 85-91- Apts. PL
Genesee, 99-101- Rest/Apts UC
Hauptmann Research Center Done
High Street, 23 Reno. PL
Inner Harbor Excavation UC
Larkin Building Parking Ramp (762) UC
Larking Building Reno. Done
Main Street Retraffic PL
Main Street, 743-47 Reno. PL
Main Street, 888 Reno (restaurant) PL
Niagara Center Ramp UC
Oliver's Waterfront Restaurant PL
Pearl Street, 470 Mixed-Use PL
Public Safety Building Done
Shanghai Reds Done
West Huron Hotel Reno. PL

Kevin Gaughn is proposing the move from Rath to City Hall for the Erie County government offices...IMo this is an awsome idea, for two reasons...

1. it downsizes government and consolidates costs.

2. It will make available more office space downtown, and if looks are an issue with the Rath Building, Gaughn has already got the interest of companies to renovate the building to be more appealing. In all reality, it would be a great buy considering it has parking below and a nice welcoming entryway at street level.


anyones thoughts?

Kevin Gaughn is proposing the move from Rath to City Hall for the Erie County government offices...IMo this is an awsome idea, for two reasons...

1. it downsizes government and consolidates costs.

2. It will make available more office space downtown, and if looks are an issue with the Rath Building, Gaughn has already got the interest of companies to renovate the building to be more appealing. In all reality, it would be a great buy considering it has parking below and a nice welcoming entryway at street level.


anyones thoughts?

Demolish it and get us one step closer to restoring Shelton Square! :yes:

There's plenty of office space available downtown. Two other Rath-era buildings are coming down: the Donovan State Office Bldg. and most likely the Federal Bldg. Lets add a third!

So with Bass Pro and the canal park, museum and hotel in conjunction with the metro transit hub on the south side of downtown (not to mention outer harbor construction...?) At the basin we have proposed apartments, some offices to build up...Niagara Street there is a new ramp going up for the Niagara Center, plus the new Peace Bridge (?) Delaware and Elmwood have enough construction to mention, Main street is about to look 100x different. The Medical corridor and Goodell are looking better and better, with Trico planned...it should help the foot traffic in this part of downtown. Heading into the east side of downtown, the Public safety building, Holling Press and several other buildings looking at loft renovation. As far as downtown the the Federal Court, the Maguire bld, HealthNow, Possible Rath conversion, AM&A's, Convention center, Seneca Casino talk, and small peices in between...I have never seen Buffalo this well talked over, it's about time.

I know we have had the talk on here about parking lots, if these businesses and lofts begin to fill, the lots will be in higher demand as buildings or ramps...I think Buffalo should establish a little more green space downtown while they still have a chance, especially near Oak street and up on Main by goodell.

get us some auto traffic on Main street and Buffalo might be worth the move downtown.

Buffcity is a bit more up beat these days. He was about to jump ship and move someplace like Cincinnati a few months ago.

Buffalo has a lot of work to go but things are looking better. Everyone is anxious to get some 20+ story buildings built but the renovation and infill that we are seeing right now is much more healthy. If you build a good strong and dense base you will eventually create the kind of demand needed for taller buildings. Many cities are seeing a lot of tall building development but they are not becoming more dense (many times the tall buildings cause the opposite effect because they need so much parking). Many tall building projects are nothing more than ego boosters for the developer and the city they are in. But take a look on some satelite images of the booming southern cities and you will see high rise buildings but you will also see vast tracts of parking surrounding those buildings. If Buffalo follows a course of remnovation and smaller sized infill the city will reap huge benefits.

Buffalo is severely hurt by the large number of run down buildings in the core. Several recent projects are puting a dent in that supply of dilapidated street scape. The buildings on Genesee are a prime example of a block which is very damaging to the rebirth of Buffalo. As the eye sores disappear you will see a real change in attitude about the city

Are we going to start a new thread?
I think we should start it with the lists and then repeat the lists with pictures of each. I have pictures of most of these projects, but I'm still stuck with 35mm (old habits I guess). It would take some time to scan, but I can add/edit as I get time. Of course, contributions would be welcome! Buff- our local correspondent can get picture updates. :)

Are we going to start a new thread?
I think we should start it with the lists and then repeat the lists with pictures of each. I have pictures of most of these projects, but I'm still stuck with 35mm (old habits I guess). It would take some time to scan, but I can add/edit as I get time. Of course, contributions would be welcome! Buff- our local correspondent can get picture updates. :)


I vote against a new thread. What purpose does it serve? Just add the list and pics in this one. A new thread will just muddle things up... especially on this stupid forum that has no search function.

I think the moderators will make a new one after 500 posts. I think.

I 100% agree with EastCoast on the density before height issue. Buffalo is laid out like DC or Detroit...which means height is not as important as density. Buffalo is fortunate enough to have a street plan which is beautiful, it's not a boring square grid, nor is it a suburban paradise like the nice sunbelt towns turned city. with the exception of M&T, HSBC, B of A or maybe Key, I cant see any of the major downtown tenants wanting to have sole tall skyscrapers, like Carl Padaino said...the large floor plan is "in" now.

HealthNow will certainly help build the Lake side of downtown...I'm actually happy with the design they have.

I still think that Downtown needs a Nordstrom retailer or a Macy's (Kauffmans)
Higher end retailers in Main Place would do downtown wonders, maybe fixing the facade would be a good idea, maybe alots of glass and windows???

anyways...good to hear everyone is still following the news for Buffalo.

From today's Buffalo News. Still more plans in the works. IMO it would be totally awesome to see students from ECC living in dorms downtown. Though this article doesn't make any specific reference to those plans, this could be the first step in that direction. I always thought that the main building for ECC is really beautiful and that more should be done to enhance the beauty of that campus. With the Ellicott Square Building and Main Street so close by, it definately has location going for it. Has anyone ever been to Monroe Community College in (suburban) Rochester? It is huge, and it would be nice to see something similar in Buffalo. (Though it's unfortunate for Rochester that IMO they made the same mistake as Buffalo with the UB campus in Amherst--building it in the 'burbs) I wish Buffalo's politicians would take field trips to other cities and see the possibilities.

Giambra wins on ECC plan
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bill earmarks funds for downtown campus

By DOUGLAS TURNER
News Staff Reporters
8/2/2005

WASHINGTON - The state's two senators have given a strong push to County Executive Joel A. Giambra's controversial campaign to consolidate Erie County College operations in downtown Buffalo.
The six-year omnibus transportation spending bill contains $1 million for an intermodal transit center that would serve an expanded college campus.

Giambra asked for help with the project in a private huddle with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., when the region's congressional delegation met with leaders of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership here on April 27.

Monday, the office of Rep. Brian Higgins, D-Buffalo, confirmed the $1 million was in the bill but credited the authorization to Clinton and Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y.

The college's board of trustees has balked at Giambra's plan to merge all ECC campuses into one larger downtown campus. But the trustees have agreed to permit consolidation of some operations there.

"I especially want to thank Sens. Schumer and Clinton for this vote of confidence in our vision for ECC," Giambra said. "Our staffs have spent many hours over the past three months developing the conceptual framework for an "ECC Metro Center' to make ECC downtown more accessible for students and faculty.

"Bus, light rail, parking, retail and more will complete the public safety campus component of the ECC downtown strategic development," he added. "This federal grant will allow us to immediately prepare final design plans while construction financing is developed."

Schumer said the facility is targeted for a parcel next to the proposed expansion of Erie Community College, two blocks east of the Metro Rail station, a site currently used by the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority as a Metro Bus terminus.

"The facility will consist of the local bus terminus, a structured parking facility and ground-level commercial/retail space to complement the operations of the college," Schumer said.

Clinton was a member of the Senate-House conference that settled on the final bill, which took more than two years to draft.

The money is contained in legislation that is an outline for highway, bridge and transit spending. Separate laws called appropriations are required before the money is released.

e-mail: dturner@buffnews.com

Well having gone to college (like most on here) I understand the need to put the campus downtown, people, housing, restaurants, chippewa, and maybe a bit of a turnaround for the main place mall? yea...if they can build a nice clean and community friendly campus, I totally agree with the idea...but they have to sell the old ECC campus off, no reason to own that too.

Giambra knows its gonna take several factors to fix Buffalo as a city, I hope he has some luck.

Interesting news from the Planning Board agenda for August 16...

Uniland is seeking approval to amend their plans for their new office building on Delaware (200 block next to Channel 2) to include an addition to the exterior plus adding one floor (will be 5 instead of 4).
__________________________

So just maybe they have a tenant and this project is a 'go'! :)

^ more floors are good

Sounds to me like they have a tenant.

Sounds to me like they have a tenant.

Maybe the 'mystery tenant' that wanted space at AM&A's? Could be interesting. I don't think Citibank has officially announced relocating to CrossPointe, another Uniland project. Maybe they're giving up on the 'burbs? (wishful thinking). This is the previously approved design:

http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/4863/uniland1gv.jpg

nice design.

I bet citibank moves in.

Now that all the transportation money has FINALLY been released and voted on...what is Buffalo looking at as far as projects on hold that are now going to be a "go"?

Peace Bridge?
Canal Museum?
Skyway Transformation?
Waterfront?

anyone?

Maybe the 'mystery tenant' that wanted space at AM&A's? Could be interesting. I don't think Citibank has officially announced relocating to CrossPointe, another Uniland project. Maybe they're giving up on the 'burbs? (wishful thinking). This is the previously approved design:

http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/4863/uniland1gv.jpg


I think the design stinks. Not very sophisticated. At least it is pushed up to the street. Downtown buildings should not have lawns in front of them

I agree- that rendering may be obsolete- I think the Planning Board at least made them put in some retail on the ground floor. It looks too much like the Niagara Center on Elmwood. I'm not sure, but it must be the same architects.

Here's a 1990 conceptual design from Hamilton Houston Lownie- they should have kept it:

http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/1756/uniland7rj.jpg

Hamilton Houtson and Lownie along with Canon are the best architects in the Buffalo area. Notice that the HHL drawing actually shows that there are other buildings around. The other drawing tries to pretend that the building is being built in an office park. The HHL plan is better but not great.

Im going to have to disagree with you guys on this one...The First rendering looks great IMO...It's modern, has greenspace (front yard) which I believe is required because of something Mayor Maciello added (please correct me if Im wrong).

The second rendering looks like something old which was converted to a modern building, not as much taste as the previous.

anyways, I guess I just hope they build something, both designs are livable.

Now that all the transportation money has FINALLY been released and voted on...what is Buffalo looking at as far as projects on hold that are now going to be a "go"?

Peace Bridge?
Canal Museum?
Skyway Transformation?
Waterfront?

anyone?

Don't forget about getting cars back on Main St. downtown.

^Yes. Good point. IMO, getting cars back on Main Street dowtown is one of the most important developments in the works. It's a shame to see Delaware Avenue busier than Main Street, and allowing cars to drive on Main through the Theater District will help alleviate some of the traffic congestion on Chippewa Street...maybe even help merge the so-called "Entertainment District" on Chippewa with the Theater District on Main.

imagine that?

You know that would help the situation just a little. lol

I hope they do something with this money besides add it to the corporate welfare pot trying to get new call centers to move in.

Bishop Opposes Downtown Casino

WBEN Newsroom - Thursday, August 4, 2005 08:45 AM

Buffalo, NY (WBEN) - Until now, the head of the Buffalo Catholic Diocese has remained silent on the issue of casino gambling. But Bishop Edward Kmiec is finally talking, and supporters of a downtown casino might not like to hear what he has to say.

In a recent letter, the bishop urges Mayor Anthony Masiello to oppose casino gambling in Buffalo.

Kmiec says a downtown casino would lead to gambling addiction, family violence and bankruptcies.

He added the amount the city would spend on extra police and other costs would outweigh any revenue it would receive.

The bishop is also urging local Catholics to express their opposition by writing or e-mailing the mayor.

Mayor Masiello has responded to the letter--saying he respects the bishop's position, but has no plans to change his support for a casino.

Bishop Opposes Downtown Casino

WBEN Newsroom - Thursday, August 4, 2005 08:45 AM

Buffalo, NY (WBEN) - Until now, the head of the Buffalo Catholic Diocese has remained silent on the issue of casino gambling. But Bishop Edward Kmiec is finally talking, and supporters of a downtown casino might not like to hear what he has to say.

In a recent letter, the bishop urges Mayor Anthony Masiello to oppose casino gambling in Buffalo.

Kmiec says a downtown casino would lead to gambling addiction, family violence and bankruptcies.

He added the amount the city would spend on extra police and other costs would outweigh any revenue it would receive.

The bishop is also urging local Catholics to express their opposition by writing or e-mailing the mayor.

Mayor Masiello has responded to the letter--saying he respects the bishop's position, but has no plans to change his support for a casino.

The bishop should be ashamed of himself for being a hypocrate. He wants people to rally against a casino for its social ills but he has no problems overseeing churches that promote bingo. Could his opposition be because he fears that the casinos keno games will draw people away from the church sponsored bingo? I think there is a strong possibility of that. Regardless of what the bishop thinks, a casino will go somewhere in Buffalo.

I agree with you on that.

The church should not worry about affairs that do not effect its operations, this is a public issue, but not one that needs comments from religious groups.

^Yes. Good point. IMO, getting cars back on Main Street dowtown is one of the most important developments in the works. It's a shame to see Delaware Avenue busier than Main Street, and allowing cars to drive on Main through the Theater District will help alleviate some of the traffic congestion on Chippewa Street...maybe even help merge the so-called "Entertainment District" on Chippewa with the Theater District on Main.

My only question about traffic on main street is...where are all the cars going to park that can now drive down Main Street? It seems like to me, either in parking ramps that already exist and sidestreets. If people are going to be parking on sidestreets and streets parrallel to Main St, what advantage does opening it up to traffic have if they are going to be parking on other streets where they already drive on and park on? Flaw in my logic?

I think they are planning to allow parking on Main street.

Downtowns pedestrian mall seems to take up more than enough room for a lane of traffic and a parking spot, I think we would be suprised as to how much space they will have.

here is a great new blog with lots and I mean really lots of greta Bufflao pictures.

http://buffaloflickr.blogspot.com/

Here's another blog with interesting info about the good things going on in the City- they usually have pieces on downtown and elmwood development, upcoming events, places to eat, etc:

http://buffalorising.blogspot.com/


Also, just read in next week's Business First that Marrano is planning a downtown condo project. They didn't have any details on cost, location or timing. But Wannamaker is quoted as saying he is working to make it happen.

Here's four diferent plans (http://www.ci.buffalo.ny.us/document_810_20.html) for returning traffic on main from the city's website.

One of the biggest problems is that the hyatt-regencys glass addition to thier building is built not only on top of genesee, but extends onto main as well.

GREAT LINKS.

Hyatt should have to move off the street then, It was dumb enough that Buffalo allowed the Convention Center, Hyatt, Rath, Main Place to break the grid plan for Ellicotts streets...now they allow Hyatt to build on Main Street? lol wow.

Oh well, I don't imagine we will ever see the old Niagara Square intact as it was originally, but Main street traffic is a must.

Potentially good news in today's Buffalo News:

Buffalo real estate investor buys Lenox HotelBy SHARON LINSTEDT
News Staff Reporter
8/5/2005

Bill Wippert/Buffalo News

The Lenox Hotel on North Street will continue to be operated as a mix of hotel rooms and apartments.

The historic, but faded, Lenox Hotel in Buffalo's Allentown neighborhood has a new owner. Anthony F. Trusso, of AFT Properties in Buffalo, has acquired the 147-room hotel from the California investment firm that has owned it since 2002. The purchase price was $2.4 million.

Trusso owns a stable of residential and commercial buildings around the city, including several in Allentown. While Trusso declined to be interviewed about his purchase, his broker said he will continue to operate the Lenox as a mix of hotel rooms and apartments, while upgrading the facility.

"Tony plans to maintain its current uses while he does the renovations," Greco said. "He plans to make a significant investment to bring the exterior back, and will work floor by floor to update the interior."

Plans also call for a first-floor restaurant operation.

The 1896 vintage landmark, located at 140 North St. just off Delaware Avenue, started its life as a premier residential address. Its roster of former tenants includes a number of well known Buffalo families, and author F. Scott Fitzgerald, who moved in with his family as a toddler.

The eight-story structure was coverted from 24 apartments to 48 hotel rooms for use during the 1901 Pan-American Exposition. It was reconfigured to its current layout in the 1940s.

A successful operation for decades, it was a popular home away from home for music and theater stars during stints in Buffalo, including Aaron Copland, Henry Fonda, Duke Ellington and Harry Belafonte.

Sacramento, Calif.-based Blackburne and Brown acquired the property in a 2002 foreclosure auction for $2.49 million. Buffalonian Robert L. Freudenheim, who had defaulted on his mortgage with the California firm, had owned the building since 1978 and has continued to serve as its manager.

Blackburne and Brown had entertained a $7 million project to convert the Lenox to luxury apartments, but put it up for sale in 2004 after deciding it would be too difficult to manage the property from across the country. Several local and out-of-town groups are said have taken a serious look at the hotel for conversion to apartments or condominiums, but no deals materialized until now.

Richard Clowdus, a Blackburne and Brown executive, said the company is "very pleased" with the sale.

"It's sold and we're happy with the outcome. It's a wonderful building with a lot of potential that will benefit from local ownership," Clowdus said.

The deal was brokered by Chris Greco of Greco Real Estate, and financed by First Niagara.

e-mail: slinstedt@buffnews.com

Alright, As for Niagara Falls NY skyline, it's not a commercial center, its a tourist destination so what is built can look as flashy and rediculous as possible, simply because there is nothing wrong with having some insanely wild looking building in your skyline, especially when it does not neccessarily represent the Economic and Social History of the region in particular.

The Seneca Hotel at the falls looks fine for the US side, what do they have to loose? As for Buffalo...NO, I feel that if the older Buildings in Buffalo can be turned into uses now (ie: Statler) then new office construction will be in a better position. Honestly Main Place would be alright, but if they made the outer facade more welcoming they might be able to get some retail in there at the same time, add traffic on main and its almost a sure bet (with an anchor store)

Glass buildings, the new courthouse is going to be translucent, next to the most famous Art Deco city hall in the world and a massive old Statler Hilton...I think it will be an impressive sight.

Hyatt...now they allow Hyatt to build on Main Street? lol wow.


It's the same old hyatt, I was just pointing out that it eats up part of the street, as you can see (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=buffalo,ny&ll=42.887379,-78.873993&spn=0.005504,0.010131&t=k&hl=en)

While bringing back traffic to main street would be nice, I question weather it would be worth the cost.

IMO it's worth the cost because Main Street will finally lose its "ghost town" feeling, which has been an image problem for Buffalo since the 1980s. That alone warrants the money it would take for this project. There is almost always traffic on Delaware, South Elmwood, and upper Main Street (before it's diverted to Pearl Street at Goodell/Edward). Getting some of this traffic on Main Street downtown is critical. Also, there are several small struggling businesses on Main that would benefit from the visibility (Edritos Mexican Cafe, Vito's Market, Texas Hots, a couple flower shops, Melanie's Sweets Unlimited, TGI Fridays, a hair salon in City Center, Ya Ya Bajou Brewhouse, The Bijou Grill, 658 nightclub, Marcella's, The Tralf, Sphere, several theaters, Fera's Sandwhich Shop, the Dipson Market Arcade cinema, Sue's New York Deli, CEPA Gallery, and banks). Those are all the businesses I can think of quickly off the top of my head in the two blocks between Tupper and Huron. That's a lot of businesses who would gain. And when those businesses thrive, we all benefit. I didn't even mention the added convenience to downtown wokers who would gain more street to make their offices more accessible. Or the tourists and weekend culture vultures who go to the Theater District for plays and restaurants. Bottom line, anything that will make downtown more vibrant earns points in my book!

I agree it would be worth the cost...especially if it meant getting off the one ways to the Kensington and getting to the waterfront easier.

In all reality, bringing the traffic back would link alot, perhaps they are concerned for the levels of ridership on Metro Rail, but considering the city is not gaining business, it would be worth the deed.

U_U, I know that it's the same Hyatt...it's just amazing that the city allowed the Hyatt to build out on the street, I just never noticed that is all.

does anyone else suspect some HUGE news on the way for some reason?

does anyone else suspect some HUGE news on the way for some reason?

Is billy fucillo opening another dealership? :D

Just looking at that Aerial Sat photo of Downtown Buffalo...

Here is a few ideas I'm kicking around, tell me what you guys think.


1. Red Brick Facade on the Main Place mall, but not on the Main Place Tower base so that the building looks completely seperate. Lure a tenant to the mall thru tax incentives like Nordstrom or something that is not already in Amherst or Cheektowaga. Remove the current black tar roof and build a giant bubble glass cannopy over the top of the mall, raising about 1-2 stories itself, so that from inside the mall, the surrounding buildings would be visable. I think this is a common sight in suburban malls now.

2. allot some kind of land for a park near the Main/Goodell corridor, making residential infill more welcoming.

3. Establish a complete downtown market, or promote the existing one more.

4. underpass entry to the waterfront under the I-190 along the Basin and up the Niagara River.

5. More visitors maps and signs downtown to promote existing businesses and potentially create more.

What I mean is, with the feeling of so much construction is there something on the side that perhaps developers are talking about while at golf that we have yet to hear? why do they feel this huge need for a downtown infill at the current rate of business.

I really think Buffalo might be in for some good, I mean great news for some reason...like a huge tenant downtown or something.

Is billy fucillo opening another dealership? :D

hahahahahaha :lol:

:D

You guys get Billy in Buffalo too? :? I didn't know that lol

billy fuccullo renamed Grand Island to HUGE Island

Lure a tenant to the mall thru tax incentives like Nordstrom or something that is not already in Amherst or Cheektowaga.

I doubt we'll ever see a huge anchor department store in DT Buffalo. I'd settle for a Barnes & Noble or Borders downtown or anywhere in the city limits for that matter.

Just looking at that Aerial Sat photo of Downtown Buffalo...

Here is a few ideas I'm kicking around, tell me what you guys think.


1. Red Brick Facade on the Main Place mall, but not on the Main Place Tower base so that the building looks completely seperate. Lure a tenant to the mall thru tax incentives like Nordstrom or something that is not already in Amherst or Cheektowaga. Remove the current black tar roof and build a giant bubble glass cannopy over the top of the mall, raising about 1-2 stories itself, so that from inside the mall, the surrounding buildings would be visable. I think this is a common sight in suburban malls now.


I think the tax break idea is poor. As for the rest, whatever crazy ideas the owners want to do they should. The only thing I'd like to see public money spent on there is one day having eagle st take back its right of way. Take out a portion of the first floor, and have the second floor go right over the street. Too costly to justify right now though.

2. allot some kind of land for a park near the Main/Goodell corridor, making residential infill more welcoming.
A park would be nice, but I don't think its needed. Plus, we can barely take care of the parks we already have. :(
Maybe get rid of the housing project here (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=buffalo,ny&ll=42.895483,-78.866429&spn=0.005309,0.010131&t=h&hl=en)
, fix the stret grid, have the medical campus build the parking ramp thats in thier plans for the one parcel, and put a park on the other two. It would be a bit pricy, and I'd hate to do that to the residents. Perhaps as a long term goal as to not throw people on the streets.


3. Establish a complete downtown market, or promote the existing one more.

As a private enterprise I think it'd be great, but no more subsidized markets in the city, please.



4. underpass entry to the waterfront under the I-190 along the Basin and up the Niagara River.

Build a lift bridge from erie st to furhman, voila. :)



5. More visitors maps and signs downtown to promote existing businesses and potentially create more.

Buffalo place or another group should get on the maps, but I don't think the city should do it. It's suck to be a store thats paying taxes but not getting the same services other stores are, which would happen unless there was a new map everytime something opened/closed.


You guys get Billy in Buffalo too? I didn't know that lol

He's in everywhere in upsate ny.

well I must say I agree with you on the conservitive spending notions, where these funds come from I don't know...my point was how to make buffalo a little more patron friendly.

The Maps and signs should be up to the visitors bureau.

As far as main place, I would not totally discredit the idea of the mall doing something if it does not become the casino. I just think now it looks like an Area 51 hanger.

As far as tax incentives, NYS takes so much out of our pockets to give to corporate welfare, instead of letting us spend it at the stores thus creating more stores which are in demand. Incentives are okay, but when NY has itself in a position of being so un-business friendly, it makes us looks like idiots to give them millions to set up here.

u_u, when i moved to los angeles area last fall, the first day I was there I opened up an LA Times newspaper and Billy Fuccullo's face was on the front of the Auto section "HUGE"...so not only has he taken over New York he's now taking over California.

yea they must take over when they move into an area...Syracuse is where he started I think.

MAIN STREET DEVELOPMENT
Vernor Building likely to be razed
By MARK SOMMER
News Staff Reporter
8/6/2005

The Buffalo Preservation Board moved closer on Friday toward allowing the demolition of the Vernor Building at 752 Main St.
Its actions cleared a hurdle for First Amherst Development, which has entered into a purchase agreement to buy the building contingent on gaining demolition authorization. The board voted to issue a negative declaration, declaring the building's deterioration makes redeveloping it untenable.

The board also issued a certificate of exception, laying out mitigation measures required for a demolition permit: salvaging historic remnants from the building, requiring construction to begin within 24 months of the issue of a demolition permit and that the site not be used as a parking lot.

The long-vacant, three-story 1904 masonry building is owned by Tech Associates of Beechwood. In March, City Judge Henry Nowak fined Tech Associates $51,000 for code violations since the early 1990s. He called it "a classic case of demolition by neglect."

First Amherst plans a two-building complex surrounding an internal courtyard, with 100 to 125 apartments, 11,500 square feet of ground-level commercial space and covered parking for 125 vehicles.

The Vernor Building, located near Edward Street at the north entrance to the Theater District, was erected by the George Pierce Co. to show off Pierce Arrow luxury automobiles. The James Vernor Co. later used the site as a Vernor's Ginger Ale bottling plant and soda fountain in the 1930s and 1940s.


e-mail: msommer@buffnews.com

That kind of sucks, that building has alot of history. But, at the same time, there are plenty of buildings of that vintage and style in Buffalo, losing one more wont kill us, and at least they are planning what sounds like a building with some decent height to replace it.

Although I hate to see the Vernor Building go, I'm at least happy that the site will have 100+ residential units on it. I'm eager to see a rendering of whats going to replace it. Hopefully First Amherst pushes the envelope on design. DT Buffalo needs some good modern buildings to compliment the great old classics.

Vernor has been stripped of much of its interesting ornament and has been gutted by neglect. The remainder of the street fabric on this part of the block has already been demolished so loosing this one is not a hard decision to make as long as actual development occures. they should not allow demo without assurances of actual new construction of a project that that is substantial

I have to say one thing...

Buffalo has so many Historic buildings, but it simply costs so much to keep them looking as they did in 1910. If they are not in the shape of even being under rehab, and are falling apart...lets raze this stuff and build some modern yet classy stuff in the city.

Last night I went into Centeral Terminal, the lower parts and yes we had to enter "creatively". After looking at what was happening inside, I see no other option other than to raze about 60% of the complex, perhaps saving the tower itself and the great hall, but everything else is "insane"

Buffalo needs to face the fact that many developers will not even enter the city when it comes to all this preservation stuff, nobody is saying knock down NIMO or Rand...but I would say people are going a little too far in the defence of alot of these properties.

Region's top builder feeling bullish on WNY
Jim Fink

A few years back when Marrano/Marc Equity Corp. began branching out into developments in Florida and Boston, more than a few local observers wondered if the company was going to eschew its Western New York roots.

Consider this:

The company has a local inventory of more than 2,000 residential lots in such communities as West Seneca, Orchard Park, Lancaster, Hamburg and Clarence.

Marrano/Marc Equity is branching out more aggressively into Niagara County with subdivisions in the works for Wheatfield, Lockport and Pendleton.

Look for Marrano/Marc Equity to be equally aggressive with residential project in both, including both single family homes and jumping into the downtown fray with condos.

"We're trying to do everything we can to help them," said Tim Wanamaker, head of the Buffalo Office of Strategic Planning.

"In Western New York, 300 homes a year is a lot of homes," Marrano said. "When we talk about our growth, people assume it's because of Boston and Florida. It's not. It's because of Western New York."
____________

Obviously a typo in the quote- but I'm assuming he meant "both counties".

So what does everyone think- will they renovate an existing building or build new? Waterfront or downtown?

Seeing that most of these companies now are doing either, it's possible they might convert or rehab something, but at the same time they might develope something on the water as well...I guess looking at what they have done in Florida and Boston will kinda tell what we could expect from them here in Buffalo...if they have rehab'd or converted older properties in Boston, perhaps thats what they wanna do in Buffalo.

I really enjoy seeing more than one developer doing stuff downtown, they really have gone about this the right way, a multi angle attack from multiple camps...this will work very well in Buffalo.

They've converted old in Boston and new mid-rise construction in Florida...so it could go either way. Last time they tried something new was with Harbor Pointe on the waterfront and they sold slowly. Not sure of why, but they were the first down there along with Rivermist and the economy in the early 80's was lousy.

Anyone hear anything about the Tishman Building? After Ciminelli backed out, there's been no news. Paladino was interested at one time for a residential rehab, but he's interested in everything.

you know, people have their opinions but I must say the Tishman (up close) is a fine example of a 1950's modern skyscraper. It has a very retro-cool feel to it...and it's not a horrible looking place.

As far as who will move into Tishman...no telling, but I would like to see it fixed up and used for Commercial Office. It's one of those deals now where we ask is it worth giving up some buildings to residential when they should remain commercial. ?

Statler is my cencern, I wanna see it fixed up and used for pretty much anything at this point...it is an awsome and beautiful building.

Yeah, but I'm sure you'd agree that the placement of the Tishman Building is unfortunate. It's built practically ontop of the Rand Building, diminishing that building's presence. The Rand Building is awesome (anyone ever been inside?) because it's art deco and almost reminds me of a mini Empire State Building. It's hard to see it, though, because the Tishman building runs right up its side. I do agree, though, that the building itself is not that bad--and could actually be cool with some $$$ pumped into it. And I also agree that I'd rather see that money spent on the Statler Tower (if I had to make the choice between the two). Hopefully both building will be renovated and occupied within the next few years.

Here's what the Rand Building used to look like before the Tishman Building crowded it out:

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.andrle.com/vintage/views040a.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.andrle.com/vintage/views040.htm&h=557&w=358&sz=66&tbnid=afTDWkKcgYoJ:&tbnh=131&tbnw=84&hl=en&start=5&prev=/images%3Fq%3Drand%2Bbuilding%2Bbuffalo%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D

And here's where they decided to put the Tishman:

http://www.kindredroots.com/NY/erie_buffalo_tishmanrandbuilds.jpg

I love the placement of Tishman. I love the density of that block. Two 20 story plus buildings right up next to each other is great. Tishman did replace a fabulouse Victorian building though.

Tishman has an identical twin in Cleveland.

well I could live with the Tishman over on Court (where Maguire is going...LOL) instead of right there by Rand, at the same time, that Victorian would look beautiful in Lafayette Square now (German Insurance Building?)

Brisbane is another gorgeous asset of downtown, has anyone noticed that the only good downtown tenants are in Brisbane? SPRINT PCS and CitiBank?

I am one of the organizers of this event, and I would love it if any of you forummers would like to join us! Here's the background, short version. Our community group successfully shut down the West Side Market at the end of Johnson Park and Carolina Street because it was attracting all sorts of shady activity (hookers, drug dealers, crackheads, etc). There used to be a huge planter there that they sat on all day long and did they thangs, and drank they forties. We had that planter removed by the Buffalo Public Works Department (not a small or easy accomplishment to get City Hall off their asses on something like this, but we know people). Anyway, now those scumbags and thugs are planning to retaliate against the leader of our West Village Renaissance Group, and I think it sucks that she's being singled out--when she's really doing something that benefits us all (unless you're one of those losers who used to hang at the Market all day long). So I had this idea for a rally in Johnson Park to show them that the whole neighborhood, and in fact the whole city, is in on this--not just our leader. We're trying to prevent her from being the victim of a mazeltov cocktail (or whatever those things are called). We're inviting politicians, media, and literally hundreds of people. This might be some pie in the sky dumb idea, but we gotta try and do something! Most of us, myself included will be bringing some take-out or a picnic type dinner and try to make this event kind of fun. It's on a Friday night, just steps away from Chippewa Street. We hope you guys will join us! I'm cutting and pasting info directly from the flyer and press release we wrote last night. It contains all the particulars.
___________________________________________________
RALLY FOR PEACE AND UNITY
– JOINING OUR VOICES TOGETHER -

FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 2005- 7 to 10 PM
– ON THE JOHNSON PARK GREEN -

In light of recent threats made to individuals who are working to create a safer, cleaner, and more child-friendly atmosphere in Buffalo, NY, we are holding a rally for peace and unity on the Johnson Park Green.

So many neighborhood-based victories have been experienced throughout our city. Along with those victories come some downfalls. Those fighting for the right to quality of life are threatened and many are afraid. This is an opportunity to share stories and experiences to empower the individual and collective block organizations throughout Buffalo.

We have an opportunity for change. Let us start the planning process now!

Although centered in the West Village, all residents of the City of Buffalo are invited and encouraged to join in. Bring chairs or blankets to sit on, bring musical instruments, bring your voices, bring a picnic, and bring your faith for a New Buffalo through community working together.

Neighbor to Neighbor - Neighborhood embracing Neighborhood.

Speakers will include Brian Davis – Councilmember for the Ellicott District, Veronica Nichols of the Restorative Justice Program, Luis Acosta of the Urban Community Corporation, and other great community leaders.
_______________________________________________________
You'll see more about this on BuffaloRising.com because we're friends with the creator, Newell Nussbaumer. Also, some of you might remember that I announced a couple weeks ago that we were alerting the media to the event when the planter was removed, and we did get Channels 2, 4, and 7 there. We also got Sam Hoyt's office and Buffalo Rising. I'm pretty sure they'll come again, so we have to make this event memorable.

Speaking of politics, who does everyone here favor for Buffalo Mayor?

Byron Brown
Kevin Gaughn


I like Kevin Gaughn, he has some great ideas, he supports the merger and he is also looking to downsize government and make the area more business friendly. By the way, he made the Democratic primary.

i put one of my buffalo pictures up in the urban photo contest. just thought i'd let you guys know.

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=243825

I was originally pro-Byron Brown...but he isn't pro-Reform enough...if at all

Right now Kevin Gaughn would be my vote if i lived in the city.

BuffCity, how come you didn't put Helfer in your post as a third choice?

I think it will be a landslide for Byron Brown in the primary and in the election...unfortunately we all know why

Right now Kevin Gaughn would be my vote if i lived in the city.

Ditto.

If we got what he wants, we would be able to vote!

I am one of the organizers of this event, and I would love it if any of you forummers would like to join us! Here's the background, short version. Our community group successfully shut down the West Side Market at the end of Johnson Park and Carolina Street because it was attracting all sorts of shady activity (hookers, drug dealers, crackheads, etc). There used to be a huge planter there that they sat on all day long and did they thangs, and drank they forties. We had that planter removed by the Buffalo Public Works Department (not a small or easy accomplishment to get City Hall off their asses on something like this, but we know people). Anyway, now those scumbags and thugs are planning to retaliate against the leader of our West Village Renaissance Group, and I think it sucks that she's being singled out--when she's really doing something that benefits us all (unless you're one of those losers who used to hang at the Market all day long). So I had this idea for a rally in Johnson Park to show them that the whole neighborhood, and in fact the whole city, is in on this--not just our leader. We're trying to prevent her from being the victim of a mazeltov cocktail (or whatever those things are called). We're inviting politicians, media, and literally hundreds of people. This might be some pie in the sky dumb idea, but we gotta try and do something! Most of us, myself included will be bringing some take-out or a picnic type dinner and try to make this event kind of fun. It's on a Friday night, just steps away from Chippewa Street. We hope you guys will join us! I'm cutting and pasting info directly from the flyer and press release we wrote last night. It contains all the particulars.
___________________________________________________
RALLY FOR PEACE AND UNITY
– JOINING OUR VOICES TOGETHER -

FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 2005- 7 to 10 PM
– ON THE JOHNSON PARK GREEN -

In light of recent threats made to individuals who are working to create a safer, cleaner, and more child-friendly atmosphere in Buffalo, NY, we are holding a rally for peace and unity on the Johnson Park Green.

So many neighborhood-based victories have been experienced throughout our city. Along with those victories come some downfalls. Those fighting for the right to quality of life are threatened and many are afraid. This is an opportunity to share stories and experiences to empower the individual and collective block organizations throughout Buffalo.

We have an opportunity for change. Let us start the planning process now!

Although centered in the West Village, all residents of the City of Buffalo are invited and encouraged to join in. Bring chairs or blankets to sit on, bring musical instruments, bring your voices, bring a picnic, and bring your faith for a New Buffalo through community working together.

Neighbor to Neighbor - Neighborhood embracing Neighborhood.

Speakers will include Brian Davis – Councilmember for the Ellicott District, Veronica Nichols of the Restorative Justice Program, Luis Acosta of the Urban Community Corporation, and other great community leaders.
_______________________________________________________
You'll see more about this on BuffaloRising.com because we're friends with the creator, Newell Nussbaumer. Also, some of you might remember that I announced a couple weeks ago that we were alerting the media to the event when the planter was removed, and we did get Channels 2, 4, and 7 there. We also got Sam Hoyt's office and Buffalo Rising. I'm pretty sure they'll come again, so we have to make this event memorable.


I would be there if I was nearby. There is nothing these scumbags fear more than a group of people. They are tough when they can intimidate but they are nothing when a community stands up to them. All the power to you and your group. That neighborhood is a treasure and it needs to be saved from the looseres who's only desire in life is to destroy what is around them.

I was down by Johnson Park & Carolina St today and it was nice to see that haven for drug users and prostitution cleaned up. Is that intersection going to be opened up to traffic in the near future?

No. I would actually like to see it opened up to traffic, but I'm in the minority with that opinion. Most residents who live on the park like it closed off, and I live around the corner on Whitney Place. We are installing iron gates that will allow pedestrian traffic through, but not cars. So there will still be a barrier, but not one that people can sit down on and loiter. That house on the corner is selling cheap too, and our community group is involved with the sale--to someone who wants to restore it, live in it, and help discourage people from hangin' out there.

We were planning on installing some gates that were donated by a local cemetary, and they were over 100 years old. Unfortunately, after the planter was removed and the site was prepared for the installation, it was decided that the gates were too far gone, too rusted to be used. So since the Buffalo Public Works Department was on site, along with Councilmember Brian Davis, the city agreed to buy new ones. They were ordered almost two weeks ago and take 4 to 6 weeks to come in--and then they'll be installed in September. I didn't get a chance to see what was ordered, but I hope they look antique.

Uniland expands plans for office building
285 Delaware Ave. is now a vacant lot

By SHARON LINSTEDT
News Staff Reporter
8/10/2005

Uniland Development Co. has expanded its plans for a new downtown Buffalo office building even before it puts a shovel in the ground. The Amherst developer is asking the Buffalo Planning Board to approve an amended blueprint for a five-story, 110,000-square-foot building to be built on vacant land at 285 Delaware Ave., near Chippewa Street. :cheer:

In March 2004, the Common Council and various planning bodies approved plans for a four-story, 74,000-square-foot office complex, with parking for 100 vehicles in underground and surface slots.

Nancy R. Dobson, Uniland executive vice president, said the larger building reflects the company's confidence in the market for state-of-the-art downtown office space. She noted the success of the just-opened Niagara Center, an office complex at 130 S. Elmwood Ave. that Uniland developed with Acquest Development.

"When developing the Niagara Center, we had a rush of interest from the private sector seeking quality downtown Class A space. This led us to investigate increasing the scope of the proposed 285 Delaware Ave. building," Dobson said.

The Amherst developer has said it will not begin construction until it has leased at least 50 percent of the structure.

While Uniland declined to say if it has reached that threshold, real estate observers said they believe the developer is tailoring the Delaware Avenue building for the unidentified tenant it hoped to house in the ill-fated AM&A's site project on Main Street in the heart of downtown. :rock:

There was much speculation that Uniland's proposal to demolish the former department store to make room for a new office building was geared to housing functions of the fast-growing M&T Bank. M&T declined to comment on the AM&A's project, and Uniland would only say it had a "tenant in tow" that would have brought about 400 workers to the now-dormant site.

Uniland has owned the grass-covered Delaware Avenue lot for two decades. It once was the site of a National Gypsum office building. Over the years, Uniland has offered a variety of commercial plans for the site. In 1990, the developer erected a billboard on the land featuring an artist's rendering of a three-story, 77,000-square-foot structure.

Really good news. Although 5 stories isn't exactly tall, the building will fit in beautifully on that part of Delaware. (It's also near Rightous Babe/Hallwalls renovated headquarters in the Asbury Methodist Church...if that ever gets completed.) Also, it's only a block from Johnson Park (if you've read my previous posts about the upcoming rally on Friday night).

more news on lowrise office infill, combined with the housing infill, it looks like FINALLY we are getting someplace. Looking at the more growth for offices also means at some point, bigger companies will look at Buffalo because it will have outlets to related businesses (ie: banks, insurance companies and law firms.) the influx in tenants can be expected soon.

I'm excited about getting some of these vacant lots filled in, especially if ground-floor retail is required. We're getting closer to the point where there aren't a heck of alot of large buildings begging for rehab and developers will need to look at new construction. Maybe we'll get rid of some of surface parking lots!

Getting back to Marrano- I don't know why I find this exciting since we don't know what and where they are going to build. But when the area's largest developer takes notice of the momentum and decides they need to jump in to the downtown market, it is a real positive sign. One site that I forgot about that could make for an interesting project is the Conv. Center Parking Ramp site behind the Hyatt. It is an ideal site for a large, tall residential project: Hyatt and offices across the street, Belasario has done well nearby, and walking distance to metro rail, Theater District and Chippewa.

I agree that site by the Hyatt is great, how nice it would be to have a nice residential tower like City Centre with some restaurants and unique retail on the street level.

As for parking lot infill, we have to keep the mindset of filling in this density, thats the best hope for further development going up (high rises).

I like to hear this infill news, as soon as Bass Pro begins the construction I have a feeling it's all gonna take off.

I have about 4 or 5 photo threads that are going to be posted over the next couple weeks...keep an eye out.

"We're trying to prevent her from being the victim of a mazeltov cocktail"

I admit I laughed.

"Maltov" cocktail is what you mean.

"Mazel Tov" means "congratulations" in Yiddish.

I have to ask...what?

Mazel Tov Cocktail (pr. mäzl tôf, tôv, tv koktal'): A crude weapon created by igniting a cheap bottle of Manischewitz on fire and throwing it through the window at a bad bar mizvah or an HBO presentation of a Barbra Streisand concert.

From today's Buffalo News--good news for the medical campus!

Medical campus gets $3 million in road funds
By RYAN HAGGERTY
News Staff Reporter
8/11/2005


After receiving $3.2 million in federal funds, the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus is poised to take another step toward fulfilling its master plan. The money will pay for rehabilitating streets, sidewalks and lighting, and for planting new trees, all to give the hub of medical research and education a campus-like feel, said Matthew K. Enstice, the medical campus' executive director.

"Our goal is to create jobs and get people here. This support is very, very critical to creating an environment for community development, for research and for clinical care," he said.

The funding highlighted a news conference held Wednesday by Rep. Louise M. Slaughter, D-Fairport, at the medical campus. She detailed other projects in Western New York that will benefit from transportation signed Wednesday by President Bush.

"Every dollar that we invest in this medical campus is a dollar invested in this region's future," Slaughter said. "We can attract world-class researchers and world-class physicians, and create an environment where students will want to learn and will want to remain in Buffalo after graduation."

The transportation bill also provides funds for the Michigan Avenue Preservation District on the East Side, "one of the region's, and the nation's, most historically significant areas," Slaughter said. Work will include facade improvements at the Michigan Street Baptist Church, part of the Underground Railroad, and street, curb and lighting repairs.

"This funding will enable us to tell the story of Buffalo's important role in the Underground Railroad and the rich history of our African-American community," Slaughter said.

Other local projects that will receive funding from the bill include Heritage Heights, a mixed-use East Side development of offices, light industry and warehouses; a parking facility at Canisius College, part of the school's proposed science center; the Niagara Falls International Railway Station and Transportation Center; a pedestrian and bicycle path along the Niagara Gorge from Niagara Falls to Lewiston; and the reconstruction of a Niagara Street bridge and culvert over Two Mile Creek in the City of Tonawanda.

From today's Business First of Buffalo. (I'll believe this one when I see it.)

Renewed call to raze the Skyway

Improved access to Buffalo's waterfront would be achieved by tearing down the Skyway.

So says Rep. Brian Higgins, D-Buffalo, in renewing a call replace the 50-year old bridge with a number of lift bridges linking the waterfront to the downtown area.

"We cannot improve the Outer Harbor without improving access, and we cannot improve access without dealing with the single-largest impediment to access, and that is the Buffalo Skyway bridge," said Higgins during a news briefing.

The lawmaker has introduced a plan to reform transportation infrastructure along Furhmann Boulevard, just beyond the Skyway. That plan, which would be done with up to $14 million in federal funding, includes refurbishing Fuhrmann into a grand, two-way, urban parkway, with high-end "Central Park-style" lighting and green space similar to that of the Niagara Parkway on the Canadian side of the Niagara River.

"In order to see legitimate Outer Harbor access improvements, people have to be able to get there, and when they get there, it can't be by a 55 mile-per-hour highway," said Higgins. "The fact is that Fuhrmann Boulevard must be comprehensively reformed. We can do it in a relatively short time frame, and we ought not to pass this opportunity up."

Higgins cited costs associated with maintaining the Skyway -- including a once-a-decade painting at a cost to state taxpayers of $15 million, periodic wintertime closures and safety concerns as reasons for replacing the structure.

I've driven through the Medical Campus and the roads are in decent shape- too bad the money couldn't be shifted to the east- the Fruitbelt has streets that are bumpier than dirt roads. I also thought they were seeking money for a Main Street median near the campus- guess that wasn't funded. Trees, lighting and paving are great- but that seems like alot of money.

Horray for Higgins- get rid of the Skyway! Thats the first I've heard of four lift bridges (today's News) as an alternative. Lets hope they can stick to his schedule of a start for the parkway portion next year. :cheers:

The Skyway is cool in some ways, it gives a great view of the downtown area and waterfront, but at the same time the view of it is not as pleasing.

It's tough to say weather or not the city, state and Fed would be better of using cash to tear down the skyway rather than invest more into the cleaning up of the city streets and doing more with urban planning in residential areas, like infill and tearing down old abandoned or crowded houses.

In my opinion, the skyway should be left alone for now, there are ways to the waterfront, and there are ways of making new ways to the waterfront if the skyway remained.

Buffalo still needs a Hard Rock or Hooters downtown or on the waterfront, someplace chained but known too.

Maybe we're finally going to see a new span across the Niagara River? (I hate to get my hope up...again)

From the Buffalo News:

Schumer sets timetable for bridge milestones
By PATRICK LAKAMP
News Staff Reporter
8/12/2005

Sen. Charles E. Schumer Thursday said he's impressed by the progress of Peace Bridge expansion planning, and he expects more to be accomplished by January.

"The next six months are going to be crucial in hammering out the nuts and bolts," Schumer said at a news conference at the Peace Bridge.

Peace Bridge officials will need the cooperation of federal agencies to meet a time frame announced by the senator.

Schumer wants the U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection to present its security requirements for the Canadian and American plazas to the Peace Bridge Authority by next month to give it time to design the plazas for a new crossing.

And then Schumer wants the bureau to complete a shared-border management agreement with Canada by December, outlining all of the security arrangements.

The planning for that is complicated and unique, because the agreement will put U.S. Customs and Immigration screening on the Canadian side of the Peace Bridge.

If Customs and Border Protection officials work within the time frame, Peace Bridge officials should be able to complete a draft environmental impact statement by January that identifies a preferred bridge design and American plaza location. The Common Council would then be asked to ratify the draft document and a public comment period would begin.

"The Canadians, to be honest, have worked better than we have," Schumer said. "When we had trouble getting our own agencies to pay attention here, the Canadian government, from the prime minister all the way down to the local government, was there."

President Bush signed a $286.4 billion highway bill Wednesday that authorizes $25 million for the Peace Bridge.

"That is the magic number needed to say we have enough funds to start construction," Schumer said.
"I like it when Sen. Schumer comes because he's either bringing money, or he's bringing good ideas, or he brings a challenge with respect to time frames," said Fort Erie, Ont., Mayor Wayne Redekop, who attended the news conference.

Also from the News:

Hearings focus on Southtowns Connector


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Improved waterfront, traffic vie for attention

By JANICE L. HABUDA
News Staff Reporter
8/12/2005

Two public hearings were held this week on the state Department of Transportation's proposals for the Southtowns Connector, which would improve access to Buffalo's outer harbor and the traffic flow between the city and the Southtowns.
"Most people are saying, "OK, let's just do it,' " Paul Tronolone, supervising urban planner with Parsons Brinckerhoff, said before Thursday night's hearing in Lackawanna.

But those who spoke afterward weren't as magnanimous.

As was done Wednesday in downtown Buffalo, several DOT officials were present from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday in the Lackawanna Senior Center. Easels lining the room and tables off to one side bore dozens of photographs, maps and drawings of the proposals.

In simplest terms, the improvement alternative - at $138.4 million - would keep Route 5 and Furhmann Boulevard as separate, but simplified roadways; the boulevard alternative - at $144.1 million - would convert Route 5 and Fuhrmann into a single, six-lane roadway; and the hybrid alternative - at $151.9 million - would use a combination of approaches from the two others.

All include reconstruction of Ohio Street, a new arterial road to connect the Niagara Thruway to Tifft Street through the former LTV/Republic Steel brownfields site, and an additional traffic lane on the lake side of Route 5.

The affected area is bordered by the Niagara Thruway to the north, Milestrip Road to the south, the mainline Thruway to the east and Lake Erie to the west.

Tronolone related a story about a motorist who was trying to reach the NFTA Boat Harbor who wound up downtown in front of the old Memorial Auditorium.

"This is just a typical story we've heard time and time again - that the configuration of access along Route 5 is confusing and discourages people from coming to the waterfront," Tronolone said.

The improvement alternative would eliminate the Route 5 overpass at Ridge Road and replace it with a conventional intersection with traffic signal.

"This would open up access and development in the City of Lackawanna," Tronolone said. "This was cited as an important feature by Buffalo and Lackawanna officials during the design process."

Lackawanna Mayor Norman L. Polanski Jr. confirmed that during the public comment phase of Thursday's session.

"My interest is self-serving; I'm here for the City of Lackawanna," Polanski said. The Ridge Road bridge "has been an item that has not served our community well at all."

"When I look at this, Lackawanna is probably the easiest part of the project because other than taking down the Ridge Road bridge, there's not much more to do."

Jim Rudnicki of Blasdell characterized the proposals as being more about traffic flow than waterfront development.

"We don't have the correct infrastructure for . . . proper waterfront development," he said. "The options you see here tonight do not address the major problem with the infrastructure - the Skyway."

The alternatives "don't do anything about that but dress it up. They don't take it out," he said.

While the Skyway remains a fixture in the DOT's plans, Rep. Brian M. Higgins, D-Buffalo, is seeking federal money to remove it, describing it as "the major obstacle" to developing the outer harbor.

Higgins also has been working to obtain federal money to begin work on the Southtowns Connector.

One woman had questions about how businesses on Ohio Street would be affected and how many jobs were involved. When pressed by DOT officials for a comment about the proposals, she said: "I would like all of our questions answered and published publicly."

The public comment period on the proposals ends Aug. 31. The preferred alternative will be determined later this year or in early 2006, and work could start in 2007.

I like the Tifft/I190 connection. That will open up the old Republic Steel site that is being remediated. Combine that with the Union Ship Canal property and we'll have hundreds of shovel-ready light industrial acres. One of the locals should start some spec shells out there- Ciminelli and Uniland, are you listening? :poke:

Well if they get the money to do this, and the city and county can get away with NOT paying more most of it, which they shouldn't...this might help attract some attention to the waterfront...it's simple that everyone made a mistake with this bunch of roads and highways, they built it all when industry was there and they utilized the stuff from they're land right to the roads now that people want to get to the waterfront and enjoy it in condos, parks and other stuff it's like walking on water to actually get there. They should have made it easier to begin with, but go figure.

Can anyone get us some graphics on this?