All the good news is the stuff that nobody cares about because it doesn't make headlines. Which actually happens to be just about everything that contributes to a decent standard of living. The bad news is in large part the trite shit that happens everywhere in some form or other, just we somehow always seem to amplify it somewhere. Oooh, so we got snow. Good, enjoy your hurricane, and we'll meet up afterwards and tally up whose disaster cost more and who's going to cause nationwide insurance rates to go up more for something they had nothing to do with.

The locals don't help, either. I don't mind losing another 300-400k in the metro if it means we get to flush these jokers out and start over again. And then not let them back when they realize the grass is no greener. We can start with all the boomers, whom I'm sure can't wait to get out to their golf-centric subdivision clubs in the sunbelt, leaving plenty of good jobs open and giving someone else the deluge of healthcare premiums.

any new news on Issa???

Much of Buffalo's bad reputation is due to WNY'ers themselves.

I can't count the number of times I've been out with friends and someone has an out-of-town visitor, and instantly everyone starts asking them why they bother to come here, and if they've seen our 'crappy' city yet, and if they can take them with them when they leave, etc...

Once we had a co-worker in town from the west coast for the first time and the buffalo co-workers were trying to tell him that "Buffalo used to be the second largest city after NYC but now it's smaller than Albany and Rochester and even Syracuse"... I had to step in and tell them they were full of sh!t.

I feel like kicking them sometimes and find myself trying to counterbalance their negativity. Buffalo largely has itself to blame for its reputation. WNY is fully of anti-ambassadors.


It seems a lot of the WNY negativity comes from suburban residents. They know nothing about the area except how to get to the Galleria Mall. Think how sad your life would be if it revolved around the Galleria Mall and a big night out is dinner at the Olive Garden. Then you hear how every other city already has a Cheesecake factory and you have a recipe for instant Buffalo bashing.

Isn't that a bit of an over-generalization? I know plenty of city residents who (sadly) are the same way.

It seems a lot of the WNY negativity comes from suburban residents. They know nothing about the area except how to get to the Galleria Mall. Think how sad your life would be if it revolved around the Galleria Mall and a big night out is dinner at the Olive Garden. Then you hear how every other city already has a Cheesecake factory and you have a recipe for instant Buffalo bashing.

Steel, With all due respect. That was the stupidest thing I have ever seen you write.

Maybe its just because I live in a more urban feeling suburb (City of Tonawanda) but that comment is so uninformed its astounding. That is the exact opposite of what Ive found to be true. Think about how many suburbanites commute to the city for work everyday. Surly these people must know what the city is actually like. Also realize that many of us are former city residents that left for the reason my parents did. To get away from the corrupt government and the absolutly HORRID public schools.

Maybe that comment would have more truth if you were more specific, perhaps people out in williamsville, clerance and Amherst feel that way, but as for myself and all of my friends, we love the city and are looking forward too the day when it regains the respect it deserves.

Besides, if that is the case the city only has itself to blame. Watch the local news? Who would want to raise a child in that city? Would you proudly put your child into a Buffalo public school knowing nothing but what youve seen on the news? I sure as hell would'nt. Especially knowing that what you see on the news is only the tip of the iceberg. My sister was a student teacher at 2 different city schools in 2 different neighborhoods and everyday she had a story about violence between students and how terrified she was to go there every morning. I'm talking middle school and high school kids.

Isn't that a bit of an over-generalization? I know plenty of city residents who (sadly) are the same way.

DT you are the only one on SSC that constantly fuels the Buffalo bashing and bringing it up outta nowhere on this forum and other forums on SSC. You are the only one that is so consistantly negative with everything you have to say "oh blah blah blah Nashvile and Birmingham blah blah blah are soo great and Buffalo is so awful blah blah blah"

Do you have any idea how funny this sounds coming from somebody from Buffalo? Buffalonians don't have much room to slam anyone else IMO.

Its funny because I think Buffalo has a hell of a lot more room to slam someone else than Maine does. And the only places IMO Buffalo can't slam would probably be NYC, Chicago, LA, and San Fran, every other place is in the ball park.

^ Didn't... you... just bring it up? ;)

Steel, With all due respect. That was the stupidest thing I have ever seen you write.
You may not agree with it, but it doesn't make it a totally incorrect statement. ALL the people I mentioned in my example were suburbanites. While most, if not all the people I know that live in the city, generally defend the city. But maybe places like tonwanda are different.

I have to agree with Spaulding though. This conversation is off-topic and should be moved to the non-development thread.

Nobody has commented on the new Wright BoatHouse, or the demolition order for Niagara Square !!
:drool:

They should really raze all of Niagara Square and rid it off all those old eyesores!!!

You may not agree with it, but it doesn't make it a totally incorrect statement. ALL the people I mentioned in my example were suburbanites. While most, if not all the people I know that live in the city, generally defend the city. But maybe places like tonwanda are different.

I have to agree with Spaulding though. This conversation is off-topic and should be moved to the non-development thread.

Nobody has commented on the new Wright BoatHouse, or the demolition order for Niagara Square !!
:drool:

I knew that the people you were talking about were suburban and I have never met them. We are really talking about negativity toward the metro as a whole as well not just the city. Most of the people that I have met who have a negative WNY aditude are from the burbs...DT chief among them.

And Yes I would and am raising my kids in the City and would not have it any other way.

99.99% of the suburbanites in Buffalo wouldn't understand my arguments, and you know that.

on to some development news... :)

I can't beleive I'm the one actually posting something in the middle of a argument. lol :bash:


Wright boathouse gets off ground

Business First of Buffalo - 11:38 AM EDT Wednesday


Work on the Frank Lloyd Wright boathouse has begun at the designated site next to the West Side Rowing Club.

The project, overseen by the Frank Lloyd Wright Rowing Boathouse Corp., will cost $4.5 million.

Among those on hand for the groundbreaking was Buffalo native Tom Fontana. The Hollywood producer is serving as the honorary national chair of Frank Lloyd Wright's Rowing Boathouse Campaign: Icon for a New Century.

Originally designed for of the University of Wisconsin, the Wright boathouse will be operated both as an architectural tourist site and as a working boathouse. The West Side Rowing Club, which has a large facility next door, will operate the Wright boathouse for rowing purposes.

99.99% of the suburbanites in Buffalo wouldn't understand my arguments, and you know that.
That's OK... we don't really understand you either.

;)

how is your rating in other cities?

how is your rating in other cities?

hahaha

Dulski bidding, how high will it go???

$4,750,000.00
(Ithaca)
September 7, 2006 9:18:06

$4,500,000.00
(ABCDEFGH)
September 7, 2006 8:46:47

$4,250,000.00
(Ithaca)
September 6, 2006 9:07:10

Pretty soon they're going to HAVE to fix it up and do something, they'll have sunk so much into buying the damn thing.

Dulski bidding, how high will it go???

$4,750,000.00
(Ithaca)
September 7, 2006 9:18:06

$4,500,000.00
(ABCDEFGH)
September 7, 2006 8:46:47

$4,250,000.00
(Ithaca)
September 6, 2006 9:07:10

Local realtors, "the experts," have estimated its worth to be somewhere in the $10 million range. So it's still a bargain at just half its worth. Still, I am interested to see how close it gets to the full value...and I'd love to know who these two guys are in the bidding war. I really hope this building gets a residential make-over. It would be great to add that many neighbors to the West Village area. Maybe we'd finally get a supermarket...or at least a Washington Market near us. (Of course I'm ignoring the fact that Tops is just up a few blocks on Niagara Street.) All that diversity that Bayviews is always talking about has left that place with an atmosphere that is decidedly, uh, let's say less than upscale...or even less than sanitary.

Issa was said to have been looking at the Dulski, no word if he is one of the mystery bidders. :dunno:

Since the building will no longer be a federal building requiring federal security, all that plaza space around the base of the building could be developed for street-level retail business / restaurants / etc... even if the building facade itself is not refaced.

I wonder what will happen to the people statue artwork out front?

I always hated that creepy sculpture when I worked in the Federal Building. It looks like a George Segal work (whose work is also in the Albright Knox). It isn't his, is it?

What does that look like? Can you find a photo?

I read that the Segal was definitely going to be moved. I am not 100% but I think they said it would be moved to the new courthouse once it is finished.

Eastern Hills lands 7 new tenants
Business First of Buffalo - 3:10 PM EDT Thursdayby James FinkBusiness First

As Eastern Hills Mall prepares to celebrate its 35th anniversary and, at the same time welcome Macy's department store, the Clarence shopping center has signed seven new tenants.

The new tenants, coupled with recent openings by the likes of the Orvis Shop, Brooks Brothers 346 and Dave & Busters, have contributed to the mall's stores seeing a marked increase in sales per square foot - a key retailing economic factor.

Moving into the mall between early September and early November include:

The Brick Oven Bistro, an upscale pasta-orientated restaurant, run by Vincent Carriere and Paul Webb. The bistro is leasing all 4,859-square-feet of the former Ruby Tuesday's restaurant. Brick Oven Bistro is expected to open by early November.
Carriere and Webb will also be operating a small luxury coffee kiosk in the mall's concourse, which is opening this fall.
CJ Banks, a women's clothing store is taking over 4,300-square-feet of the former Finish Line sporting goods store. Finish Line moved to a new location in the mall.
CJ Banks is also expected to open in November.

Opening next month is the latest local store for TT New York, who leased 8,200 square feet. TT New York is leasing the former Lane Bryant store.
Also opening in October is K and A Mart, a local convenience store which is leasing 1,500 square feet.
McNerney's, a local store that specializes in Irish imports, will be opening a small operation later this month.
Flagtastics just opened a 3,000-square-foot store.
All told, the new leases total approximately 22,500 square feet.

With the new deals and along with the conversion of the former Kaufmann's department store into a Macy's, the 1 million-square-foot mall now has 85 stores and is 92 percent leased, said Judy Sirianni, mall general manager.

"It is getting easier and easier to bring in tenants now," Sirianni said.

Once the region's largest shopping center, Eastern Hills struggled for many years, losing both tenants an shoppers to the Walden Galleria and the revamped Boulevard Mall.

The mall was acquired three years ago by Mountain Development Co. of New Jersey, which invested well into the seven-figure range renovating the center and using incentives to land high-profile tenants like Dave & Buster's, Orvis and Brooks Brothers.

The mall's sales figures in the past three years has risen from $184 per square to, on average, between $250 and $270 per square foot.

All that diversity that Bayviews is always talking about has left that place with an atmosphere that is decidedly, uh, let's say less than upscale...or even less than sanitary.

What diversity?
`
Among the major US metros, Buffalo ranks near or at the very bottom on every indices of diversity. In the bottom fifth in terms of mix of racial-ethnic ingredients. Buffalo’s demographics are still stuck in the 1970s! In dead last place when it comes to inclusion. One of the least integrated. One of the least interracial. And obviously near the bottom when it comes to information about diversity.

The West Side is certainly the most diverse part of metro Buffalo. In the sense that it’s the only area where there’s a mix of several racial groups rather than just one or two & you can hear more than one language spoken. You talk about Puerto Ricans who’ve been established on West Side since the 1950s as if they are exotic newcomers! Contrast with NYC, where there are lots of different Latino groups, from Dominicans to Columbians to Salvadorians & now Mexicans.

The West Side is nothing compared with say Queens, where in many neighborhoods, there are over a hundred different ethnic, racial, & immigrant groups. And for that matter, there’s a lot more diversity in most major suburb of NYC, LA, SF Bay Area, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, or Toronto than on Buffalo’s West Side. That’s why I say, what diversity?

Really, if that modest dose of what in Buffalo passes for diversity on the West Side is a bit too much for your tastes, why not just relocate & contribute to the upscaling of, say, South Buffalo? Or Sloan!

"And Yes I would and am raising my kids in the City and would not have it any other way."

Ummm? Dont you live in Chicago? Thats a long bus ride.

I read that the Segal was definitely going to be moved. I am not 100% but I think they said it would be moved to the new courthouse once it is finished.
I thought I heard something about it as well. Don't know the who, what, when, where, why and how of it though.

I don't recall I've ever seen the thing up-close and personal, to be honest.

"And Yes I would and am raising my kids in the City and would not have it any other way."

Ummm? Dont you live in Chicago? Thats a long bus ride.
Chicago isn't a city?

more Asians...I'd be happy.

Chicago isn't a city?

No, just a suburb of Gary.

I knew Buffalo had alot of nicknames.. was'nt aware "Chicago" was one of them. It was quite clear in my post that I was referring to Buffalo. This being the Buffalo development thread and all.

Where's Buffalo?

Where's Buffalo?
Just off I-90, roughly 100 miles north of Casper. (http://www.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=buffalo,+wy&ie=UTF8&om=1&z=12&iwloc=A)

I typed "Buffalo" into Google Maps and it kept giving me this place I had never heard of before, I think it was in Ontario or Canada or someplace weird. Go figure.

I am in the right forum, correct? Northeast? Northeast Wyoming?

Where's Buffalo?

Where the deer and the antilopes play?

Way off topic, but if you think that only Buffalonian's debate design and piss and moan about delays in construction, you haven't been paying attention to the rebuilding of the World Trade Center. The design for the other three towers at the site was unveiled yesterday. Check out curbed.com and the comments:

http://www.curbed.com/archives/2006/09/07/breaking_freedom_towers_friends_come_out_to_play.php

http://www.curbed.com/archives/2006/09/07/freedoms_friends_the_curbed_instant_guide.php

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/7743/200609wtc1gl4.jpg

Yeah, New Orlean's Mayor Ray Nagin caught some heat for his comments about the timeframes for these. But then the scale is a bit different than anything being proposed for Buffalo!

That WTC stuff is horrid


And yes Chicago does qualify as a city.

That WTC stuff is horrid


And yes Chicago does qualify as a city.

Foster's Hearst Tower in NYC is much better. This one reminds me of the sloped building overlooking Millenium Park in Chicago. As a group though- beyond bland!

Both the "4 diamond" one and the one with the zig-zag on the sides remind me of existing Chicago buildings.

I do kinda like the 4-diamond one... it's just not very original. With all the money and attention being thrown at that project you'd think they come up with something truly unique. NYC copying Chicago architecture just seems wrong.

Bayviews, You must be smoking crack. If you believe that the Lower West Side is not diverse then you really need to come on down and visit my neighborhood. On any given day, I mix with people from Somolia, Vietnam, Korea, The Dominican Republic, Germany, Canada, The UK, Yemen, Alabama and several other foreign places. Do you ever visit the city, or do you just read books? I'm sure you realize that the statistics you're always preaching are notoriously unreliable because immigrants (especially the undocumented ones) generally don't like to tell the Census where they're living. They often come from countries where they don't trust the government. They often don't speak enough English to interact with our government agencies. There are many other reasons that you can't rely so much on your statistics, but I am not going to list them because I don't want to break into a thesis like the ones you're always boring us with. Let me just suggest to you that you really need to come on down to the city if you really believe that there is no diversity. Hey, The Puerto Rican Day parade is this weekend, so there's a good chance for you! And, by the way, when did I ever say something that made you think that I "talk about Puerto Ricans who’ve been established on West Side since the 1950s as if they are exotic newcomers"? I never siad that I thought that they were newcomers, or that they are not US citizens (They are.) or that the are exotic. I have said things that indicate that I believe their cultural traditions, expectations, observations, perceptions, and experiences are different from my own. And they are. I am sure that you're not trying to suggest that the American citizens who are from Puerto Rico are just like the American citizens who are from Teacup Falls, North Dakota, are you? There are differences between English-speaking cultures, and Spanish-speaking cultures, and though PR is a US territory, they still count as a Hispanic culture.

PS- I do hate when I'm told that my neighborhood has histrically been a Puerto Rican neighborhood. Because to think that my neighborhood's history only spans back to the past 40 or 50 years is shortsighted. My neighborhood goes back to the 1800s, and most of the people who lived on the Lower West Side then were European Americans.

What diversity?
`
Among the major US metros, Buffalo ranks near or at the very bottom on every indices of diversity. In the bottom fifth in terms of mix of racial-ethnic ingredients. Buffalo’s demographics are still stuck in the 1970s! In dead last place when it comes to inclusion. One of the least integrated. One of the least interracial. And obviously near the bottom when it comes to information about diversity.

The West Side is certainly the most diverse part of metro Buffalo. In the sense that it’s the only area where there’s a mix of several racial groups rather than just one or two & you can hear more than one language spoken. You talk about Puerto Ricans who’ve been established on West Side since the 1950s as if they are exotic newcomers! Contrast with NYC, where there are lots of different Latino groups, from Dominicans to Columbians to Salvadorians & now Mexicans.

The West Side is nothing compared with say Queens, where in many neighborhoods, there are over a hundred different ethnic, racial, & immigrant groups. And for that matter, there’s a lot more diversity in most major suburb of NYC, LA, SF Bay Area, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, or Toronto than on Buffalo’s West Side. That’s why I say, what diversity?

Really, if that modest dose of what in Buffalo passes for diversity on the West Side is a bit too much for your tastes, why not just relocate & contribute to the upscaling of, say, South Buffalo? Or Sloan!

Bayviews, define "diversity?" I say we have pretty good diversity here in Buffalo because we have a tremendous make up of 100s of ethnicities here, but they all live in their own little enclaves. I think you are confused with segregation. You are talking about neighborhoods that aren't mixing (i.e.) the Ukranians with the Arabs with the Blacks and the Irish, eventhough all those groups exist. The indices that you mention that Buffalo fails, I've seen them, and they are usually referring to segregation not "diversity." I know you love to bring up race and play that card in almost every post, but I think the issue of segregation has a lot less to do with race and a lot more to do with socio-economic issues.

Way off topic, but if you think that only Buffalonian's debate design and piss and moan about delays in construction, you haven't been paying attention to the rebuilding of the World Trade Center. The design for the other three towers at the site was unveiled yesterday. Check out curbed.com and the comments:


I like the design of the WTC buildings!

Haven't the designs been "unveiled" 4 or 5 times before. It reminds me of how the USA has caught the #2 al queda guy, ten different times already.

The World Trade Center is to NYC as the new Peace Bridge is to Buffalo. They may actually get the buildings though.

...and as reform is to Albany.

By that analogy, we'll be seeing the new Peace Bridge any day now.

took these today...

New Era - notice they now have the original Eagle detail propped up out in front of the building. I wonder if it's because people kept asking if they destroyed it!

http://img381.imageshack.us/img381/52/newera300milesfj4.jpg


285 Delaware - finally seeing some progress

http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/5369/delwareave300mileste2.jpg

And the Thaddeus J. Dulski Federal Building goes to ABCDEFGH for $6.1 million!!!

http://www.auctionrp.com/auctions2/default.cfm?action=itemInfo&id=581

And the Thaddeus J. Dulski Federal Building goes to ABCDEFGH for $6.1 million!!!

http://www.auctionrp.com/auctions2/default.cfm?action=itemInfo&id=581

Not gone yet. Since ABCD...bid today, that means the auction gets extended until Monday at 3 pm. But that is quite a jump! Wonder if "Ithaca" is still game.

Nice to see Steel going up at 285 Delaware- one less vacant lot downtown.

Not gone yet. Since ABCD...bid today, that means the auction gets extended until Monday at 3 pm. But that is quite a jump! Wonder if "Ithaca" is still game.

Nice to see Steel going up at 285 Delaware- one less vacant lot downtown.

Actually, its closed. The last bid was ABCDEFGH at 8:58 and for the auction to have continued, Ithaca would have had to have bid between 9:00 and 3:00 which they did not. So bidding over, ABCDEFGH wins with a final bid of $6.1 million beans....

Nice to see Steel going up at 285 Delaware- one less vacant lot downtown.
Too bad it was a vacant lot and not a parking lot. Court St Tower, wherefore art thou?

HA! Pesky details! Didn't catch that they bid just prior to 9 am! Sneaky!
Now- the mystery- who is ABCDEFGH? Issa? And what are the plans?

I'll have to update BRising.

AM&As CLOSED today too! :cheers:

Issa should re-develope the waterfront

I'm almost suspicious of someone who uses that as an alias. Almost seems, I dunno, spam-ish. But I'm sure that's not the case.

To finding find out! :cheers1:

Bayviews, You must be smoking crack. If you believe that the Lower West Side is not diverse then you really need to come on down and visit my neighborhood. On any given day, I mix with people from Somolia, Vietnam, Korea, The Dominican Republic, Germany, Canada, The UK, Yemen, Alabama and several other foreign places. Do you ever visit the city, or do you just read books? I'm sure you realize that the statistics you're always preaching are notoriously unreliable because immigrants (especially the undocumented ones) generally don't like to tell the Census where they're living. They often come from countries where they don't trust the government. They often don't speak enough English to interact with our government agencies. There are many other reasons that you can't rely so much on your statistics, but I am not going to list them because I don't want to break into a thesis like the ones you're always boring us with. Let me just suggest to you that you really need to come on down to the city if you really believe that there is no diversity. Hey, The Puerto Rican Day parade is this weekend, so there's a good chance for you! And, by the way, when did I ever say something that made you think that I "talk about Puerto Ricans who’ve been established on West Side since the 1950s as if they are exotic newcomers"? I never siad that I thought that they were newcomers, or that they are not US citizens (They are.) or that the are exotic. I have said things that indicate that I believe their cultural traditions, expectations, observations, perceptions, and experiences are different from my own. And they are. I am sure that you're not trying to suggest that the American citizens who are from Puerto Rico are just like the American citizens who are from Teacup Falls, North Dakota, are you? There are differences between English-speaking cultures, and Spanish-speaking cultures, and though PR is a US territory, they still count as a Hispanic culture.

PS- I do hate when I'm told that my neighborhood has histrically been a Puerto Rican neighborhood. Because to think that my neighborhood's history only spans back to the past 40 or 50 years is shortsighted. My neighborhood goes back to the 1800s, and most of the people who lived on the Lower West Side then were European Americans.

the LWS is Buffalo's oldest neighborhood...well the West Village that is

Old 'Courtyard Mall' site to be renovated (http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20060910/1062478.asp)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$5.5 million project will put offices, stores apartments on adjacent Main Street properties

By SHARON LINSTEDT
News Staff Reporter
9/10/2006

A pair of long-vacant buildings on the west 400-block of Main Street are coming back to life as an office/residential/retail complex.
Buffalo developers Carl Paladino and Frank McGuire have embarked on a $5.5 million overhaul of the idle Courtyard Mall, at 460 Main St., and the former Baker Shoes building next door at 450 Main St. Phase One of the project is focusing on the 73,000-square-foot Courtyard Mall building and will create two floors of office space and a small first floor retail space, with basement-level parking for 56 vehicles.

The Main and Pearl street facades of the structures will be redone in red brick to match original brick on the Baker building.

Paladino, who has owned the Courtyard Mall since 1995, said market conditions are finally right for the conversion.

"It is a very difficult location on Main Street in a downtown that has been a tough sell," Paladino said. "We're now at a point where market conditions have improved and we're figured out the right tenant mix."

A key driver in the redevelopment is the New York State Department of Parole, which will lease all the office space on the first floor. The parole division has signed a 10-year lease and will move its operations from the Donovan State Office Building by the end of the year. Empty since the late 1980s, the Courtyard Mall building has long been considered an eyesore in the heart of downtown. The longtime home of Neisners department store, its last anchor tenant was a branch of the now-defunct Permanent Savings Bank, along with a lower level food court, game room and some small retail shops.

Paladino acquired the building for $370,000 in mid-1995 from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., which took control of the property in 1990 when Permanent Savings was gobbled up by Key Bank.

But even before the bank's acquisition, the Main Street site was eyed as a potential location for a huge office tower. In 1988, Corporex Cos. of Cleveland came to town proposing a 20-story office/retail complex. That plan went nowhere.

A Philadelphia developer was next in line with a flashy $55 million office tower that incorporated retail shops facing Main Street and several floors of interior parking.

After that proposal fizzled, a number of more esoteric uses were proposed, including a downtown outlet mall. The University at Buffalo Urban Design Group weighed in with an unsuccessful blueprint to convert it to a combination farmer's market, grocery store, day-care center and furniture design gallery.

Buffalo Place Executive Director Michael Schmand said he's heartened to see activity at the long-dormant address. In recent days the building's circa 1970's stucco facade and Courtyard Mall sign have been removed, revealing the old Neisners discount store nameplate.

"The multiuse plan they're working from will fit in well with all the good things that are happening downtown. The mix of office and residential is exactly what the city's Queen City Hub development blueprint called for," Schmand said.

Schmand acknowledged that he's heard some concern about locating the parole office on Main Street, bringing convicted criminals to the business district for required meetings with their parole officers. But the Buffalo Place executive said he's confident the state and the developer will provide adequate security.

"The bottom line is that this is everybody's downtown and these are people who have served their time and repaid their debt to society," Schmand said. "It would be a shame to concentrate on that aspect and let it overshadow the bigger impact of having a key Main Street site brought back to life."

In the second phase of the project, the Baker Shoe building will be redone as upscale, loft-style apartments, similar to Paladino's conversion of the former L.L. Berger department store to the Bellasara apartments in the next block of Main Street.

"We're going to be able to do some really cool things with these because of how the building is situated," Paladino said, noting the building's unusual design that features a one-story structure with a false second floor facing Main Street and an eight-story tower at the rear.

A few of the units will be jumbo, 4,000-square-foot apartments, while a typical dwelling will be approximately 1,200-square-feet, renting for around $1,100 a month. Like the Bellasara, the units will feature open floor plans with up-market kitchen and baths and lots of exposed brick.

A single unit is also planned for the rear of the Courtyard Mall building, overlooking Pearl Street, as part of the residential phase of the project. Build-out of the Baker Shoes site is slated to begin next spring.

e-mail: slinstedt@buffnews.com

"In 1988, Corporex Cos. of Cleveland came to town proposing a 20-story office/retail complex. That plan went nowhere."

Anybody have details on that one?

Bayviews, define "diversity?"

Fair question & good one at that.

Quite true, “Diversity” has become one of those buzzwords that are tossed around a lot too much to mean too many different things to too many different people. Now almost all in leadership positions, corporations, & institutions claim to value diversity. But what does that really mean? And at the personal level that’s often less the case. Many people seem most comfortable being around people like them. So to have some simple performance benchmarks in the kinds of work that I do involving cities & metropolitan areas, I measure by 6 key indicators ("Big Is") of diversity:

1. Ingredients (Overall Racial-Ethnic Mix)

2. Immigration

3. Inclusion (vs. Exclusion)

4. Integration (vs. Segregation)

5. Interracialism (% Multiracial)

6. Information (about Diversity)

Metro Buffalo Niagara is overwhelmingly a region of lifelong residents, so perspectives tend to be historical rather than comparative. To many natives, Buffalo may seem more diverse than ever before. But when stacked up against the "competition", that’s not the case. Indeed, among the major US million-plus metros (there were nearly 50 as of Census 2000) Buffalo ranks near the bottom in all diversity indicators & in a couple of cases at the very bottom.

We’ve already discussed much about where Buffalo stands with respect to immigration. But if you want more details concerning any other indicators, just let me know, & I’d be happy to fill you in.

High-rise blimp ready to scope out condo site

A blimp will be hovering over Buffalo's Gates Circle today, taking photos of the surrounding neighborhood to aid in the design of a proposed condominium tower.

Uniland Development Co. of Amherst has hired Rochester-based Stratus Imaging to provide "blimpography" for its effort to develop a 15-to-20-story residential building on the site of the Park Lane restaurant at 33 Gates Circle.

"We expect to get hundreds of the shots of the neighborhoods around the site to help our architect design a building that is a contextual fit. We want this to be a building for Buffalo's Delaware District, not New York City or Toronto," said Uniland spokesman Tom Widzinski.

The photographic images captured by the unmanned, tethered blimp will also provide potential tenants of the proposed high-rise a preview of what they'll see out their condominium windows. The approximately 20-foot-long blimp will be raised and lowered to precise heights to capture 360-degree views from every other floor of the tower.

"This might be the first time aerial photography has been used for this kind of application. It gives us a way to provide actual neighborhood images for use in the design and in future marketing that can be incorporated into digital applications," Widzinski said.

The blimp shoot is planned between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., when photos will have the fewest shadows. The developer is considering another photo session in about a month, when fall colors are at their peak.

Today's lunch-hour blimp maneuvers, which will be conducted from the roof of the Park Lane, will have no impact on restaurant operations. The Park Lane, which is slated to be razed to make way for the residential project, plans to conduct business as usual through the end of the year.

...

Full:
http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20060911/1029246.asp

very cool.

Giambra pledges $4M to Zoo project
Business First of Buffalo - 6:59 AM EDT Tuesday

County Executive Joel Giambra has proposed spending $4 million for the Buffalo Zoo Rain Forest project.

The funding would be allocated via the county's capital budget.

Joined by Buffalo Zoo President Donna Fernandes, Giambra said the added exhibit will be an economic boost and failure to generate necessary funding would jeopardize the project.

The zoo has secured an $8 million grant from the Empire State Development Corp. and a $4 million challenge grant by M&T Chairman Robert Wilmers.

Here is a link to Uniland's updated site plan for the outer harbor including a new convention center.


http://politicsny.net/content_text.php?cnt_id=59

Here is a link to Uniland's updated site plan for the outer harbor including a new convention center.
What part was updated? It looks very similar from what I remember of the original...

Beats me the site said it was updated, I did not commit the original to memory.. sorry if you have seen it before.

Here is a link to Uniland's updated site plan for the outer harbor including a new convention center.


http://politicsny.net/content_text.php?cnt_id=59

hahaha that was a Re-elect Tom Reynolds propoganda page. I think you can get the full harbor site plan from the city of Buffalo website - less political ads there.

Beats me the site said it was updated, I did not commit the original to memory.. sorry if you have seen it before.
I wasn't trying to criticize you, I was honestly asking if you knew. :)

There was some complaints on the original design because it did not leave much space for open public parkland along the water, and this design looks about the same... so I was just curious if they've actually changed it.

Dulski news coming soon, real soon!

YAA... SPITZER KICKED SUOZI? OUT IF THE GOVENER RACE:)

Suozzi was a good guy...perhaps too good for the spot considering the way Albany is.

I'm gonna vote for Spitzer...I dunno why, some guys in SS uniforms came to my house and informed me that my family would be moved to Kaisertown to a republican concentration camp if we vote red...I'm all for Von Eliot. :)

I still prefer Suozzi (whom we have not seen the last of) to Spitzer, and I don't think I'm going to change my mind. Faso is good too, unfortunately he's got an (R) next to his name rendering him useless here.

Spitzer is alot of rhetoric and pretty sound bytes, but I have yet to hear an actual plan. Reminds me alot of Nader in '00, where in his case he'd criticize Bush and Gore to no end yet never provide as much as an inkling as to how he'd do it - and I didn't like him for it, either.

His unwillingness to participate in debates is worrisome too. It's either arrogance bred by the large lead in the polls, or there's something he's hiding. Either way it's not good.

But some advice for all New Yorkers to heed - more important than anything Spitzer can do - vote Democrat for the Senate, and Republican for the Assembly. Let's get those assrags (asswipes sounds too polite) Silver and Bruno out of power.

I agree...I'd vote right down the line DEMOCRAT to see Bruno and Silver burn on the Hudson...screw em'....

finda funny, the 139th state assembly seat is held and is more than likely going to be wond by a family friend and my insurance(car) representitive...he's a cool cat. Steve Hawley and yes hes a Republican.

Dulski news coming soon, real soon!
It's Uniland and Acquest with plans for a residential/hotel conversion

Amherst's Uniland Development Co. and Buffalo's Acquest Development are the mystery bidders who snared the Thaddeus J. Dulski federal office building in the government-sponsored Internet auction that closed on Friday.
While neither company would comment Tuesday, sources close to the deal confirmed the two developers are behind the $6.1 million high bid for the high-profile office building at 111 West Huron St., in the 100 block of Delaware Avenue.

Preliminary plans call for the 15-story, 470,000-square-foot building to be converted to a mixed-use complex that will include luxury residential and hotel space.

James Militello, of Buffalo-based JR Militello Real Estate, said he's optimistic about two established local developers taking on the challenge of giving the idle Dulski a productive future.

"They've certainly got the resources and the market knowledge. They know what they're doing and I wouldn't second guess them if they think it can be a profitable investment," Militello said.

Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown said he's pleased the building, which was advertised nationally by the federal General Services Administration, has attracted serious and experienced local buyers.

"This is another sign of the growing interest in developing properties in downtown Buffalo when two of the area's largest firms step up to take on a project like this," Brown said.

He noted that currently there are more than $710 million in economic development projects either under way or proposed for the city, with more announcements expected.

But not all downtown stakeholders are so upbeat about the outcome of the Dulski auction.

Carl P. Paladino, of Ellicott Development, who initially raised concerns that the Internet auction would attract out-of-town bargain hunters, said he's still worried about the future of the prime downtown site.

"This was nothing but a "dump' by the federal government. I still think it's terrible for the feds to auction off a perfectly serviceable building and move their tenants into private office space on the taxpayers' tab," Paladino said.

Paladino, who owns several downtown commercial buildings, including the Ellicott Square, said Dulski still bears close watching.

"I don't care what they say they are going to do with it now, the proof will be what's standing there in five years," Paladino said. "I'd hate to see them give up and throw nearly a half million square feet of the office space back on the market. Downtown can't withstand that."

A final review of the auction by the GSA is required before Uniland/Acquest can be declared the winning bidders. The government agency has the right to reject the $6.1 million high bid if it determines there's a strong possibility the price could go higher.

An independent appraisal of the complex earlier this year is said to have pegged its value at just under $9 million.

If the current high bid is accepted the deal should close by year's end.

Uniland's Carl Montante and Acquest's William Huntress are both giants in the Western New York development community whose companies combined local portfolios total more than 3 million square feet of commercial space.

This is not the first time they have partnered on a large-scale downtown Buffalo project. On an ironic note, they co-developed the Niagara Centre, 130 S. Elmwood Ave., which has become the Buffalo's de facto federal building, housing many of the large agencies that formerly were in the now-empty Dulski building. Montante and Huntress sold the nearly new Niagara Centre to a Nebraska investment group for $71 million in March 2005.

The Federal Center, at 138 Delaware Ave., which houses the U.S. Attorney's Office and the Immigration and Naturalization Service, also is a Uniland/Acquest joint venture.

Montante and Huntress also are partners in a resort and luxury residential compound currently under development on Mexico's Baja Peninsula. Close personal friends as well, the two designed their own bike tour this summer, which took them from Buffalo to Boston, Mass.

Uniland - whose key local developments include University Corporate Centre, CrossPoint Office Park and Sheridan Meadows Corporate Park, all in Amherst - is a principal in the team that is proposing a $750 million rebirth of Buffalo's Outer Harbor and is currently constructing a $10 million office building at 285 Delaware Ave., which is be anchored by M&T Bank offices.

Uniland also is in the design phase of what's expected to be a $40 million, 15- to 20-story condominium tower at 33 Gates Circle, on the site of the Park Lane restaurant.

Huntress and his Acquest Development control about 2 million square feet of office space around the country, primarily housing federal agencies. Locally, the company owns Theater Place in downtown Buffalo, and formerly owned and renovated downtown's Olympic Towers complex.

The Uniland/Acquest partnership bid for the building under the code name "ABCDEFGH." It kicked off bidding on Aug. 18 with an opening bid of $250,000, and followed with seven more bids.

Uniland placed the final bid of $6.1 million last Friday, beating out the auction's other persistent bidder, "ithaca."

While sources had speculated one of the bidders was local and the other was an out-of-town investment group, it turns out "ithaca" was Williamsville-based Eastbourne Investments, a company with significant retail holdings in the Southwest. That company planned to team with Legacy Development of Amherst to overhaul the Dulski into Class A office space.

Eastbourne President Frank Egan, who used his hometown's name as his auction ID, said he'd still be interested in Dulski if Montante and Huntress don't close the deal.

"I've already taken a swing at it with a high bid of $4.75 million, so I don't think my interest will wane in the near future," Egan said.

Built in 1971, the 15-story office tower features 20,000-square-foot floor plates, a basement parking garage with space for 180 vehicles, eight passenger elevators and an indoor gun range. The building has been empty since early this summer.

Carl P. Paladino, of Ellicott Development, who initially raised concerns that the Internet auction would attract out-of-town bargain hunters, said he's still worried about the future of the prime downtown site.

"This was nothing but a "dump' by the federal government. I still think it's terrible for the feds to auction off a perfectly serviceable building and move their tenants into private office space on the taxpayers' tab," Paladino said.

Paladino, who owns several downtown commercial buildings, including the Ellicott Square, said Dulski still bears close watching.

"I don't care what they say they are going to do with it now, the proof will be what's standing there in five years," Paladino said. "I'd hate to see them give up and throw nearly a half million square feet of the office space back on the market. Downtown can't withstand that."

:weirdo: :bash: :hahaha: :nuts: :weird: :ohno: :rant: :nono:

The king of foot-dragging is skeptical? :banned:

yeah no shit^^^
paladino accusing uniland of property flipping.

what should they do instead mr paladino? sit on the vacant property for twenty years ala ellicott development?

They mentioned Hotel space, would they bring in an outside company or develop a local Hotel?

A final review of the auction by the GSA is required before Uniland/Acquest can be declared the winning bidders. The government agency has the right to reject the $6.1 million high bid if it determines there's a strong possibility the price could go higher.

An independent appraisal of the complex earlier this year is said to have pegged its value at just under $9 million.

If the current high bid is accepted the deal should close by year's end.
Interesting info that they could still re-open bidding.

Eww, who would want to stay or live in the Dulski? It would need a facade, that's for sure...

^ Agreed, the Dulski is mighty ugly. I'd never live there. If I was an out of towner and booked a hotel room there, I'd drive over to the Hyatt after I saw it. I say implode it and start over.

Yeah, but after you walked into the Hyatt and saw interior decor from the Reagan era, you'd be SOL.

:D

I still think it's terrible for the feds to auction off a perfectly serviceable building and move their tenants into private office space on the taxpayers' tab," Paladino said.

WTF- This guy has made a living off of housing state and county offices! Does he believe what he says, or is he just pissed that he's no longer the king of downtown?

I would say he is pissed off he is no longer king of downtown, sounds like a good idea in principle, (converting the building to a multi-use) which is something that Rochester should do as well with its vacant office space.

Yeah, but after you walked into the Hyatt and saw interior decor from the Reagan era, you'd be SOL.

:D

Good point. As Oscar Wilde said just before he died "Either those drapes go, or I do". I guess I pony up the extra money and head to the Mansion on Delaware.

you could just stay at the adam's mark, in the heart of the vibrant skyway-190 interchange district.

^ Adams Mark Buffalo- "Come for the exhaust fumes- stay for the honking horns".

Or the mattresses that haven't changed since we were a Hilton!

^ Agreed, the Dulski is mighty ugly.
It always comes off looking "dirty" in pictures too. I hope whatever is done with it, the entire outside "skin" is completely replaced.

I'd rather see it demolished and some newer tower placed on the site. But we'll see I guess.

If they were smart they would at least gut the building and do a make over. No one in their right mind would buy this ugly building and not change it on hope of people living there or staying there!!?Who know, we are talking about Buffalo. I agree with Sargeantcm, rip it down and start from scratch!

well lets look at it this way...

if they take the facade off and bring the building right to the steel frames, they will the option to just build the facade back on it...and perhaps different.

I'm not a contractor and I'm not an architect...but I imagine there are ways of making Dulski look very nice without bringing down the entire tower.

I dunno...good to hear some news on it none the less.

I have no doubt that 40 years from now people will look back on this and say "How could those fools ruin a perfect speciman of 1960's architecture?" The same way we are amazed today at how classic 1900 architecture was covered with aluminum siding during the 70's and 80's...

:)

If they were smart they would at least gut the building and do a make over.
I would not worry about it, they are very smart. A few weeks ago I received a call from a survey firm they hired to determine the market for the building they want to put up on Gates Circle. These companies do their homework before they make a move. You don't succeed in a tough market like Buffalo by being stupid.

Courthouse project receives Senate support
Business First of Buffalo - 2:21 PM EDT Wednesday
by James FinkBusiness First

The proposed downtown Buffalo federal courthouse project has cleared another milestone.

The U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, on Wednesday, approved the $123 federal allocation for the project. The committee vote was considered crucial because the oft-delayed project hinges on both congressional authorization and appropriation.


Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-New York, championed the project to her fellow Washington lawmakers.

"For too long, we have been fighting for this and for too long, the City of Buffalo has been waiting," Clinton said. "This is a significant step forward for the courthouse funding and gives me great hope that we can secure all of the support that is needed to finally get construction underway."

The 10-story courthouse, which will overlook Niagara Square, has been near the top of the federal rankings, but has been frequently delayed for myriad reasons ranging from post-9/11 concerns to political in-fighting.

Clinton said she will push her congressional colleagues to also green light the project.

Demolition work, a prelude to the project, is expected to start later this fall. :cheers:

http://buffalo.bizjournals.com/buffalo/stories/2006/09/11/daily23.html?surround=lfn

Now, with the Statler being renovated, and this new building going in across the street, and 1300 new employees just behind City Hall at the new Healthnow HQ, this part of the city is really turning around. Not to mention, New Era Cap HQ and the Dulski Building are just down the street.

I have no doubt that 40 years from now people will look back on this and say "How could those fools ruin a perfect speciman of 1960's architecture?" The same way we are amazed today at how classic 1900 architecture was covered with aluminum siding during the 70's and 80's...

:)
Very true - SO DO SOMETHING TO IT NOW before it is!!!! By hook or by crook, those heinous precast window panels had better be rotting in a landfill somewhere within the next few years. :puke:

I think BuffCity is right, it may be a beautiful building. Let's hope we find out.

I think the threshold for these "historic" designations is 50 years (or at least it's a factor). I picked that up from a press release declaring the 50th birthday of the Eisenhower Interstate Highway System, and it went on to say some areas of highway can actually be eligible for the "historic" designation. Whether they already could, or if it was because of the 50 years, I don't know? If that's the case, better tear down the elevated section of the I-190 before it becomes a "premier example of urban elevated highway design during the golden age of highway construction".

Though, I'd actually be interested to see how many preservationists would stand up for that one. It would show us who's true to their cause and who isn't, if nothing else.

Tear down the Dulski and put a copy of the Larkin. The preservation groups wouldn't know what to do.

Why would they buy the building only to knock it down? They could have bought land close by and build something there. Dont get me wrong, i hope they do knock it down. It doesnt make sense if they do. Either way its a win for Buffalo :cheers:

Someone has to buy it in order to tear it down... These things don't just fall down. :)

I was thinking about those things, which are obviously pre-cast window casings on the side of the building. Where I worked in Concord, the DOT (Morton Building, 2 floors, circa 1959 I think) had these huge precast wall panels that were basically 2 stories square, I'd say they were at least 40'x40'. Definitely bigger than Dulski's (assuming only 1 per window). Anyways, they remodeled and added on an addition to the front of the building the first year I worked there, and there was some press release noting how they didn't want to disturb the outward appearance of the structure. And then quoted some publicity guide from the late 50s talking about how they were the largest precast panels in the entire state (and they possibly still are). It was a big deal because at the time it was a very modern building and housed much more than the DOT when first open (who is now the sole tenant and has actually built a satellite building that has opened since I left) and it also symbolized a first step towards a goal of consolidating all State offices in an office park format outside the immediate CBD of Concord. Point - if this building were 10-15 stories, it would be FAR uglier than the Dulski, and there was actually some affection toward the ugly thing.

Let me also make a point that they could have torn the building down and built from scratch for cheaper (cost something like $7.1 million for what was essentially 20k sq ft of expansion), looked better (for example the interior is a mix of seemingly randomly interspersed swaths of drywall and 50s era speckled 1" sq bathroom tile walls, not to mention the now red brick front with precast exterior), and the building has had nothing but mechanical faults ever since (lights, AC, water, heat, you name it). Best part - the contractor - North Branch - won an award for it!!!

Long story short - we can do good, sure - but we can also do bad... Very bad.

Heh heh heh. Dulski. What a fitting name. It's appearance is very...Dull-ski...if I may say so myself.

Why would they buy the building only to knock it down? They could have bought land close by and build something there. Dont get me wrong, i hope they do knock it down. It doesnt make sense if they do. Either way its a win for Buffalo :cheers:

unless they put it on Ebay with a picture and description of it from the year it opened...with highlights of "new", "modern", "no asbestos" haha

YAA... SPITZER KICKED SUOZI? OUT IF THE GOVENER RACE:)

I went to the polling place yesterday (in the ghetto btw)...I was all excited to get into the booth and flip the switches then pull the lever...well, I get in there and they tell me I have to do a paper ballot because my district is too small...there are only like 25 people in my district so they say we don't warrant a voting machine. I was a little sad and felt a little disenfranchised cuz idk for sure if my paper ballot was counted, atleast with a machine I know it's counted.

Awww, you felt left out.lol. I dont think they count paper balets anymore. Corect me if I am wrong.

In New Hampshire, ALL ballots are pencil and paper, read by a scan-tron type thingamajiggy. Deal with it lol.

And you know what? "Hanging/dimpled chad" never entered their public discourse until The Raindrop State (Florida, of all states) did the honors.

... at least with a machine I know it's counted.
That's just what the people in power want you to think. Who knows what really happens when you pull those levers...

;)

Why tear the Dulski building down? Are their plans to build a much bigger building in it's place? Even if that were the case, there are plenty of parking lots & other basically vacant lots available for that. Nope its not a particularly beautiful building. But the Dulski sure beats another empty lot. Or another low-rise suburban-style building.

In New Hampshire, ALL ballots are pencil and paper, read by a scan-tron type thingamajiggy. Deal with it lol.

And you know what? "Hanging/dimpled chad" never entered their public discourse until The Raindrop State (Florida, of all states) did the honors.
In Ontario, a province of 12 million people we still do paper ballots!

Why tear the Dulski building down? Are their plans to build a much bigger building in it's place? Even if that were the case, there are plenty of parking lots & other basically vacant lots available for that. Nope its not a particularly beautiful building. But the Dulski sure beats another empty lot. Or another low-rise suburban-style building.

I agree! I look forward to seeing their (Uniland/Acquest) plans for the building

Tear down the Dulski and put a copy of the Larkin. The preservation groups wouldn't know what to do.

to rebuild the Wright version would cost so much that it would take millions uon million to make it right, being that it is such an important piece of architecture a cheap knock-off seems the only option if this was to happen...and that WOULD NOT BE WRIGHT :)

speaking of Dulski...

in my hours upon hours of research into Buffalo and its' history (because I know nothing of the city and always get confused and lost) right...I found that the mafia was basically the ones who built the tower...very interesting story how unions had to be paid off to keep working and how when the building was done...the developer was killed or something...very odd.

If I ever find the info on it...I post a link.

Awww, you felt left out.lol. I dont think they count paper balets anymore. Corect me if I am wrong.

I think they do count the paper ballots, but it is the absentee ballots that they don't count unless it is a close race. (or they do count the absantee ballots, but not until later when the election is to be certified)

I am surprised that Jerome is not jumping out fo his skin over the new $200M HSBC data center proposed for Niagara County

It is posted where it rightly belongs, under the Niagara thread.

According to data released this morning by the NY State DOL the metro Rochester area has lost a net of 2,700 (.5%) of it's total jobs from August 2005 to August 2006 and 2,500 or .6% of it's Private Sector jobs continuing a years long trend.

The Buffalo Metro has gained 700 or .1% total jobs and 900 or .2% Private Sector jobs from August 2005 compared to August 2006.

Job growth near minimum

Business First of Buffalo - 1:53 PM EDT Thursday


The Buffalo area picked up 900 jobs in the private sector in the past year and the unemployment rate from August to August remained the same.

The 0.2 percent increase in the private sector workforce for the Buffalo-Niagara Falls market was below that of New York state in the corresponding period. The Department of Labor said statewide, 75,800 private-sector positions were added, a growth rate of 1.1 percent.

The unemployment rate for Buffalo-Niagara Falls was 4.9 percent, same as last year and down from 5.5 percent in July.

Rochester lost 2,500 private-sector jobs year-over-year, a 0.6 percent decline. The jobless rate for that metropolitan area was 4.4 percent in August compared to 4.9 percent in July and 4.3 percent a year earlier.

Statewide, the labor department noted that manufacturing was the only sector to experience a loss of jobs in the past year. Factory jobs fell by 18,800 since August 2005.

wah wah wahhh.

First ethanol pumps could be here in '07

Business First of Buffalo - September 8, 2006by Thomas HartleyBusiness First

More and more, the "ethanol" word is popping up in Western New York.

Environmentalists, politicians, auto dealers, entrepreneurs, fuel distributors and consumers are talking about the alternative fuel.
Plans have been unveiled in Buffalo and Orleans County for plants to make ethanol out of corn. Organizers hope to have them producing sometime next year.

The first retail outlets in the area could open next year.

No service stations currently sell ethanol and no distribution system exists to deliver it from plant to pump. But having no delivery system or ethanol pumps has not been a problem. Few, if any, vehicles in the region are operating on E85, a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline - the most viable gasohol variation.

But that could change next year, says an official of NOCO Energy Corp., a Tonawanda transportation fuel distributor. The company operates 30 NOCO branded stations and 11 dealer-owned stations primarily in Erie and Niagara counties.

"Our business is purely demand-driven and the problem with ethanol has been the demand is not there at the retail level," says Dennis Barry, regulatory environmental compliance manager for NOCO. "When demand dictates, however, we could put ethanol into all 41 stations."

The question is when, not whether, ethanol will debut in Western New York.

Next year might be the year if NOCO wins a $75,000 state grant from the NYS Energy Research and Development Authority. Otherwise, it likely will be 2008.

If the grant is approved to help the company receive, store and blend E85 ethanol at its terminal at 700 Grand Island Blvd., conversion will begin immediately. Word should be announced within the month, Barry said.

Without the state grant, which would require that NOCO match the grant with $75,000 of its own money, conversion won't be finished until 2008. The work includes installing two tanks, each capable of holding 84,000 gallons of E85.

"We know ethanol is coming, so we are committed to meeting our customers' demand for it," Barry said. "Within 12 months we are planning to have ethanol storage at our terminal."

In addition to modifying the terminal, NOCO also is planning to convert its station at 4635 River Road, a location now closed, to offer four fuel alternatives: conventional gasoline; E85 ethanol; bio-diesel fuel, which contains vegetable oil; and ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel.

From the Niagara Falls thread:

According to data released this morning by the NY State DOL the total number of persons employed in Niagara County during August 2006 was 107,700 up from 107,500 in August of 2005. And up a healthy 3,400 from pre 9-11 August 2001. In fact it is the highest August employment figure since at least 1990, which is as far back as the current data set goes.

In other regions the metro Rochester area has lost a net of 2,700 (.5%) of it's total jobs from August 2005 to August 2006 and 2,500 or .6% of it's Private Sector jobs continuing a years long trend.

wah wah wahhh.
shut it, you have a good job with HSBC.

^^ It's the ones who have the jobs that do the most complaining, ironically.

Citigroup may put facility in Amherst

By JONATHAN D. EPSTEIN
News Business Reporter
9/15/2006

Citigroup is considering placing a second major back-office facility in Amherst's CrossPoint Business Park, but Western New York is still competing tightly with other parts of the country, local real estate and economic development sources said Thursday.
The nation's largest banking company and parent of Citibank is discussing a proposal to expand its existing corporate and investment banking presence in the region, the sources said. The bank is working with Buffalo Niagara Enterprise and Empire State Development Corp., and talks so far have been positive, but no decisions have been made, they added.

Details of the proposal have also not been finalized, but could involve moving jobs from the New York City area, where real estate and salary costs are significantly higher.

"Whatever they're considering, they haven't chosen a site," said James Allen, executive director of the Amherst Industrial Development Agency, who isn't directly involved but said he was briefed on the project. "They are looking at Amherst and other sites around the country."

Citibank officials could not be reached for comment.

Citibank is opening a new facility in Uniland Development Co.'s
CrossPoint park early next month. The 107,000-square-foot project will house its Global Transaction Services group that is now based on Ridge Lea Road, behind Boulevard Consumer Square in Amherst.

Sources say any new building - expected to be even larger and multistory - would likely go next to the new facility if Western New York is chosen. But several other locations nationally are also under consideration. In the meantime, Citibank reportedly continues to hire at its current facility and may temporarily retain its lease with First Amherst Development for Ridge Lea.


News Staff Reporter Sharon Linstedt contributed to this report.
e-mail: jepstein@buffnews.com

Did anyone else hear Sharon Linstedt of the Buffalo News on WBEN radio yesterday? She seemed quite sure that the Bass Pro project would end up being a go. She is the one that wrote the article breaking the news that the Aud would likely be torn down.

According to today's Business First- Citibank's facility could be four stories and 250,000 sq.ft. with up to 2000 jobs. We're competing with Chicago, Toronto and Long Island.

I say Buffalo wins on cost-of-living and stability of workforce. And we'll probably throw a Geico-like incentive package at them. We really need these jobs.

All those jobs would be a huge boost for WNY. I just wish they weren't all going to the outer reaches of WNY civilization (aka North-East Amherst)

I wouldn't want Buffalo and Amherst to become something like Detroit and Southfield. Driving by Southfield you see a mini-skyline of corporate buildings that refused to build in the city.

All those jobs out there will boost the sprawl in that direction (towards Lockport). That process was already started with UB North Campus, but the decision to put Geico out there has really intensified it.

see below

How on earth can anyone consider development in a first ring suburb of the second largest metro in the nation's third most populous state sprawl???? At the same time anytime anything is proposed within the City it is shot down with lawsuits.

Metro Buffalo's motto - "no density and no sprawl"

Jerome. Take a drive around North East Amherst sometime. It is not a "first ring" suburb. Most of the roads surrounding this huge development are two-lane country roads with fields and ditches on the sides. It will need major infrastructure improvements to support the huge influx of people from Geico and Citibank.

the southwest corner of amherst does touch buffalo, but Amherst is large and NE amherst was still woods and farmland up until a couple years ago.

I'm NOT fighting this development. I'm just saying I would have preferred they developed Citibank and Geico and that whole subdevelopment closer to existing infrastructure (such as a true first-ring suburb or the city). That's all.

Jerome. Take a drive around North East Amherst sometime. It is not a "first ring" suburb. Most of the roads surrounding this huge development are two-lane country roads with fields and ditches on the sides. It will need major infrastructure improvements to support the huge influx of people from Geico and Citibank.

the southwest corner of amherst does touch buffalo, but Amherst is large and NE amherst was still woods and farmland up until a couple years ago.

I'm NOT fighting this development. I'm just saying I would have preferred they developed Citibank and Geico and that whole subdevelopment closer to existing infrastructure (such as a true first-ring suburb or the city). That's all.

The Lockport Expressway is at Geico's front door. Sure it would be great if they located in the City, but anyplace in Erie or Niagara is fine with me.

You could have put a major building of 15 storeys downtown for Geico and probably another one for this Citibank deal should it go through.

I would love for Geico or Citibank to have chosen Rochester and located in say Gates or Perinton....2,000 + jobs is like a world series victory in this highly competitive job attraction market in todays world. Rochester hopes Buffalo wins this competition

Jerome. Take a drive around North East Amherst sometime. It is not a "first ring" suburb. Most of the roads surrounding this huge development are two-lane country roads with fields and ditches on the sides. It will need major infrastructure improvements to support the huge influx of people from Geico and Citibank.

the southwest corner of amherst does touch buffalo, but Amherst is large and NE amherst was still woods and farmland up until a couple years ago.

I'm NOT fighting this development. I'm just saying I would have preferred they developed Citibank and Geico and that whole subdevelopment closer to existing infrastructure (such as a true first-ring suburb or the city). That's all.

First regarding infrastucture - are you unaware that the proposed site is adjacent to an Interstate Highway and has an entrance less than 500 feet from an exit of that highway?

Secondly, Amherst by definition IS indeed a first ring suburb. As such it is where new development SHOULD go. Second ring suburbs are by definition those that do not share a boundry with the central city. Amherst does share a boundry with the city and is by all standards considered a first ring suburb. You are the first person I have ever heard of that claimed Amherst was anything but a first ring suburb.

It is the practice of hop-scotching over a first ring suburb (i.e. Amherst) to build in a second ring suburb (i.e. Clarence) that leads to unwarranted sprawl. As a first ring suburb Amherst should be built out, just as Tonawanda and Cheektowaga were.

If you are to limit growth to the central city there will be no growth. Were would any of America's prosperous cities be if they were limited to only developing within whatever land area was their urbanized area 30 or 40 years ago? If they did that they would not be growing, they would be dying the same as Erie County is.

Metro Buffalo has many many problems but sprawl is NOT one of them. According to the Census Bureau Metro Buffalo is the 15th MOST densely populated metropolitan area in the United States. That's 15th out of 376 hardly sprawl central.

Fine Jerome. You are right. I am wrong. OK? :)

What I do know though, since my office is in that same area, is that the roads are two lanes (no turning lanes) surrounded by ditches and fields. That environment is not what I would classify as typical Inner Ring suburb, regardless of whether a small corner of Amherst touches Buffalo 10 miles away. Most of the other office buildings are also relatively new. The growth in that area is very recent - again, not typical of older Inner Rings.

I also know that at 5:00 after work, the roads are so jammed to the point that other side roads are blocked by a half-mile backup of cars waiting for a light... or waiting for someone to make a turn. This is before Citibank opens and before Geico has their full workforce setup. So major infrastructure changes will be needed before thousands more employees are added to traffic. They are starting to spend money on this with the widening of SweetHome. They will need to widen North French very soon among other roads.

Geico was so huge that it has it's own gravity now. It's pulling in small businesses (Quiznos, Bars, Pizza, Banks have already setup shop in the same devel.site) and it's pulling in more big names like Citibank. Having 10,000 people suddenly appear on a site that used to be Woodland and Fields is a major shift.

Woudn't it have been cool if that Gravity from Geico was closer to existing infrastructure, if not downtown buffalo? That way we wouldn't need to spend all this taxpayer money on roads and lights and general infrastructure. Just a thought.

That's all I'm going to say on this. I think my comments are being blown out of proportion here. I was merely stating my opinion based on my observations working in NE Amherst.

I'm glad Geico came to WNY and it's wonderful that Citibank may bring thousands more. The location is secondary... a lower priority. The new jobs are certainly good news for WNY! :)

What I do know though, since my office is in that same area, is that the roads are two lanes (no turning lanes) surrounded by ditches and fields.

Ummmm I believe that Millersport Highway at Interstate 990 which is where the proposed Citibank site is is in reality a 4 lane highway plus turning lanes. It runs northward to a four lane plus turning lane Transit Road. I could be wrong of course since I only drive on it every day.

So let's see the site is accessed from the north and east via 4 lane Millersport Highway and four lane Transit Road and from the rest of the region via an Interstate Highway. Plus as you are probably aware it is serviced by more than one metro bus route.

I hope that they get 15,000 workers in that area perhaps then they will complete the metro rail to UB North and end it at Crosspoint what a boon to the entire region that would be.

Think small, be small if that's what you want go for it. Personally I'd rather see the pie grow throughout WNY and that cannot be done by trying to get business to locate where you want instead of where they want.

Isn't it interesting how Pataki was so visible with the AMD plant in Albany but we haven't heard anythign from him regarding Citibank and heard very little from him regarding Geico...?

Crosspointe is hardly first-ring. Geographically, yes. In character, no. You could drop it 10 miles outside Charlotte and you'd never tell the difference until it started snowing.

On the other hand, I have personally worked on several site designs in and around the Millersport/North French corridors. In time, it won't be "rural fringe" and will be full-blown suburbia. But not yet.

I'm a bit surprised that Citibank is considering reinvesting in an area they just recently devested in. Though this sounds more like corporate business while what they gave up was mostly personal banking. Same thing for Rochester, I thought they had quite a presence there. I can remember several trips to their Garnsey Road offices when my father still worked for them. He even mused about moving there quite often, though obviously never did.

BTW, Millersport Hwy between North French and I-990 is only 2 lanes wide, w/ no turn lanes at the Crosspointe intersection (most traffic exits onto N French). I doesn't widen to 4 lanes until immediately before the I-990 "interchange". (see Google Earth) And North French at I-990 is a disaster. I just did a traffic study there. For a shopping plaza and grocery store at the southeastern quadrant of the Millersport/N French intersection. I'll advise you - if it's built, don't try making a left out of the driveways during the afternoon rush.

As for Pataki, we won't hear from him. I'm sure the LI site is more amicable to him.

Well paid people that work and Geico and this proposed Citibank dev. will still go downtown and spend money. Oddly enough, I'd say there is a segment of people that would live downtown and commute to the suburbs to work. I'd do it if I lived there. You hate to see that Healthnow building go up in the form it did, but that's 1,200 workers down there. If Geico had gone down there, there would be another building similar to that one. the Healthnow building is a sububurban style office park build in a downtown core.

Work began at the Burchfield Penny site on Thursday. Trees were removed and whole site is dug up...

Ive been trying to tell you guys this for a week now! My buddy was working with Cannon Design on a couple of projects over the summer. One day he was walking by a boardroom and he saw a model of downtown and in the model a new building was there next to city hall. He said it was a tall, iconic, slim, building . He said the new skyline looked great. He doesnt know who it was for, because he was just walking by a boardroom, but he said it was about 50 storeys!! "Sniff Sniff" i smell issa!

Ive been trying to tell you guys this for a week now! My buddy was working with Cannon Design on a couple of projects over the summer. One day he was walking by a boardroom and he saw a model of downtown and in the model a new building was there next to city hall. He said it was a tall, iconic, slim, building . He said the new skyline looked great. He doesnt know who it was for, because he was just walking by a boardroom, but he said it was about 50 storeys!! "Sniff Sniff" i smell issa!

Sounds like Issa to me. Someone I know, knows someone who has seen the rendering. He describes it as all reflective glass, very thin, with several step-backs at different levels, terminating in a peak. Architecturally distinctive.

Hearsay, but hooray! :shocked:

^^^^^^^
Glad that someone else has heard something as well. How long do u think it will be until they announce this?

double post sorry

Why are people all mad that Citibank might come to Amherst???

Anyhoot, its good to see some Issa News.

Because Amherst is nothing but ugly 70s sprawl... even though the people who live there think it's upscale.

Ha.

^^^^^^^
Glad that someone else has heard something as well. How long do u think it will be until they announce this?

My guess is that when he's back in town next.

Because Amherst is nothing but ugly 70s sprawl... even though the people who live there think it's upscale.

Ha.
Not everyone can live in Cheetowaggie.... by way of Alabama.

Hey, Cheektowaga's ugly 70s sprawl as well... but at least it doesn't pretend to be upscale.

As for Alabama, well, I'll let the average incomes for Buffalo vs. Birmingham speak for themselves... especially in the suburbs.

Because Amherst is nothing but ugly 70s sprawl... even though the people who live there think it's upscale.

Ha.

Have you even seen the whole town??? I think not, take it from someone who has lived there their whole life.

And we dont think that the whole town is upscale. New neighborhoods and some older neighborhoods are "upscale"

My guess is that when he's back in town next.
Then someone needs to get that guy a plane ticket!

This supposedly uber-cool tower that is planned sounds great so far. But I refuse to get excited about it until the first shovel hits the ground. Totally REFUSE.

OK... I'm excited...

:D

Amherst isnt all 70's sprawl. Have you even seen the whole town??? I think not, take it from someone who has lived there their whole life.

I've been working there for the past week and a half on assignment @ Hopkins-Klein.

Just because there are old neighborhoods doesnt mean that the whole town is 70's sprawl.

B-ham has 70's sprwal. Every city has suburbs with some 70's sprwal.

dubble

Anyway. AM&A's sold for I think 2 mil and the outer harbor is now out of yje NFTA's hands as of lastnight.

Just because there are old neighborhoods doesnt mean that the whole town is 70's sprawl.

B-ham has 70's sprwal. Every city has suburbs with some 70's sprwal.

Well, that still doesn't make it upscale and the crème de la crème of everything like some residents make it out to be ;)

Okay, Amherst has older homes that people live in and there are upscale homes that people live in. Same as many other places.

If I was going to waste my time living is some crappy suburb It would be East Aurora. It has some true upscale qualities. Forget this Amherst Clarence BS. Overall Kenmore is the only suburb that has any real urban quality to offer.

I like Kenmore. :)

Hey, Cheektowaga's ugly 70s sprawl as well... but at least it doesn't pretend to be upscale.

As for Alabama, well, I'll let the average incomes for Buffalo vs. Birmingham speak for themselves... especially in the suburbs.
While I won't say Amherst doesn't pretend to be upscale, at least it has some beef to back it up and it's not totally devoid of character like most US suburbs, like for instance, say Clarence or Wheatfield. Cheektowaga on the other hand has character galore - but zero "upscale".

As for average incomes, yet another instance of thinly veiled pompous smugness. I won't suggest comparing the incomes of Buffalo metro vs. surroundings to Birmingham metro vs. surroundings. You know, that segregation you're so adverse to.

Hey, he brought up the Alabama comparo. I can't help it the metro has the 17th richest city in the nation :tongue3:

I just haven't enjoyed the attitudes I've encountered in Amherst this week - they act as if it's Beverly Hills, and it's not even *that* nice.

^ Cheekytowaga is 50s-60s sprawl...East Amherst is 80s-00s sprawl. Just like to note that there is a difference between Amherst and East Amherst...Amherst is just your everyday every city suburb, East Amherst is a quite a bit more upscale than regular Amherst, that is where I encounter the smugness that comes with millionaires. I like going to East Amherst for garage/estate sales because the people there sell much cooler things than ones I've been to in Cheekytowaga...i.e. Plasma TVs, Cars, Computers

btw, thanks for againing ruining about 2 pages worth of forum by turning yet another unrelated thread into some Birmingham/Alabama rant. When I lived in California and was considering moving to the Kansas City, I don't remember an instance in which i went to the Cali/Midwest forums and started threads on how Buffalo was so much better than their respective cities & regions. I still don't get what you're problem is. I know you wanna show/prove to us how sooo rich you are, as you did when we've met in person, and how wonderful B-ham is...which is great...no one has any beef w/B-ham, which is why some of the things you say are that much more bizarre.

Sad thing is, I never bring it up first.

How do I try to prove to everyone I'm rich? I did no such thing when we hung out... is it because of my car? If so, geez.

I grew up pretty close to Hopkins/Klein..more towards Williamsville North area, though. And I work in the village of Williamsville. I find that most people in the area are very down to earth and friendly.

And the Issa tower talk is exciting! He needs to make an announcement and get going soon!

Also, I'm interested in hearing more details about the Dulski building..what kind of residential..condos or apartments? Price ranges?

As much as I love this city, I was thinking about leaving the area for a while after undergrad, but if things continue to progress as they are, that might not happen!

Here's an interesting tidbit - "Issa" really does mean Jesus in Arabic!

So then, what is Buffalo (the animal, I would assume) in Arabic, if he is in fact our 'savior'? Don't let Bush know he's Iranian, o/w he might get crucified. Though he is a Brit too. Geesh, what a conflict of interest that must be...

As for Issa, I don't think anybody needs to buy him a ticket - I think he's got just enough to scrape together to afford to buy it himself. Heck, he could travel by spaceship if he wanted to. And the fact that he is younger than me really pisses me off!! lol

And just so it wasn't confused - in my post last night, when I said 'character', I meant along the lines of 'distinctive characteristics'. Not that it's being argued, just some clarification.

Besides, arguing comparative incomes in two cities is pointless - and when you said "especially in the suburbs", you imply that the income gap between Buffalo and its suburbs is less than that of B'ham and its.

20th century had racial segregation, 21st will have income segregation. I don't think you wanted to imply that Birmingham is the leader on that 'new wave', I know I wouldn't. It's going to be the downfall of this country, mark my words.

So, when are all these avatars gonna be fixed?

It'd be nice to see some actual development talk in this thread for once. and if someone says "there is no development" I'll whack you upside the head! :P

There is no development.

You don't have to whack me upside the head, just call me back damnit.

:tongue3:

This kind of whiny crap posting should be in the non-development thread.

There is no non-development.

There is no non-development.
yes there is (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=9995676#post9995676)

If I could cut into this love-fest for a second, I'm a little out of the loop since I haven't kept up on Buffalo Development for about a month now. And I have no desire to read back 30 pages. Can someone tell me what is going on with the Casino, last I heard is the Senecas threw a pout, because the city wouldn't sell them the street at their asking price, or something like that. So are they building their cheesy little half-a-casino, or are they going to be adults and build something that will succeed in Buffalo. How is the Healthnow building coming along?

no "upscale" in Depew either...or at least not that I know of.
but it has one hell of a ghetto. (for a suburb).
we take pride in that (not really.....)

Depew's not too bad though, considering it bears the unfortunate malady of having Fprmer as a purported absentee slum err landlord. All things considered, it's the closest thing to "urban" in the vicinity of Chicktavarsah.

Casino - you know I don't know, I haven't heard much either. I know they re-opened Fulton St and the City was bitching and moaning about the sidewalks but that's about it. It is certainly nice to witness City Hall grow a backbone though, here's to hoping it's put to good use rather than just driving more people out.

yes there is (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=9995676#post9995676)

fa·ce·tious (fe-sē'shus)
adj.
Playfully jocular; humorous: facetious remarks.

:D

you know...Fuck the BILLS!!!

Can someone tell me what is going on with the Casino, last I heard is the Senecas threw a pout, because the city wouldn't sell them the street at their asking price, or something like that. So are they building their cheesy little half-a-casino, or are they going to be adults and build something that will succeed in Buffalo. How is the Healthnow building coming along?

Casino - the Indians are still quarreling with the city over Fulton Street. I think they are going to procede with a crappy casino.

Health Now - coming along very nicely, hoping they start to get windows up soon on the curved side facing the 190.

Thanks bjfan, I think the Health Now is going to be a nice addition too Buffalo, it will sure light up nice with all those windows.

^ imo it also helps stretch our downtown more to the west, giving it a more 3-D feel than just all the existing buildings on a line in a north-south direction.

Anyway. AM&A's sold for I think 2 mil and the outer harbor is now out of yje NFTA's hands as of lastnight.

Yeah it did sell for 2 million. It sold to a company called New Horizons. The company plans to invest 50 million into the old building. First floor includes multiple stores. The next two floors include office space. The rest of the building is gonna by used for 300 apartments. I heard this on channel 2 last friday.

I sent a couple messages to the BSC Group last week asking for some information about the Statler and the "Issa" Tower but I haven't heard back...hopefully they will eventually get back to me with a little something. Until then we're at the mercy of the news and a secret informant.

If this is going to be a big announcement, I would doubt that they would spoil it by giving out info like that. I like your proactive approach, though. I'm getting pretty antsy to hear what happens. I'd say getting info from Cannon might be more realistic.

^ you're probably right that it will be some big announcement, but I highly highly doubt Cannon is gonna give out any info, I would expect that any info on it be very confidential w/in that company.

I can't wait to hear the plans. Assumming there are plans. I've heard so much rumor and speculation here, I have no idea what to believe.

^ If I were you, I would believe that something does exist...there has been less speculation than you think.

I've heard absolutely zip outside of this forum. Keep in mind, I work for a engineering consulting firm, the bulk of whose workload is land development and site design - one of the preeminent firms in that field in WNY (at least when it comes to suburban crap). Even then, somebody should still be talking about it.

perhaps the parties involved are not typically local and the planning itself is outside Buffalo? I dunno.

AM&A's would be a perfect gap between the Holling Press and Elk Terminal lofts...the shorter distance between the residential units, the more apt we are to see supporting businesses...why? they have customer foot traffic and know they have a customer base on either side just feet or yards away...not miles. :)

Children's linking with Cinci hospital

Women & Children's Hospital of Buffalo is expected to announce an affiliation with Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

The union is expected to facilitate the sharing of knowledge, resources and services between the institutions to the benefit of children requiring specialized health care in Western New York.

Details will be released today during a 2:30 p.m. press conference, to be attended by officials from both facilities.

Cincinnati's children's hospital is second only to Boston's facility in funding from the National Institutes of Health, and is known to partner with pediatric facilities in the Midwest.

"This is a significant announcement for Women & Children's Hospital and thereby for families throughout Western New York," said Cheryl Klass, president, Women & Children's Hospital of Buffalo. "Affiliating with Cincinnati Children's will further advance the level and range of specialized pediatric care and services immediately available for our children."

So I had to be at City Hall today for a meeting with one of the city's 3 community planners and decided that I would go early and sit through the Planning Board meeting. EastCoastPerspective asked if I would check out two of the items on the agenda and get some pics, for which I obliged.

Item #1: Ellicott Development's Waterfront Village Project

Presented today was preliminary site plans for 15 townhomes as part of the Waterfront Village project that Ellicott has prefered developer status for next to Admirals Walk. The townhomes are of a similar design to the Rivermist Townhomes across Ojibwa Dr. from the Ellicott development. They are a little more pedestrian friendly than Rivermist. The Ellicott reps I talked to stated that development has to begin by the end of the year or they lose prefered developer status from BURA. They will start with 4 units, after those are sold, will buildt the next four, to make a continuous 8, when those are sold will build the last 7 all at once. The townhomes are to be between 2200 and 2700 sq. ft. and have either 2 or 3 bedrooms. Each unit will have a small patio which will overlook a small park behind the townhomes. Maintenance on the park will be paid for by the homeowners association. The preliminary plot plans were approved. The condo tower is still being tweaked but they have to present the plans for that to BURA by the end of October, but they probably won't go before the Planning Board until after the 1st of the year.

Item #2: Colvin/Starin Subdivision in North Buffalo

The second item that EC wanted me to look at was the proposed subdivision between Colvin and Starin along the old Rail ROW in North Buffalo. There are 134 proposed lots, although several prospective buyers have indicated they wanted to buy double lots, so there will not be 134 homes built. The NFTA has required that there be a 30' ROW maintained on the north side of the property to allow for the construction of a bikeway and/or future rail extension. The city department of public works is requiring there to be a 66' wide right of way for the street and adjacent sidewalks, which leaves a 79' to 89' lot depth. The typical lot will be 55' wide with the four corner lots being 70' wide. At both ends of the new street low entrance walls are proposed making this a true 'subdivision'. The developer did not have architectural renderings available for the houses, but I would suspect that they will be of a suburban style considering the lot width and depth. I am going to talk to him on Thursday about some more renderings, so I will probably enquire as to the house designs and see if I could at least encourage him to have the garages set back from the front of the houses. I think this one is going to happen considering that the Planning Board approved the preliminary design as well as the fact that I think the site is properly zoned so unless the North Buffalo people that were opposed to the Natale proposal come out in force to oppose this, I think it will go through.

Some pics from both proposals:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thestip/sets/72157594301041189/

Both developments will be presented at a public hearing in front of the Planning Board on October 10th.

Ellicott's waterfront village townhomes, pic by Stip!

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/7757/pasquale1ha5.jpg

As I said on SSP...

"Hi, and welcome to the fabulous world of 1983!"

They do seem rather bland. At least there isn't any vinyl though...

Are they brick or painted wood? If painted wood, they really ARE 80s!

they look like the townhouses that are on the inner harbor...I'd rather see some more residential scrapers.

They appear to be brick and look very similar to the Rivermist TH's across the street. The last phase is a 14-story, 48 unit condo building; but the site plan looks like there is room for either a second tower or more townhomes. Haven't seen the design for the condo building yet.

Compared to what Ellicott built at Lakefront Commons, these are a vast improvement. Remember, this is the King of Rite Aids, not a patron of fine arts.

Clothier setting up Main Street shop
Business First of Buffalo

Michael Attardo is about to become an urban pioneer -- again.

In what the Elmwood Avenue clothier hopes is a case of history repeating itself, Attardo is preparing to open a men's clothing store in the Belasario complex at 514 Main St. The store, Get Dressed Buffalo, is expected to open on Oct. 10.

Attardo, who also founded the Forever Elmwood civic group, said opening on Main Street along the Buffalo Place pedestrian mall is not all that different from when he opened "Get Dressed" on Elmwood Avenue in 1974.

"In the 1970s, people were giving away property and now look at it," Attardo said.

The same scenario is almost in place in downtown Buffalo.

The central business district is seeing several new residential projects open and with that comes the need for retail services.

"Healthy communities are all about good neighborhoods," Attardo said. "Housing is heating up in downtown because it is cool and people want to be at the center of energy."

But, that spike will stall, unless some services follow. Downtown took one step forward with the opening last year of the Washington Market, an upscale deli and market.

"Right now, housing in downtown is a novelty," said Rocco Termini, Signature Development managing partner. Signature has developed several apartment and loft complexes in downtown.

"Very shortly, people are going to demand services to go along with those apartments," Termini said.

http://buffalo.bizjournals.com/buffalo/stories/2006/09/25/daily32.html

good news for Main street life.

also, the Ellicot units are very nice...won't find anything like that in Nashville.

I found this article on the web, its an awesome article!! take a look:

http://www.usavoice.org/NEWS/Article.cfm?ID=1290

^ It is going to be the passion of the people that bring back the Buff. No city in America has citizens that love their city and region like Buffalonians. Good article, glad see that atleast some outsiders are taking notice. The hundreds of thousands of ex-pats are all itching to come home, lets hope we can deliver in the coming years.

Simpson's long-term UB plan short on detail

Business First of Buffalo - 12:47 PM EDT Thursdayby Tracey DruryBusiness First

The University at Buffalo plans to grow by 40 percent, adding 750 new faculty and 10,000 new students over the next 15 years as it strives to elevate its profile as a public research university.

UB President John Simpson announced his vision and the start of a master planning process during an address Thursday morning at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery. The blue print is part of the UB 2020 planning process, which calls for focusing on all three of UB's campuses: North in Amherst, South on Main Street and the Center of Excellence and other sites downtown around the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.

He also stressed the important symbiosis between UB and the community, which will need to work together to make the expansion a success.

"Strengthening the partnership between the University and the community will benefit all of us," he said.

A great UB, Simpson said, will bring new jobs, more tax revenue, more research dollars, more exposure and more commercializing of local innovation. It will also help to stop or reverse the brain drain, the loss of talented educated individuals from the region.

"It will act as a catalyst of the community from one based on manufacturing to one based on knowledge, technology and innovation, which I believe is the future of this community," he said.

Robert Shibley, a professor in the UB's School of Architecture and Planning, will head up the master planning process.

Simpson told reporters after the address he hopes to model UB's growth after urban universities like UCLA and Pittsburgh State, which he said have both successfully done what he'd like to do in Buffalo.

With 25,000 students, UB is a large university but is not even in the top 50 in the nation for size. However, it has a huge economic impact on the Western New York community, generating $1.5 billion per year -- five times the $300 million subsidy it receives from the state.

"You have in your midst a very good research university," he said. "Having a good university simply is good business. The better the university is, the better it is for the local community in Western New York."

Simpson called on members of the region's business community, as well as elected officials and community leaders from nonprofits and the faith community to become part of the planning process.

"We've seen in our recent Western New York past the result of a coming together of government and business leaders in attracting new business to the region," he said. "I'm asking you to see UB in a similar kind of light and make the growth of our hometown university our community's big initiative.

"The benefit will be tangible and real, hundreds of new jobs, thousands of new students and millions of (dollars in) new economic impact," Simpson said.

Calling Simpson's address more of a "state of the university" speech, Assemblyman Sam Hoyt said he was pleased to hear UB's plans, but disappointed by the lack of specifics.

"I support the concept of growing the university by 40 percent -- that's good for the university and the region," he said. "These types of speeches are big on vision and more often, short on detail and specifics."

Hoyt agreed with one audience member who told Simpson the university needs to create more opportunities to get students into the city and downtown, whether it be for academic purposes or social. He plans to get involved in the planning process and push for the extension of the metro rail out to the Amherst campus to help attain that goal.

"I'm pleased John Simpson is emphasizing this third downtown campus and hopeful for announcements in the near term about growing that physical presence in downtown Buffalo," he said.

Update on the Court Street Building, saw this ad on craigslist.


30000ft² - Brand New Office Tower Coming Soon-FIRST FLOOR RETAIL

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Construction on this glass-clad Court Street Tower should start next spring. Location is 50 Court St. between Pearl and Franklin Streets.
Designed by Kideney Architects, it will have 11 floors of office space including ground floor retail plus two levels of underground parking.
The structure could be ready for occupancy by 2008.

Call Today to hold space for upper office or first floor Retail.

Here are the most recent construction stats for both Rochester and Buffalo.

5 county Rochester area total construction permits for August 2006 were $74,200,000.

Rochester Year to Date $755,700,000.

2 county Buffalo area total construction permits for August 2006 were $82,500,000.

Buffalo Year to Date $948,780,000.

Both figures are from McGraw-Hill F.W. Dodge Division

So much for housing and residences...:dunno:

Offices, housing planned for vacant federal building

Business First of Buffalo

The development partnership that is in the process of acquiring the Dulski Federal Building in downtown Buffalo has revealed its plans for the Delaware Avenue structure.

The joint Acquest Development/Uniland Development Co. partnership, which is paying $6.1 million for the 400,000-square-foot building plans on bringing a mix of office space and residential units to the facility.

The Acquest/Uniland tandem was the winning bidder for the property, which was auctioned in August by the federal General Services Administration.

The 35-year-old Dulski Building has been vacant since the GSA moved 33 offices to other locations after it determined it was less expensive to lease space than rehab the building. All but three of the offices remained in downtown Buffalo.

"The large, open floor plates afford multiple possibilities," said Michael Montante, Uniland vice president.

Once the deal closes, Montante said renovations will begin. He is targeting work to start in the first quarter of 2007. The work includes a new facade.

A total project cost will be determined once final architectural plans are reviewed. The plans will include how much space is dedicated towards office use and how much will be residential.

Acquest and Uniland jointly own the Niagara Center on Elmwood Avenue, a facility that houses many of the agencies who moved from the Dulski Building.

new facade? sounds like there might be hope afterall.

perhaps they can talk to the folks at HSBC and get some plans done up. lol

Update on the Court Street Building, saw this ad on craigslist.


Starting in Spring? Interesting because by agreement with the city they have to start within the next 2 months.

New facade...good. Even if the building continues to sit abandoned, at least it would look better.

When was the last time HSBC was cleaned/sandblasted/whatever, if ever? Just curious. It'd probably lighten 2-3 shades I'd bet. Same thing with City Hall.

Buffalo outgrows one-third of metros
Business First of Buffalo - 7:54 AM EDT Tuesday
Buffalo outperformed one-third of the nation's metropolitan areas in terms of job growth during the past year, based on new figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The two-county metropolitan area added 700 jobs between August 2005 and the same month this year. That raw number tied for 244th place among 367 U.S. metros.

A total of 296 metros added jobs during the past year, while 66 suffered losses and five were unchanged.

Phoenix led the nation with a year-to-year increase of 88,500 jobs, followed by gains of 86,100 in the New York City area, 74,000 in Washington, D.C., 69,000 in Dallas-Fort Worth and 65,400 in metropolitan Houston.

New Orleans, ravaged a year ago by Hurricane Katrina, suffered the sharpest decline, losing 173,400 jobs between August 2005 and August 2006. Other big losses were 22,200 jobs from the Detroit area and 18,100 from Gulfport-Biloxi, Miss.

Nine of New York's 12 metros registered gains in employment. Syracuse posted the largest increase in upstate New York, adding 3,400 jobs since August of last year. Rochester was the biggest loser, with 2,700 jobs slipping away during the past 12 months.

Starting in Spring? Interesting because by agreement with the city they have to start within the next 2 months.


They need to pull a permit by November and start work by next Spring is how I understand it. Would love to know if he has any space leased. All he's said in the past is he was talking to a few law firms. Heck, he files enough suits to keep a few law firms busy, they owe him one.

Guess Dulski will have office, retail, hotel and residential. Guess that about covers it. :laugh: Uniland must really be confident about the office market since they still have two floors to lease at 285 Delaware.

From Snews: http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20061003/1035789.asp

The developer, who described the exterior of the building as "quite ugly," said that will change shortly.

"We plan to remove the entire skin and replace it with something lighter and much more attractive. It won't look like the same building," he said.

UniQuest also will strip out much of the interior, taking care of the structure's long-rumored "asbestos problem" in the process.

Good, that building needs a serious makeover. Id like to see a glass exterior.

New facade...good. Even if the building continues to sit abandoned, at least it would look better.

When was the last time HSBC was cleaned/sandblasted/whatever, if ever? Just curious. It'd probably lighten 2-3 shades I'd bet. Same thing with City Hall.

Well it wouldn't be as noticeable as you might think...ever see pics of downtown when the Steel Mills and all the manufacturing was rolling? city hall was almost black.

HSBC, if they just put an electronic HSBC logo on it...that would be fine.

We all have our reservations about the HSBC Tower, but infact that tower is a wonderful building, brings alot of the "class A" items to downtown.

The catch though, is that alot of those pictures from the 70s, that while they do appear to look darker, most photographs from that period tend to look oversaturated (or something) anyways. I actually like the way they look, to be honest (for example that old 60s-70s picture looking down Court St towards City Hall). But I've also seen pictures from the same period that make HSBC almost a light tan (or "buff") color. Granted that building seems to have some pretty wide range in color depending on the light - but I have to wonder how much filth is on it too.

I'm glad they came right out and called the Dulski "quite ugly". I might have preferred to get a little more detailed than that, but it will suffice. At this rate, pigeon crap encrusted stucco would be an improvement.

I would think HSBC would have been very clean and light during the 70's since it was just built.

City Hall has so much ornamentation and detail... wouldn't sandblasting actually harm the building? How do you clean a building like that safely?

With Q-tips.

a special wash that you spray on and let it sit. Then you rines off and let it dry.

Ahh yes, new Sandstone Tile 'Kaboom'! Great for removing soap scum, mildew, and residual airborne pollutants. That and Q-tips.

The real answer probably lies somewhere in between (as always). There are alot of ways to get something like that done. Can't think of any in particular, but they're there. Plenty of buildings much older and more ornate than City Hall have been restored to full glory elsewhere.

Should've clad them both in terra cotta. Imagine how that'd look! Woun'a, coun'a, shoun'a.

city hall was quite black at one time. it was saturated with coal soot. at one time almost every building was heated with coal. They cleaned it some time in the 70's

http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/986/cityhall.jpg

Some interesting buildings behind City Hall in that photo....All that's left is a church and fire HQs. And what have we gained? Shoreline Apts. and Waterfront School. :down:

I think it is interesting that up until the 1980s Lafayette Square was a roundabout, never knew it till this week...i saw some pics from when they were making main st into the pedestrian mall, you used to be able to drive in a circle around that civil war statue where all the bums hang out (and where they have TITS). I actually saw a bum fight there the other day, aparently one bum didn't like another bum on "his turf", no joke.

city hall was quite black at one time. it was saturated with coal soot. at one time almost every building was heated with coal. They cleaned it some time in the 70's

http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/986/cityhall.jpg

I am pained greatly by looking at this pic. It just hurts considering the amount of density lost behind City Hall. Ugh, all those wonderful planning ideals of the '70s! :puke: :doh: :wtf:

^ your comments remind me of Downtown Albany before Empire State Plaza was built. That area behind city hall is what d-town Albany used to look like before it was all knocked down.

Buffalo seems to be gaining some momentum right now as far as job growth is concerned and downtown, BRING ON THE BUSINESSES!

I am pained greatly by looking at this pic. It just hurts considering the amount of density lost behind City Hall. Ugh, all those wonderful planning ideals of the '70s! :puke: :doh: :wtf:


ofcourse, everyone was doing cocaine and disco drove everyone fuckin crazy

the end result, urban renewal! :nono:

off the subject:
Buffcity nice new picture!! Speaking of which, i cant believe/wait that tonight the Sabres start!! :eek2: It'll be sweet to see the Sabres ruin Carolinas day and even sweeter when the Bills beat the Bears!!!:scouserd:

I don't know about the Bills over the Bears, but I'd certainly like to see Laviolette doing some more whining than usual tonight. Just think - to humiliate them in their own building on the day they raise the banner. The only team that has not won a game yet this year, I might add, though it's only pre-season.

Tolls to be moved :applause:

The Majority Leader of the New York State Senate now wants the tolls on I-190 in Buffalo to be removed. Republican, Joseph Bruno made the announcement on Thursday afternoon, along with support from the Republican Western New York State Senate delegation.

"For too many years, these tolls have been have been an unfair commuter tax on the Western New Yorkers," said Bruno, in a written statement released Thursday afternoon.

In early 2006, Buffalo developer, Carl Pallidino filed a lawsuit against the New York State Thruway Authority, calling for the toll booths to be removed. Pallidino claimed the Authority passed on federal money that would have allowed them to take down the toll booths and still maintain the stretch of the road that runs through Buffalo.

In April, New York State Attorney General, Eliot Spitzer announced he will force the Thruway Authority to remove the Buffalo tolls, if he is elected Governor. Spitzer is now the endorsed Democratic candidate for governor. The Republican candidate, John Faso also supports remove the toll barriers.

Mike Powers is the attorney who filed Pallidino's lawsuit against the Thruway Authority. In an interview conducted by 2 On Your Side on Thursday, Powers said the statement by State Senator Bruno is key in the effort to remove the tolls.

Casino talks!


Oct 05, 2006 - There's new developments in the ongoing downtown casino controversy. This afternoon The City of Buffalo and the Seneca Nation announced that plans for a full scale casino are now back on track.

The Seneca's once again own Fulton Street. They purchased the street for $631,000. Talks between the City and the Seneca's broke down the first time when the City pulled Fulton Street off the table. The Seneca's have maintained that Fulton Street is critical if they're going to built a first class casino.

The Seneca's said today they plan to invest 5-to-7 million dollars in improvements in and around Fulton Street. They say a full scale casino will bring in a thousand new jobs and they say they'll also spent almost two million dollars on a marketing campaign.

The Seneca's will initially build a temporary casino which will be up and running by the spring of '07

Joe Bruno is such a great, caring guy.

Asshole. The fact that he's behind it almost makes me want to take the side of the Thruway on this one. Stay out of our affairs you f'in turdmonger, you've screwed us up enough as it is.

'Tired' of hearing about Upstate decline still??? Asshole. What's more depressing is that the masses of redundant protoplasm in Troy keep re-electing the moron.

I have some clacified info:)

The newer Larkin Building has offices of NY State Senaters right. One __ ___ ____ ________ ________ might have an office there.

I'll be happy when the largest of the Larking Buildings are converted like the current one...that would be Fricken sweet.

I wanna get an office at Larkin :)

:gossip:
There's going to be a new office building constructed near the Larkin by CityView- going to be called "Mill Race Commons." I don't have any details as far as size or height yet, and exact location for that matter. CityView has a whole bunch of property they've been acquiring over the last few years nearby. They are waiting for Empire Zone certification before unveiling the project.

^ when might you have some more info, and when might there be some kind of announcement?

^ when might you have some more info, and when might there be some kind of announcement?


I keep pestering them- and they are anxious to get going- but I don't have any idea. I'm guessing it would be before the end of the year. If anyone is in the area- drive around and see if any signage is up. If you look at their website here:

http://www.cityviewbuffalo.com/larkin/parking.html

you can see the property they own. The 'future' parcel at Exchange and Smith is supposed to be retail. The best site for a new office building in my opinion is parking lot 'B'. :dunno:

They are a cool company, seem to be one of the most "impressive" of the developers in town.

hope the building works out good for them, I would like to see the other massive Larkin building converted as well...maybe someday.

coast, any gut feeling on whether it will be highrise, midrise, suburban lowrise? My guess would be 5-10 stories, just because a highrise might look out of place, but who knows maybe they are looking to create a second downtown.

There was a pretty scathing article in the Buffalo News today, it's like they try to beat the dead horse over and over again, I'll spare you all having to read it, it just re-states the slow job-growth in WNY over, and over and over and over again...poor journalism if you ask me, as if that is really news to anyone.

Oh and there is also an article about the poor rise in the housing costs in the WNY area in the past 10 years or whatever....again, as if it is "news" to anyone

Nah, we're just a forgetful bunch, we need to be reminded every now and again how foolish we all must be to ever want to see anything more out of the place.

The Buffalo News might not being telling us wrong information, but they are telling us stuff that does not exactly help the cause they are reporting about.

I guess its the difference between Buffalo Rising and the Buffalo News...proactive news vs reactive news.

OMG!!! If a new highrise is built I have the best skyline view. But, I am the only person on this forum who has access to the roof. So I would only be able to go there once because I can only go to the building once. :) Next time I go which wont be anytime soon, I will get a lot of pictures on a crappy digitle camera.

coast, any gut feeling on whether it will be highrise, midrise, suburban lowrise? My guess would be 5-10 stories, just because a highrise might look out of place, but who knows maybe they are looking to create a second downtown.

My guess- suburban low-rise. They've just filled 10 floors of 60,000 sq.ft. each- a few of the tenants took whole floors. So, I'm guessing they go for large floor-plates on the new building- 30-40,000 sq.ft. each and three floors max. These are floor sizes you can't find downtown.

Well atleast there is "un-downtown" development going on.

I like how Larkin runs a taxi to downtown...now if MetroRail can only expand there...might link downtown to the casino to larkin...then...Central Terminal.

I just Emailed CityView about getting on the roof at larkin...Newell got up there so I might be able to swing something.

Maybe they are gonna re-build the larkin admin building....HAHAHAAHAHA

http://www.buffalorising.com/city/archives/2006/10/front_promenade.php

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20061009/1028192.asp

Phase One of the project, estimated to cost $500,000 to $750,000, would involve installing a paved pathway, which would connect to Riverwalk just north of Porter Avenue. The pathway would extend nearly 2,000 feet through the new park toward the Peace Bridge, where it would rejoin the waterfront trail.

Subsequent phases would involve building terraced overlooks into steeper sections of the land above the promenade. No price tag has been placed on that additional development.

The strip of land varies in width from a few dozen feet to more than 60 yards when vertical areas are included. It would be accessible only by foot, bike or boat, not motor vehicles.

"This would not only offer fantastic views of the waterfront, the Canadian shoreline and sunsets, it will also be a great vantage point for watching West Side Rowing Club regattas. It will be like a natural grandstand," Hoyt said.

The lawmaker said the Thruway Authority could transfer the land as early as next spring, with work on Phase One commencing next summer.

I wonder how closing the gates circle hospital would impact that area. The hospital campus currently takes a lot of land and it's right on the circle. Woudl it play into the plans for a new condo tower across the street at Park Lane? Could the land be re-developed for condos as well, or maybe as an alternative site?



NYS To Suggest Hospital Closings, New UB Center
Monday, October 9, 2006 06:08 AM - WBEN Newsroom

Buffalo, NY (WBEN) - A state panel studying hospital capacity and possible closures, may soon have reccomendations to close 3 area hospitals, shift a large amount of work from Erie County Medical Center, and create a new University at Buffalo teaching center downtown.

The Buffalo News says reccomendations could come later this week to:

-- Close Millard Fillmore Gates Circle Hospital

-- Close DeGraff Memorial Hospital in North Tonawanda

-- Shut down one of the area's Catholic Health System facilities, with St. Joseph's in Cheektowaga being mentioned as the most likely candidate.

-- Shift the region's trauma center and establish a regional heart surgery center at Buffalo General

-- Develop a major UB teaching center near Buffalo General, adjacent to the UB Bioinformatics Center and The Hauptman-Woodward Institute.

The moves would not close Erie County Medical Center, but drastically change their role. Currently ECMC is the area's only fullscale trauma center and has been agressively marketing it's role as a facility for open heart surgeries.

The closure suggestions are being made by a local study group that reports to Governor Pataki's Commission on Hospitals. The Commission is operating on the premise that hospital capacity is too large, and surviving hospitals could flourish if some were shuttered.

I think it would send that neighborhood which is now teetering over the brink.. unless there is a sound reuse or demolition plan for the site.

They should close Millard Filmore Suburban. Kind of stupid to close a centraly located hospital at the same time you are expanding a hospital in sprawl-land

Are you serious? Gates is only a few blocks from Sister's and only a few more from General. You MUST have hospitals where the people live which like it or not is now mostly in the suburbs. In a medical emergency time, not urban planning is of the essence.

I hope I never get sick while I'm in Buffalo. The hospitals here scare me. I've been to several including Sisters and they were so dirty and old that I just wanted to leave before visiting my friends.

It took my mom and dad 5 minutes to get from my house in East Amherst to Miliard Filmore Suburban. It would be like 15 minutes if it were to ECMC. And that woukd be at 2:00am when no one is on the road. And the expanding hospital in sprwal-land is expandng because more pepole go there now.

If you draw a 10 mile circle around Gates and a 10 mile circle around Suburban you will find a far far far higher population within the Gates Hospital circle. Divide that population by the population living in overlaping circles from other hospitals and the population that is near gates is still far higher than a suburban. Amherst is strictly low density. Then take into account that more elderly live in the city. Then take into account that A huge population of people work inside the city. Then take into account that Gates is more centrally located in the region making it closer to more people in the region as a whole.

Should we have special hospitals for Orchard Park and Hamburg too? What about a special hospital for Cheektowaga and Tonawanda also. Maybe since Amhersts growth is slowing we should have a special hospital built in Clarence were the real growth is.

don't close hospitals, move doctors offices and future expansion into them to keep them from closing.

The suburbs are not growing like crazy either...so moving that way would be as dumb as closing them all together.

:nono:

St Joe's is staying open! They can't close it because of it's location !
Sisters will be closed ! because it's close to ECMC

Also they can't close Kenmore Mercy because it serves the Kenmore, Tonawanda's Grand Island & North Buffalo,
(with DeGraph closing, KMH will be geting a ton of Patents)
or South Buffalo Mercy because it serves South Buffalo, Lackawanna,
W.Seneca, Orchard Park,Hamburg and the other South Towns
(that recently closed Our Lady of Victory Hosptal in that area)
St. Joes serves Cheektowaga, Depew, Lancaster, Alden,and other eastern
suburbs + St Joes just built brand new ER

Is St. Joe's a bad hospital? My ambulance drivin' boyfriend and all of the other EMTs call it "Sloppy Joe's."

Err...

Is St. Joe's a bad hospital? My ambulance drivin' boyfriend and all of the other EMTs call it "Sloppy Joe's."

Err...


Ya, they never lost that reputation ! They seemed to be a little better
ECMC is really really scarry ! that's why their going to move the Trauma Center to BGH and why their putting a Helipad on the roof for Mercy Flight, Star Flight etc. Their going to merge some things with UB too, At One Time
UB was going to build their own hospital on the Amherst Campus, they used to have their own ambulance service on campus too, Baird Point Ambulance had 2 rigs

St Joe's is staying open! They can't close it because of it's location !
Sisters will be closed ! because it's close to ECMC

Sisters is the most profitable hospital in the Catholic hospital system. I dont think they will be closing it. Sisters made $6 million of the $8 million surplus.

Also, The Catholic Health System does not have to close any of its hospitals.

Hey, I'm all for service consolidation - focusing resources on selected centers theoretically should provide both service and cost efficiency benefits. I do think we have too many hospitals. Cry shifting population all you want, but that's only part of the problem.

Hospitals in the suburbs is assinine. I hate to equate it to a computer game, but did you ever play SimCity? That's a great way to blow a budget; all the pork and patronage in the world is helpless to compete with that. Build smaller size clinics not unlike Mercy Ambulatory in O.P. - I've been there before (not for my own needs), it's not bad. Increase the number of choppers for service if need be. It's a better solution than plunking down some gargantuan hospital out in the boondocks just because more people are living out there.

We don't have big fire departments out in the 'burbs, instead you have a handful of volunteer fire departments. And I don't see houses burning down at an alarming rate so something must be happening right. Granted there are some benefits to limited consolidation in that area as well (there always is anywhere) but the system works.

Just keep enough in business dispersed across a decent area so that all the William Mattars and Lionel Hutzes of the world still have ambulances to chase. They can't chase choppers. Yet.

Sisters is gross, dirty, and disgusting. Level it!

Is there a hospital in Lockport or are they served by Millard Fillmore Suburban? I know there is Niagara Falls Memorial and St. Mary's in Lewiston- now there's some overlap. Close the Lewiston hospital.

The way Canisius is growing- they'd probably be interested in Sister's if it closed. If Gates Circle closes, the land is probably worth more than the building.