Actually, can anybody recommend a cool hotel to stay at? Something downtown or near an area that has a lot of nightlife?

Thanks.

Bayviews: "I looked into the results of the same in cities like Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Nashville, Louisville as well as Toronto & Hamilton & the results were basically conservative, suburban power grabs that stifled urban agendas."

I would disagree - although a lot of that probably depends on exactly what you meant when you said "stifled urban agendas". Central Indianapolis was completely dying in the 60's. In the late 60's, "Unigov" was created that merged the city of Indianapolis with most of the rest of Marion County. The First Republican mayors to serve under Unigov were Richard Lugar (now long time Senator Lugar) and Bill Hudnut - who served for four terms. They immediately began to focus on rebuilding downtown - with projects like Market Square Arena (keeping the Pacers downtown), the new downtown convention center, the growth of IUPUI and the downtown Medical Center, new sports facilities downtown, historic preservation of facilities like the City Market, Union Station, Monument Circle, etc. and also helped see that the Hoosier Dome got built (connected to the Convention Center)- and encouraged the development of multiple new downtown highrises and large hotels.

The city - county merger increased the tax base enough to do all of these things -- along with significant support from the State, the private sector and philanthropies (primarily Lilly endowment).

There are plenty of things to criticize about Unigov -- but I definitely would not say that it hurt the downtown area. It helped stabilize the downtown which encouraged thousands of people to renovate homes and move into new downtown residential developments. With a pretty strong downtown area - the city has been focusing more on the surrounding neighborhoods over the past few decades and there has been steady improvement in many of the neighborhoods surrounding downtown in the central city.

Now -- (40 years after Unigov) most of the "tea bagger" types are in the surrounding counties -- so Indianapolis / Marion County is really a pretty moderate and diverse place.... consisting primarily of a good number of liberals with plenty of moderates and not too many extreme conservatives.

Actually, can anybody recommend a cool hotel to stay at? Something downtown or near an area that has a lot of nightlife?

Thanks.

The hotel that is in teh Avant building- I forget its name. Or the one next to it at Delaware and Chippewa. That puts you near some stuff on Chippeway but the night life is a bit less fratboyish a few blocks up on Allen Street

I would disagree - although a lot of that probably depends on exactly what you meant when you said "stifled urban agendas".

Fair points. Indy has done pretty well. But remember, Indy’s a state capital that never suffered anywhere near the decline of Buffalo. I’ll grant you that Dick Lugar was a good mayor & visionary. And Bill Hudnut, who had Buffalo ties, was pretty good also. But Indy’s also suffered from some very conservative mayors, including one who blocked a light rail line. Indy’s driven by a suburban agenda.

A better comparison is Minneapolis & St. Paul, which have strong regional & metropolitan agencies, but didn’t follow the Indy consolidation example. Frankly, despite suffering worse winters, the Twins have become a lot more cosmopolitan, diverse, vibrant, & interesting than Indy, or what they were. The Twin Cities built a light rail system & have become a key international airline hub, etc.

Had Buffalo been folded into Erie County, Joel Giambra would have been King. Had he fell, as he did when he quit his county job, a consolidated Buffalo/Eire County would have ended up with what Erie County has today, a very conservative Chris Collins.

Clearly, that even a city that has as much going for it as Toronto is clearly suffering as a consequence as an ill-fated metro consolidation further reinforces my doubts on such dubious schemes.

Actually, can anybody recommend a cool hotel to stay at? Something downtown or near an area that has a lot of nightlife?

Thanks.

In BUFFALO? :lol::nuts::lol::nuts::lol::nuts::lol:

:)Good luck on that quest!!!!:lol::)

Corner Bakery Cafe, a fast, casual restaurant franchise, will soon open two stores in the Buffalo area.

Franchisee Fran DeSimone plans to bring 15 locations to New York State within the next six years — six of them in the Buffalo area.

Burger fans rejoice.

The long-awaited opening of the region’s first Five Guys Burgers and Fries .Five Guys Burgers and Fries Latest from The Business Journals Five Guys tops quick-service restaurant study Five Guys, Panera tops among favorite fast-food placesFront Burner Brands breaks in to the better burger business Follow this company .is set for Sept. 21 at the corner of Maple and Transit roads in Amherst. Five Guys, earlier this year, announced plans to open a handful of locations in the immediate Buffalo Niagara region, starting with the first one in Benderson Development Co. .Benderson Development Co. Latest from The Business Journals Buffalo Lodging opens hotel near airportBenderson buys Transit Road site for 5KPhillips Lytle opens office in Kitchener, Ont. Follow this company .’s Eastgate Plaza.

A second Five Guys will open in November near the Walden Galleria, with as many as six other planned in the region including possible sites in Jamestown and Lockport.

The Arlington, Va.-based Five Guys is on a rapid expansion program with plans to open 200 outlets around the country this year

http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2011/09/13/five-guys-to-fire-up-grill-sept-21.html

Actually, can anybody recommend a cool hotel to stay at? Something downtown or near an area that has a lot of nightlife?

Thanks.
These are all downtown -

Holiday Inn near North and Delaware
Best Western near Allen and Delaware
The Mansion near Edward and Delaware ($$$)
Hampton Inn on Chippewa and Delaware
Embassy Suites on Huron and Delaware (Avant Building)
Hyatt Regency on Main St Fountain Plaza
Comfort Suites on Chippewa and Main
Hostel Buffalo Niagara - 600 block Main St

I see they have demolished the old Tunmore car dealership building on the corner of Delaware and Sanders. Does anyone know if there are plans for a new building that have been made public yet? I hope they maintain the corner, as that was the last intact corner on that intersection.

These are all downtown -

Holiday Inn near North and Delaware
Best Western near Allen and Delaware Blahhh
The Mansion near Edward and Delaware ($$$)
Hampton Inn on Chippewa and Delaware
Embassy Suites on Huron and Delaware (Avant Building)
Hyatt Regency on Main St Fountain Plaza
Comfort Suites on Chippewa and Main
Hostel Buffalo Niagara - 600 block Main St

My opinion

There definitely are some good hotels near the nightlife in Buffalo. I've been in the Hampton on a few occassions after the bars. It's as convenient as it gets.

Post...

Thanks for the suggestions people. Fubu I can find fun anywhere.

Back to development guys - move this over to the non development thread

I see they have demolished the old Tunmore car dealership building on the corner of Delaware and Sanders. Does anyone know if there are plans for a new building that have been made public yet? I hope they maintain the corner, as that was the last intact corner on that intersection.

Here's last I've seen on that:

Tunmore's North Buffalo site to get Basil used-car facility; Sold for $780,000; renovations planned
Matt Glynn. Buffalo News. Buffalo, N.Y.: Apr 16, 2010. pg. D.6

Copyright Buffalo News Apr 16, 2010

For decades, the Tunmore family has sold automobiles on Delaware Avenue in North Buffalo.

That location is about to undergo a makeover. The Basil family of auto dealers, following a real estate deal, is preparing to open a used-car operation at the current home of Tunmore Auto Center and plans extensive renovations.

A Basil affiliate purchased the facilities and real estate at 2677 Delaware Ave. from Roger Tunmore. The sale price was $780,000, according to county records.

The transaction does not include Tunmore's corporation, and he will continue to operate a very limited business from offices at the property. It will be distinct from Basil's operation, and Tunmore said his intent is not to compete with Basil.

The transition should be completed at the end of this month with Tunmore winding down most of his operations while Basil ramps up what will be called Basil Resale Delaware.

Basil's plans call for demolishing and replacing the showroom, as well as replacing much of the existing service operations. The business will remain open while the improvements, estimated at $1.5 million, are made, said John Basil, a principal in the business.

Basil Resale Delaware aims to begin the overhaul this fall and hopes to have it finished next spring, he said.

The site, just south of Kenmore Avenue, has a history of automotive sales. Tunmore's father, Edward E. Tunmore, opened an auto sales and service business there in 1923, and he became an Oldsmobile dealer several years later. Roger Tunmore later followed him as owner. For more than a half-century, the dealership's Olds sign was a twinkling local landmark.

Ten years ago, General Motors announced it would gradually phase out its Olds brand. Tunmore stopped selling new Oldsmobiles in 2002 and converted his business to Tunmore Auto Center, a used-car operation.

Tunmore said the timing of the real estate deal with Basil made sense to him. "It's an older facility," he said. "In my belief, it would have required almost a restructuring [of the facility] in the current age."

Tunmore said he was not prepared to make such a financial commitment, and he felt comfortable making the deal with the Basils. "We really thank the people of Western New York for helping us have so many years of success here," he said.

The Basil family is also well established locally, through several new-car and used-car operations.

John Basil estimated Basil Resale Delaware will employ about 30 people.

The Basil dealer group had been looking for a spot in North Buffalo, after opening Basil Resale South on Abbott Road. That project also involved creating a new showroom.

I see they have demolished the old Tunmore car dealership building on the corner of Delaware and Sanders. Does anyone know if there are plans for a new building that have been made public yet? I hope they maintain the corner, as that was the last intact corner on that intersection.
From the little information they've mentioned in the news... it sounds like the corner will be a new parking lot.

:down:

From the little information they've mentioned in the news... it sounds like the corner will be a new parking lot.

:down:


Well folks........that's development, Buffalo style!

Plaza Suite developer buys AlphaGraphics building

“We’re looking at properties now. We’ve never seen so much activity,” he said. “Who would have thought Buffalo is one of the best places to be during this recession?”


http://www.buffalonews.com/business/article556081.ece

From the little information they've mentioned in the news... it sounds like the corner will be a new parking lot.

I can't wait for the Buffalo Green Code to be finished and made law. (Although I suppose it's entirely possible that all Delaware/Elmwood north of Hertel may be zoned "sprawl style retail", which would be a shame. Acknowledging what's already there is one thing; surrendering a huge chunk of the city is another.

Although I have talked to some of the people involved with the Green Code development and they are definitely interested in things like zoning the space immediately adjacent to Delaware or Elmwood for street-facing buildings that would screen the rest of the parking lagoon from the street. So I think there is a desire to improve what's there over time.

I can't wait for the Buffalo Green Code to be finished and made law.
I admit I don't know the details around the Green Code, but my concern is that no matter how great it is, there will still be political work-arounds and loop-holes where the city can push through whatever they want, even if it violates the code. We've all seen what happens when Delta Sonic wants a new location and suddenly basics like sidewalks and trees are considered expendable.

When someone promises new development and jobs, will the Green Code still hold up under the pressure?

It does come down to enforcement, but at least the starting point will be appropriate to an urban environment. Developers that want to build in a sprawl style will need to jump through hoops to get variances, etc., whereas today it's often the opposite, where developers that want to build an urban-appropriate building have to get variances for minimum setbacks, minimum off-street parking requirements, etc. Citizens who want to protect the character of their neighborhoods will also now have the city charter on their side when they speak at public hearings, etc.

Speaking of the Green Code, consider adding your voice in support of Green Options Buffalo's "Sustainable Transportation Agenda", which they are submitting for consideration of incorporation into the Green Code.

http://www.buffalorising.com/2011/09/a-sustainable-transportation-agenda-1.html

It does come down to enforcement, but at least the starting point will be appropriate to an urban environment. Developers that want to build in a sprawl style will need to jump through hoops to get variances, etc., whereas today it's often the opposite, where developers that want to build an urban-appropriate building have to get variances for minimum setbacks, minimum off-street parking requirements, etc. Citizens who want to protect the character of their neighborhoods will also now have the city charter on their side when they speak at public hearings, etc.
Agreed that it takes enforcement. When I look at new development on Elmwood that skirts their design regulations I'm concerned how well more blatant abuses will be enforced in places like Delaware Ave that don't have an involved activist community fighting for it.

Actually, can anybody recommend a cool hotel to stay at? Something downtown or near an area that has a lot of nightlife?

Thanks.

The top 2 chain hotels would be Embassy Suites in the Avant building and Hampton Inn on Delaware/Chippewa

Mansion on Delaware is the top boutique hotel
enjoy your time in Buffalo :)

*do NOT book a room at they Hyatt downtown, my friends worked there a few years ago and its poorly maintained*

at start
http://www.buffalorising.com/assets_c/2011/08/BS-4606-thumb-400x560-22690.jpg


Now
http://www.buffalorising.com/assets_c/2011/09/BS-0376-thumb-500x700-23151.jpg



http://www.buffalorising.com/2011/09/construction-update-bakers-shoes.html

:)

^^ I second that!

Sad but not surprised as far as Toronto’s trend toward suburban politics. I wasn’t a big fan of the mega-city amalgamation back in the late 90s. Toronto city voted against it but it was pushed by Mike Harris, the conservative Ontario premier who was aka the "Newt Gringritch of the North."

Of course as you indicate, the result is that Toronto’s been losing some of the “Jane Jacobs Spirit” for which it was once renowned.

About a decade ago, there was a similar suburban powergrab, led by the then Erie County executive, to do much the same in Buffalo. Abolish the city & fold it into the Erie County, while keeping the 40 or so small suburban cities, towns,villages, & other tiny fiefdoms intact!

I looked into the results of the same in cities like Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Nashville, Louisville as well as Toronto & Hamilton & the results were basically conservative, suburban power grabs that stifled urban agendas.

As in the case of Toronto, city residents would have been politically disenfranchised. And so I did what I could to campaign against it. Fortunately we won that battle to preserve the city of Buffalo.

I don't think you could be more wrong in the case of metro government for Buffalo. I think Buffalo missed out on a great opportunity on that one. For it to work, tho, all former villages, etc. will have to be included, not excluded, from a unified metro government. They can still be "burroughs" like NYC and have some local decision making powers, but the financial need alone to consolidate should be a strong motivating factor.

I find is almost amusing that all the tea bagging conservatives who are always crying for fiscal restraint somehow tolerate duplication of fire, police, etc. along with the beaurocracy all the mini-governing structures cost.

As for Toronto - their giganticism was brought about because of the Quebec Separatist movement of the 60's when most of the anglo financial institutions abandoned the former financial capital of Montreal for Toronto. Also, Toronto was bound to be a giant, since it and Montreal were the only large Canadian cities on the east, and the largest in Canada.

Liberal immigration policies augmented the spectacular growth, and sustains that today.

Buffalo is stuck in that any government changes have to be blessed by Albany, and we know how much Albany cares about any other locality other than NYC!!! Couple that with the fact that other "large" cities like Rochester, and even Niagara Falls are nearby, while Toronto, Indianapolis and Minneapolis/St. Paul are essentially all there is for the region, and they have the added benefit of being state/provincial capitals, and Buffalo's growth is always to be diluted in comparison.

Can-Do Capitals

Cities that ranked the highest in four categories -- sustainability, livability, transportation/infrastructure, and business development --and each city's composite score in a Newsweek/Daily Beast (http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/galleries/2011/09/11/american-can-do-cities-oakland-boston-philadelphia-photos.html) ranking:

1. El Paso, 71.43

2. Oakland, 65.60

3. Riverside, Calif., 64.19

4. San Antonio, 61.64

5. Omaha, 61.39

6. Washington, D.C., 61.21

7. Raleigh, N.C., 61.04

8. Atlanta, 60.99

9. Buffalo, N.Y., 60.43

10. Austin, 59.43

10 (tie) Boston, 59.43

12. Philadelphia, 59.26

13. Dallas, 58.47

14. Fort Worth, 58.14

15. Portland, 58.09

16. Colorado Springs, Colo., 57.95

17. San Diego, 57.88

18. Detroit, 57.87

19. Indianapolis, 57.55

20. Milwaukee, 57.48
Source: Newsweek/Daily Beast: http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/galleries/2011/09/11/american-can-do-cities-oakland-boston-philadelphia-photos.html

I don't think you could be more wrong in the case of metro government for Buffalo. I think Buffalo missed out on a great opportunity on that one.

I think you’ve confused metropolitan government with mega-agglomerations. Toronto had a very effective, cooperative, & successful metropolitan government comprised of the city plus a half or so dozen suburbs, since the mid-fifties.

That’s quite different from Toronto’s current Megacity where the compact city & its larger suburbs were lumped together with the political results that are driven by a suburban agenda. Regardless of its political structure, Toronto has & will boom, thanks mostly to its being a very welcoming new immigrant magnet.

The Twin Cities in Minnesota & Portland are among the successful US cities that have effective, cooperative, workable metropolitan governance, without a suburban-driven consolidation.

The consolidation that being pushed for Buffalo in the early 2000s would have keep the bloated governmental structures of over 40 suburban cities, towns, & villages in Erie County intact. While effectively eliminating the mayor, city council etc of Buffalo, by far the largest locality.

That made absolutely no sense. What you’d have ended up was a suburban takeover with a Joel Giambra or a Chris Collins running the whole show.

No thanks. Glad it didn’t happen!

Children's move to medical campus on horizon
Date: Monday, September 19, 2011

Kaleida Health is moving forward with its plans to build a new facility for Women & Children’s Hospital on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.

Acting on a request from its physician community to expedite the process, the organization issued a request for proposals (RFP) in early September to identify a financial and/or development partner. The physicians would like to see a new inpatient facility built in the next few years.

Responses are due back in about 30 days, says Michael Hughes, vice president for marketing, public relations and government affairs.

...

Kaleida is looking at how to move the hospital from its existing home on Bryant Street, in the middle of a residential neighborhood.

Already underway is a plan to build an outpatient pediatric ambulatory surgery center in a shared facility on Main Street at the edge of the medical campus. Construction is slated to begin later this year. Four homes on Hodge Street previously purchased by Kaleida for an ambulatory surgery center adjacent to the existing hospital are being turned over to a private developer for residential development.

...

Full article - http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2011/09/19/childrens-unit-on-horizon-at-medical.html?page=all

Buffalo Among Top 3 Metros in Gross Metropolitan Product Performance Of 100 Largest US Metros: Brookings (http://www.brookings.edu/metro/MetroMonitor/gross_metropolitan_product.aspx)


:cheers:

I've been exploring downtown Buffalo on my lunch breaks and have been wondering what is up with the Curtiss Building restoration? The last I heard was that it was underway. I just walked by the other day and there was zero sign of activity or that anything has been done. Was wondering if anyone knew what the word was, does the Statler have anything to do with the lack of progress?

Also, the Baker's Shoes building has all the windows in and looks good. I need to get a camera.

Maybe they're doing Asbestos abatement inside. If that's the case, they would want a closed environment while they're removing it.

I've been exploring downtown Buffalo on my lunch breaks and have been wondering what is up with the Curtiss Building restoration? The last I heard was that it was underway. I just walked by the other day and there was zero sign of activity or that anything has been done. Was wondering if anyone knew what the word was, does the Statler have anything to do with the lack of progress?

Also, the Baker's Shoes building has all the windows in and looks good. I need to get a camera.

"As for the boutique hotel planned for the Curtiss Building, Croce said that his resources and time have been focused on the Statler Building. "Buying the Statler has changed my plans for the Curtiss," he says. Specifically, the large banquet facilities planned for the Curtiss Building project are being dropped. Croce says he anticipates having redrawn plans for the project done next year but is holding off on predicting a start date. He says the project is not dead by any means."
-Buffalo Rising

Thank you, I'm happy something is still going to be done. Its a great building.

how did this article slip by you guys?

Developer set on bringing life back to downtown
September 18, 2011

As more of Buffalo’s historic but dilapidated downtown buildings have undergone restoration and revival, one name that frequently comes up is Rocco Termini, owner of Signature Development Buffalo LLC.

Termini, a longtime figure in Western New York real estate, is focusing his attention on a single stretch of Washington Street, occupied by the Lafayette Hotel, the former AM&A’s warehouses and the former AM&A’s department store building.

He has already redeveloped the neighboring warehouses into a mixture of 48 apartments and office space, with the entire building fully occupied since it reopened.

More than 200 construction workers are restoring, renovating and rebuilding the once-grand Lafayette, and Termini has big plans for the former AM&A’s department store across the street.
...
Full article: http://www.buffalonews.com/business/local-business/article561139.ece

http://www.buffalonews.com/incoming/article564379.ece/BINARY/w620/Sandoro.jpg

Pierce-Arrow Museum to fuel tourism
Owner sees new Frank Lloyd Wright-designed gas station attracting fans of architect, transportation and local history to Buffalo

... the new addition of brick and precast concrete should be enclosed by November. Sandoro is hoping the gas station can be completed as soon as June.

... Work on a 35,000-square-foot, three-story addition to the east of the new structure could start as early as next spring, if funding is in place. That space would display more of Sandoro's automobiles and automobile memorabilia, and would include a theater to show a film about Buffalo transportation.

The cornerstone of the new space is the full-size replica of the filling station drawn up by Wright but never built for the corner of Michigan and Cherry Street more than a mile to the north.



full article - http://www.buffalonews.com/city/communities/downtown/article564314.ece

^
Looks good!

http://www.buffalorising.com/assets_c/2011/09/CEL-1250-thumb-375xauto-23440.jpg


Meet '100 South'

Downtown has a new residential address just steps from City Hall. 100 South, at 100 S. Elmwood Avenue, is opening on October 1st. Twenty-two of its 26 residential units are pre-leased, demonstrating solid demand for quality, new downtown residences. "We're extremely excited about it," says Anthony Baynes who partnered with Kent Frey on the rehab project. "We didn't run one ad."

"Lofts are hot right now; we are getting several calls a month from people inquiring about the loft apartments. People are moving here from other cities and looking for these types of apartments, similar to what they left behind when they relocated. They look at Buffalo and see potential written all over it," said Frey.


full http://www.buffalorising.com/2011/09/meet-100-south.html

http://www.buffalonews.com/incoming/article572420.ece/ALTERNATES/w140/RICHARDSON+COMPLEX_001.jpg http://www.buffalonews.com/incoming/article572423.ece/ALTERNATES/w140/RICHARDSON+COMPLEX_002.jpg http://www.buffalonews.com/incoming/article572426.ece/ALTERNATES/w140/RICHARDSON+COMPLEX_003.jpg http://www.buffalonews.com/incoming/article572427.ece/ALTERNATES/w140/RICHARDSON+COMPLEX_004.jpg

A rehabbed portion of the Richardson Olmsted Complex will temporarily open for national preservation forum

Efforts to reuse Henry Hobson Richardson's landmark psychiatric hospital are taking a significant step forward.

After decades of disrepair, a rehabbed portion of the mammoth Medina sandstone and brick facility, now known as the Richardson Olmsted Complex, will temporarily open for the National Preservation Conference in October, providing a glimpse into its future.

The plan is to turn the tower building and two buildings flanking it, equaling close to one-third of the complex, into a boutique hotel and conference center, architecture center and possible Visit Buffalo Niagara satellite location. Construction is planned to begin by 2013, with the hotel and other entities opening in 2014.

Visitors entering the iconic patina-capped tower building, last occupied in the early 1990s, will see repaired and replaced plaster walls, now painted taupe and salmon; repaired 16-foot-tall ceilings and ornamental crown moldings; and refurbished maple floors, interior woodwork and grand staircase. The area covers two hallways, an entryway, three rooms and a curved connector -- about half the first floor.

...
Barry Alberts, of City Visions Associations of Louisville, Ky., the project's development consultant, envisions a boutique hotel with about 100 rooms.

"We have begun to talk quietly to investors and operators, and there is pretty strong interest in this project from lots of different entities. Every day we get more positive indications that this is a really good project," Alberts said. "There are a lot of hotel properties that like historical buildings, and buildings with interesting histories." He said having the hotel near a college and art museums has considerable appeal.

...
Next spring, parking spaces for Buffalo Psychiatric Center will be relocated to the west side of the Nicholas J. Strozzi Building to allow the nine-acre South Lawn to be landscaped with "Olmstedian elements," and make the road more curvilinear. Pellegrino said full restoration is not possible since the Strozzi Building is on the site of the original roadway.


FULL - http://www.buffalonews.com/city/article572393.ece

Buffalo Development going back to 2008

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More project history


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http://www.wsrc.org/assets/images/FLWRBH1.jpg


http://img185.exs.cx/img185/7830/24520north7mg.jpg

http://a252.g.akamai.net/7/252/2850/20040429133151/images.apartments.com/propimages/108975/004/BL010132.JPG


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http://www.buffalorising.com/city/archives/upload/2006/03/285_delaware.jpg

http://sab.cdn-hotels.com/hotelimages/s/058000/058234A.jpg

Nice pics but too bad the only way to make it look like a large number of projects is to post 5-10 pictures of the same project and include projects from more than half a decade ago like the Niagara Centre

FWIW - to those of you that so often cite Pittsburgh as a shining example of a City that works. It was announced today that their second to last downtown Department store will be closing in 2012. The reason cited was a dramatic decline in sales over the past few years due to that City's rapidly declining population. They wanted a $10 million dollar grant to remain open

The closing will leave only the drastically size reduced Macy's as the sole remaining downtown department store in Pittsburgh. The owners of that store say it's futurre ius currently under review.

It was announced today that their second to last downtown Department store will be closing in 2012.

is your point that only growing cities can support retail or that department stores are an anachronism in today's culture? 30 years ago, cities of 15,000 people had large, successful department stores. the fact that people no longer find what department stores have to offer, and HOW they offer is why they are going extinct, leaving only a few of the largest nationwide chains left.

apparently fubo loves his department stores.

Nice post Steel, glad to see Buffalo is busy with construction. Some projects I've never seen before.

fubu, is your name meant to be short for F*ck Buffalo? Or is that just how you feel about that city? Seriously, why do you even visit the Buffalo thread is if it's only to constantly bash and trash the city?

fubu, is your name meant to be short for F*ck Buffalo??
It's from something my little boy said around the time I set up this account , but thanks for asking
Or is that just how you feel about that city? Seriously, why do you even visit the Buffalo thread is if it's only to constantly bash and trash the city?:ohno:You must be on crack most of my comments are quite positive and upbeat. Just looking back at the past few pages please tell me how comments: #4450, #4455, #4463, #4479, #4506 and #4507 are in any way bashing anything. Sorry I don't walk in lockstep with the Buffanazi's on this thread but I see things as they are and not as I wish they were. Fault my eye care practicioner for that!!! :lol:

fubo, that's cute, but if you can only count 6 positive posts here then sorry you should try harder. Buffalo is a great city that is making a slow but steady comeback. It shows the true grit of the city and you need to stop bashing every step it takes.

fubo, that's cute, but if you can only count 6 positive posts here then sorry you should try harder. Buffalo is a great city that is making a slow but steady comeback. It shows the true grit of the city and you need to stop bashing every step it takes.

I only went back a few pages I counted 6 positive 3 neutral and 3 negative. Since you are obsessed with my opinions I will leave it to you to complete the full study going back to my first entry. Enjoy my friend, can't wait to see your full study of my opinions - :nuts:

BTW - since you are not using it wisely can I have some of your free time:lol:

Flight 3407 memorial

http://www.buffalonews.com/incoming/article584427.ece/BINARY/w620/Flight+3407Img+3.jpg

... Work began last week and is expected to be completed by the end of November, if not sooner, said Michael B. Powers, a Phillips Lytle LLP partner and president of Remember Flight 3407 Inc., the nonprofit organization that has guided the creation of the memorial.

The memorial will be subtle, but rich with symbolism, honoring the 49 people on the plane who died and Doug Wielinski, who was killed in the Long Street home where the plane crashed on the night of Feb. 12, 2009.

... Workers this week were creating a walkway, in the shape of an airplane wing, that will be as long as the plane. There will be 12 pear trees -- reflecting the date of the accident -- and a crimson king maple in memory of Doug Wielinski. The address of the house, 6038, will be part of the memorial, as a reminder that a home once stood there.

The walkway will consist of 51 steppingstones, one for each victim, including the unborn child of one of the passengers, Powers said. At the end of the walkway will be a bench and a wall, displaying the names of those who lost their lives.

The pear trees will be planted so they angle inward as a visitor approaches the bench and wall, creating a secluded place for reflection. The walkway is designed so that visitors' footsteps grow quieter as they pass where the house stood, and again as they near the bench and wall.

"It will actually be an audio reminder and another moment of reverence and silence for the actual site of the crash," Powers said.

There will be symbolism as visitors walk out, as well. "When you leave, it will be opening back up to the world and life on the outside," Powers said.

... The design is meant to have minimal impact on the neighborhood, with no lighting and no parking lot. A vacant lot is on one side of the memorial site, and a house is on the other side.

Town Supervisor Scott A. Bylewski said he believes that the project is sensitive to those who live on the street. "It's going to blend in with the neighborhood at the end of the day. They've been very understanding of the neighbors and the Long Street residents."



Full article http://www.buffalonews.com/city/article584384.ece

[Off-topic] But this one's for STEEL: http://www.theatlanticcities.com/jobs-and-economy/2011/10/suburban-sprawl-ponzi-scheme/242/ :)


[On-topic] The Flight 3407 Memorial looks good, if a bit spare.





.

The Flight 3407 memorial seems very morbid to me. The trees and the memorial plaque are nice, but the wing is a bit over the top. I don't know, it seems grandiose and macabre to me... but maybe it's just not to my taste. Doesn't matter what I think of it, guess.

Possibly... But the "wing" is just a shape for the pedestrian path with the victim's names. IMO there should be some macabre feeling to some extent... 52 innocent people lost their lives in a painful horrific way that day.

I only went back a few pages I counted 6 positive 3 neutral and 3 negative. Since you are obsessed with my opinions I will leave it to you to complete the full study going back to my first entry. Enjoy my friend, can't wait to see your full study of my opinions - :nuts:

BTW - since you are not using it wisely can I have some of your free time:lol:

3 negative comments going only a few pages back is too many IMO. No offense but I have better things to do with my free time then to go back pages to quote the obvious leaning of many of your posts. It's called a memory, most of us need not do the research. Seems like you wasted more time then I did. You must not be very busy. My free time is worth much more then your working time, that I can guarantee you.


Have any of you in Buffalo heard the War of the Worlds radio program that was centered around your city? Brilliant is an understatement.

After leaving my loft and finishing my research time on fubo I headed down to my friends bar on Queen Street. One of her bartenders is from Rochester and was playing the wkbw broadcast mixed to some lounge house. It was great. They did an amazing job.

http://www.war-ofthe-worlds.co.uk/war_worlds_wkbw_buffalo.htm

On a side note, that memorial looks like a nice tribute to those lost.

Possibly... But the "wing" is just a shape for the pedestrian path with the victim's names. IMO there should be some macabre feeling to some extent... 52 innocent people lost their lives in a painful horrific way that day.

Hopefully not painful but instant.

Calspan plans Cheektowaga expansion

Calspan is planning a 130,000-square-foot expansion to house a new global transportation facility at its Cheektowaga facility. ... According to Hochul’s office, plans call for building the world’s largest and most technologically advanced auto testing facility for auto, tire, crash barrier and child seat testing. The investment, they said, will serve Calspan customers from around the world, including NASCAR, Formula 1, BMW, GM, Ford, Honda, Dunlop, Michelin and others.


Full - http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2011/10/07/calspan-plans-major-expansion.html

^
My father used to work at Calspan. Nice to see them in growth mode. :)

fubo, that's cute, but if you can only count 6 positive posts here then sorry you should try harder. Buffalo is a great city that is making a slow but steady comeback. It shows the true grit of the city and you need to stop bashing every step it takes.

Andrew, how many times have you bashed Rob Ford as Toronto’s duly elected mayor? Does being a critic of Ford mean that you’re a Toronto basher? Nope. I assume it means you’re not happy with his policies, you’ve every right to be unhappy with his policies, & you want better.

By the same token, when fubo, or anyone of us here offers constructive feedback, criticism about the paucity of development, construction, the lack of immigrants, or Buffalo’s steady population plunge, by no means is it bashing Buffalo.

Rather, what you’ve heard from fubo & many others, including yours truly, is a call for Buffalo, the city & the region, to do much better, & live up to its true potential. Indeed we’ve offered many suggestions & ideas on how to stem or halt Buffalo’s decline & we’ll continue to doso.

Brown seeks fed funds for Main St. traffic

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown is hoping to tap into a federal transportation funding pool to help underwrite the cost of bringing vehicular traffic back to the Buffalo Place pedestrian mall.

Brown said he has submitted a pre-application to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Infrastructure Investments “Tiger Discretionary Grants” program, better known as Tiger III, for $32 million to help finance the "Cars Sharing Main Street" initiative in downtown Buffalo. Cars Sharing Main Street is designed to bring one lane of north and south vehicular traffic back to the spine of the downtown pedestrian mall, correcting an urban planning mistake from the 1980s that saw cars removed from Main Street to make way for the Metro Rail transit mall. “Cars Sharing Main Street will help to continue the transformation of downtown Buffalo,” Brown said.

Through the Cars Sharing Main Street initiative, vehicular traffic has already returned to downtown’s 700 block of Main Street, Crews are preparing to go to bid for work on the 600 block of Main Street that cuts through the city’s Theater District. That work, estimated to cost $9.6 million, will take place next year.


Full: http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2011/10/05/brown-seeks-fed-funds-for-main-st.html

Work to bring re-creations of the historic Erie Canal to the former Memorial Auditorium site is expected to start in January, representatives of the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp. told the city Planning Board this morning.

The proposal would create 18-inch reflecting pools, which would be drained and used for ice skating in the winter. The project will encompass the southern half of the four-acre Aud site and have two levels of pedestrian access, including paths along the reflecting pools at a lower level, with three bridges crossing the site about 10 feet above

Work on former Aud site to begin in January

Work to bring re-creations of the historic Erie Canal to the former Memorial Auditorium site is expected to start in January, representatives of the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp. told the city Planning Board this morning.

The proposal would create 18-inch reflecting pools, which would be drained and used for ice skating in the winter. The project will encompass the southern half of the four-acre Aud site and have two levels of pedestrian access, including paths along the reflecting pools at a lower level, with three bridges crossing the site about 10 feet above.

There will be available space left on the site for development projects, though they will be left as greenspace initially in order to facilitate activity, officials said.

The public infrastructure project is expected to go out to bid early next month, with a contract awarded in December, said Steven P. Ranalli, senior project manager. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of next year.

... One of the planned bridges, known as the Lake Street Bridge, will be the same "whipple truss" design as the pedestrian bridge at the Commercial Wharf. The other two will be similar in design.

The reflecting pools were kept at 18 inches deep because any water with greater depth would require a guard rail, Swift said. The Hamburg Drain also lies below the site, restricting deeper access.



Full - http://www.buffalonews.com/city/communities/downtown/article589774.ece

Good move!

Buffalo to get new sister city
Aaron Besecker. McClatchy - Tribune Business News. Washington: Sep 23, 2011.

A signing ceremony will take place this evening in the City Hall lobby, making Bani, Dominican Republic, Buffalo's 16th sister.

Bani's mayor, Nelson Landestoy, will be on hand, along with officials from Sister Cities International and its state chapter and other dignitaries.

Buffalo and Bani may be formalizing their relationship, but they've had an informal one for several years, said Louise Simon Schoene, state coordinator for Sister Cities International.

Several area doctors, led by William Maher and Diane Cress, have been providing medical care in Bani for a number of years, Simon Schoene said.

The doctors also provide loans to small businesses there, she said.

Tonight's event -- which also will be attended by Jim Doumas, Sister Cities International's executive vice president, and Anthony Gioia, former U. S. ambassador to Malta -- is part of the New York State Sister Cities Conference, the main gathering for which is happening at the Hilton Garden Inn in Cheektowaga on Saturday.

Conference attendees will also be taking walking tours of the city.

Last November, Bursa, Turkey, became Buffalo's 15th sister city. A nearly 11-foot fountain, a gift from the City of Bursa, was unveiled on the corner of Washington Street and Broadway at that time.

A formal relationship with Yoengcheon, South Korea, is expected to be announced later this year, Simon Schoene said.

Good move!

Buffalo to get new sister city
Aaron Besecker. McClatchy - Tribune Business News. Washington: Sep 23, 2011.

A signing ceremony will take place this evening in the City Hall lobby, making Bani, Dominican Republic, Buffalo's 16th sister.

Bani's mayor, Nelson Landestoy, will be on hand, along with officials from Sister Cities International and its state chapter and other dignitaries.

Buffalo and Bani may be formalizing their relationship, but they've had an informal one for several years, said Louise Simon Schoene, state coordinator for Sister Cities International.

Several area doctors, led by William Maher and Diane Cress, have been providing medical care in Bani for a number of years, Simon Schoene said.

The doctors also provide loans to small businesses there, she said.

Tonight's event -- which also will be attended by Jim Doumas, Sister Cities International's executive vice president, and Anthony Gioia, former U. S. ambassador to Malta -- is part of the New York State Sister Cities Conference, the main gathering for which is happening at the Hilton Garden Inn in Cheektowaga on Saturday.

Conference attendees will also be taking walking tours of the city.

Last November, Bursa, Turkey, became Buffalo's 15th sister city. A nearly 11-foot fountain, a gift from the City of Bursa, was unveiled on the corner of Washington Street and Broadway at that time.

A formal relationship with Yoengcheon, South Korea, is expected to be announced later this year, Simon Schoene said.

YES! Maybe we can get another fountain! :banana:

The reflecting pools were kept at 18 inches deep because any water with greater depth would require a guard rail, Swift said. The Hamburg Drain also lies below the site, restricting deeper access.
When did the new canals turn into reflecting pools?
What kind of *real* boats can sail in 18" of water?

I understand the difficulties they mentioned with guardrails and the hamburg drain... but this seems to me like a huge switch from the intended plan and those challenges should not have been surprises.

YES! Maybe we can get another fountain! :banana:

Sorry to dissapoint. But nope, you won't be getting one in Sacto.

Although you could use one in those hot, sweltering summers.

When did the new canals turn into reflecting pools?
What kind of *real* boats can sail in 18" of water?

I understand the difficulties they mentioned with guardrails and the hamburg drain... but this seems to me like a huge switch from the intended plan and those challenges should not have been surprises.

They have never been anything but shallow pools. 18" can float a boat though. The original Erie canal was only about 4 feet deep.

Sorry to dissapoint. But nope, you won't be getting one in Sacto.

Although you could use one in those hot, sweltering summers.

And a proclamation too! :cheers:

They have never been anything but shallow pools. 18" can float a boat though. The original Erie canal was only about 4 feet deep.
Well there's a big difference between 4 feet and 1.5 feet.

As long as boats can still navigate water that shallow it's fine... but I'm assuming it seriously limits the type of boats that can be used there, and worse, that the canals will not be connected anywhere to the actual harbor. The renderings did make it appear that they were connected to the harbor and that's where I'm confused. So, for example, a water taxi would not be able to pick up people at the canal sites and connect them to other harbor sites? And where are all those dozens of boats going anyway if they're stuck circling around the short canal?

Well there's a big difference between 4 feet and 1.5 feet.

As long as boats can still navigate water that shallow it's fine... but I'm assuming it seriously limits the type of boats that can be used there, and worse, that the canals will not be connected anywhere to the actual harbor. The renderings did make it appear that they were connected to the harbor and that's where I'm confused. So, for example, a water taxi would not be able to pick up people at the canal sites and connect them to other harbor sites? And where are all those dozens of boats going anyway if they're stuck circling around the short canal?

The canals have never been planned to connect to the harbor. They have always been planned as decorative. I think they are deeper than the earlier 12" depth.

You're right. I guess I read too much into the rendering views that showed what appeared to be canals connecting to the harbor, when in fact they're just shallow pools that end before the harbor water.

But knowing that now, i still don't understand why they show dozens of boats in the canals that can't actually go anywhere but up and down a very short canal. Who would ride them? What's the point?

The NFTA is receiving $1.2 million to fund an alternatives study for the Amherst-Buffalo Corridor, which includes NFTA Metro’s highest ridership levels, to ensure recent economic development in the region has adequate infrastructure to address increased transportation needs. NFTA submitted this application for funding in collaboration with the Greater Buffalo Niagara Regional Transportation Council.

The transit agency plans to conduct an analysis of the Amherst-Buffalo Corridor, which potentially would connect the current the Light Rail System in Buffalo to the UB North Campus in Amherst.

I'm going to throw in a link about that:

http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2011/10/13/nfta-awarded-47m-for-upgrades.html

The NFTA is receiving $1.2 million to fund an alternatives study for the Amherst-Buffalo Corridor, which includes NFTA Metro’s highest ridership levels, to ensure recent economic development in the region has adequate infrastructure to address increased transportation needs. NFTA submitted this application for funding in collaboration with the Greater Buffalo Niagara Regional Transportation Council.

The transit agency plans to conduct an analysis of the Amherst-Buffalo Corridor, which potentially would connect the current the Light Rail System in Buffalo to the UB North Campus in Amherst.

Of course a light rail extension to Amherst has been discussed for decades, with no action. But its good to see another alternative analysis by the NFTA.

A prominant Buffalo developer has Trader Joe's (a national off price grocery chain) set to open it's first Buffalo area location late next year in the UB/Maple area. They anticipate 15-20 stores across upstate NY over the next 3 years. For those not familiar with Trader Joe's they are very similar to Aldi's but with more attractive stores and higher prices. Both carry their own store brands almost exclusively.

A prominant Buffalo developer has Trader Joe's (a national off price grocery chain) set to open it's first Buffalo area location late next year in the UB/Maple area. They anticipate 15-20 stores across upstate NY over the next 3 years. For those not familiar with Trader Joe's they are very similar to Aldi's but with more attractive stores and higher prices. Both carry their own store brands almost exclusively.

I can't believe it took that long to open one in the Buffalo area as there are so many cities across the US that are smaller that have them. I think they percieved Buffalo as not waelthy enough and already served by Wegmans. I think they would be wildly successful. I have one 3 blocks away here in San Francisco and I used to alway ignore it and go to Safeway across the street, but now I regualrly hit up both. There are lots of awesoem products at Trader Joes that you can't find elsewhere. I think they could easily put one in Orchard Park where they used to have the Bells on S. Buffalo and it would be wildly popular.

I can't believe it took that long to open one in the Buffalo area as there are so many cities across the US that are smaller that have them. I think they percieved Buffalo as not waelthy enough and already served by Wegmans. I think they would be wildly successful. I have one 3 blocks away here in San Francisco and I used to alway ignore it and go to Safeway across the street, but now I regualrly hit up both. There are lots of awesoem products at Trader Joes that you can't find elsewhere. I think they could easily put one in Orchard Park where they used to have the Bells on S. Buffalo and it would be wildly popular.

ExWNYer - You know, I agree. I am actually in NYC, but I have always been pissed off that Buffalo seems to always fall under the radar for things like this. Even though it in theory has been "depressed" for a while, Buffalo is bigger than many places with TJs and and has a lot of disposable income. Buffalo is completely unrepresented and underappreciated. I think if it was Buffalo, California there would be 5 stores there already.

ExWNYer - You know, I agree. I am actually in NYC, but I have always been pissed off that Buffalo seems to always fall under the radar for things like this. Even though it in theory has been "depressed" for a while, Buffalo is bigger than many places with TJs and and has a lot of disposable income. Buffalo is completely unrepresented and underappreciated. I think if it was Buffalo, California there would be 5 stores there already.

Its not the city size, its the lifestyle demographics & the population trends that really count. It's very tough attracting new chains to a declining region. Good though to see Buff finally get its first Trader Joes. The UB area as good place to start & who knows, if the first outlets works out, maybe Elmwood will get a Trader Joes.

I'm surprised the people on this board especially are so obsessed with getting national chains into Buffalo. We have plenty of local food chains here now. Why insist on a Trader Joes that sells the same thing and puts a local company out of business? Nobody's going to move to Buffalo just because we have a Trader Joe's and Red Robin.

I'm surprised the people on this board especially are so obsessed with getting national chains into Buffalo. We have plenty of local food chains here now. Why insist on a Trader Joes that sells the same thing and puts a local company out of business? Nobody's going to move to Buffalo just because we have a Trader Joe's and Red Robin.

if you are going to be a major American metro you have to be in the mainstream of American culture pop and otherwise. You cannot be a backwoods flyover forgotten burg.

If staying within mainstream pop culture by having so many chain restaurants with bland incredibly unhealthy food and chain supermarkets that have less of a selection than the stores we already have, then I'm glad that Buffalo has been so resistant.


Trader Joes is so popular in many parts of the country because a
lot those places didn't have stores like Wegmans...which offers everything under the sun and appeals to all price brackets.

Since when did trying to be mainstream become so important? Most Americans love "Two and Half Men", CSI, and American Idol. Entertaining to many but completely devoid of intelligence or substance.
Mainstream American culture sucks. Bringing these restaurants and national chain stores only brings us closer to sucking as bad.

If staying within mainstream pop culture by having so many chain restaurants with bland incredibly unhealthy food and chain supermarkets that have less of a selection than the stores we already have, then I'm glad that Buffalo has been so resistant.


Trader Joes is so popular in many parts of the country because a
lot those places didn't have stores like Wegmans...which offers everything under the sun and appeals to all price brackets.

Since when did trying to be mainstream become so important? Most Americans love "Two and Half Men", CSI, and American Idol. Entertaining to many but completely devoid of intelligence or substance.
Mainstream American culture sucks. Bringing these restaurants and national chain stores only brings us closer to sucking as bad.

Sure Mike Sure :lol:

2010
http://www.buffalorising.com/assets_c/2010/01/DSC_0564-thumb-375xauto-8064.jpg

Today
http://www.buffalorising.com/assets_c/2011/10/LD-1494b-thumb-375xauto-23909.jpg



Kamman Building Latest Larkin District Redeveloped Gem

More great news as the Larkin District sees new life and investment. The rehabilitation of the Romanesque Revival Kamman Building has been completed and it is now available. The circa-1878 building is located at 755 Seneca Street and was designed by noted architect F.W. Caulkins. After completing the over $1 million rehab, Chaintreuil | Jensen | Stark Architects is now call the building home.

Full - http://www.buffalorising.com/2011/10/historic-kamman-building-in-the-larkin-district-now-available.html

^^ Beautiful Building!

if you are going to be a major American metro you have to be in the mainstream of American culture pop and otherwise. You cannot be a backwoods flyover forgotten burg.

Well stated.

Of course there's quite a bit of the "zero-sum" mentality left around Buffalo as in other declining areas that any new succesful business coming in drives out the old.

In fact, in many cases, new businesses coming in help make the established businesses better.

Well stated.

Of course there's quite a bit of the "zero-sum" mentality left around Buffalo as in other declining areas that any new succesful business coming in drives out the old.

In fact, in many cases, new businesses coming in help make the established businesses better.

Correct you are. New business create jobs which will ultimately stop the population loss. If you want to wait for the population to grow before adding new businesses then the area will never grow in population. The population growth follows job growth and not the other way around.

Site near lighthouse due to become a new park

About seven acres of land near the historic Buffalo Lighthouse should be-come a new Erie County park soon, County Executive Chris Collins announced Monday.

Meanwhile, Rep. Brian Higgins, D-Buffalo, joined representatives from the U. S. Coast Guard, the Buffalo Lighthouse Association and the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp. to celebrate the completion of Phase I of a $6.1 million federal project to improve public access to the waterfront adjacent to the lighthouse. Benches, lighting and security fencing were installed.

County management of the area known as “the grove” is expected to begin in November, after an agreement is signed for the Coast Guard to turn the property over to the county and the County Legislature approves. The Lighthouse Association will continue to manage the lighthouse.

“Our plan for this space next year will be to improve the basic appearance of the property, as well as add safety fencing, benches, picnic tables and swings,” said Parks Commissioner Jim Hornung.

Hornung also plans to clear trees and weeds along the water and build a comfort station with restrooms and a warming station. He said money for the park will come from an increase in the parks allocation in the 2012 county budget and possible Niagara River Greenway funding.


http://www.buffalonews.com/city/communities/downtown/article598232.ece

Sure Mike Sure :lol:

Nope. Not mike. I still wonder why it's so important to have the market flooded with national chain restaurants/supermarkets

Nope. Not mike.

:ohno:Didn't say you were. Sure Mike Sure is a very old dismissive phrase used as a response for innane or ridiculous opinions. it was popularized in the culture in such places as the Godfather and even the Andy Griffith show.

:ohno:Didn't say you were. Sure Mike Sure is a very old dismissive phrase used as a response for innane or ridiculous opinions. it was popularized in the culture in such places as the Godfather and even the Andy Griffith show.

Sure, Charlie. Sure.

Sure, Charlie. Sure.

Variation of the same theme. that was used in the movie "critters"

:ohno:Didn't say you were. Sure Mike Sure is a very old dismissive phrase used as a response for innane or ridiculous opinions. it was popularized in the culture in such places as the Godfather and even the Andy Griffith show.


Ah.. I thought I could hear the faint whooshing sound of that reference going over my head.

Ah.. I thought I could hear the faint whooshing sound of that reference going over my head.

That just shows you are likely blessed with youth

Developer Carl Paladino is reviving his plans to construct a multi-tenant office tower along Court Street in downtown Buffalo.

Sources said Paladino will be meeting with Buffalo officials in the next few days to discuss renewing his designated developer status for a surface parking lot at the corner of Court and Pearl streets. Paladino’s company, Ellicott Development Co. already owns a neighboring parcel at Court and Franklin streets which is also being used as a surface parking lot.

Originally, Paladino was proposing an 11-story, 300,000-square-foot building that would have included Class A office space and a hotel along with underground parking. Those plans were put on hold more than two years ago when the economy softened


http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2011/10/20/paladino-revives-plan-for-downtown.html

If he doesn't proceed this time around, the city should sieze the property.

If he doesn't proceed this time around, the city should sieze the property.

Hah! If the past is any guide, with Parking Carl at the controls, Buffalo will end up with just yet another unneeded parking lot. .........................................But no building.

I'm surprised the people on this board especially are so obsessed with getting national chains into Buffalo. We have plenty of local food chains here now. Why insist on a Trader Joes that sells the same thing and puts a local company out of business?

I have to agree. We have one of the best performing food co-op's in the country, and we are truly building a local business economy. To me, this argument (that we need chain stores in Buffalo) continues to fall under the quest for external validation. If Trader Joe's deigns to come to Buffalo, we are WORTH SOMETHING.

I say keep Buffalo local, growing, and authentic.

I have to agree. We have one of the best performing food co-op's in the country.

:lol: Silly argument, the co-op serves a population base of 40,000 at the VERY most. The 8 counties of WNY have a population of 1,584,000. there is certainly room for other options than an over priced coop serving one of the most parochial neighborhoods in WNY.

Someone here made the request to put a Trader Joe's on Elmwood Ave, which makes Frits reply 100% valid regardless of how you look at it.

Someone here made the request to put a Trader Joe's on Elmwood Ave, which makes Frits reply 100% valid regardless of how you look at it.

No onw wished for a store on Elmwood and Bayviews who brought up Elmwood does not even live near there. Other than wishful thinking from some City dwellers, Trader Joe's has (as far as anyone knows) given no indication that it would ever open up a store in the Elmwood area. They are opening in the far more affluent area of Amherst. It would seem (from the vagrants wandering large stretches of Elmwood) that the area near to coop would not have the demographics Trader Joe's desires. The overwhelming majority of their stores are in suburban locations.

No onw wished for a store on Elmwood and Bayviews who brought up Elmwood does not even live near there. Other than wishful thinking from some City dwellers, Trader Joe's has (as far as anyone knows) given no indication that it would ever open up a store in the Elmwood area. They are opening in the far more affluent area of Amherst. It would seem (from the vagrants wandering large stretches of Elmwood) that the area near to coop would not have the demographics Trader Joe's desires. The overwhelming majority of their stores are in suburban locations.

Can we take the Trader Joe's conversation to the non development thread?

We're not even on the "coming soon" list. (http://www.traderjoes.com/stores/coming-soon.asp)

thanks

Can we take the Trader Joe's conversation to the non development thread?


:ohno:If the entry of a new retail corporation that will spend millions of dollars constructing new stores is not considered development, then what is?

Sorry but most development in WNY occurs outside the City limits, not good, not badd, just a fact.

:ohno:If the entry of a new retail corporation that will spend millions of dollars constructing new stores is not considered development, then what is?

Sorry but most development in WNY occurs outside the City limits, not good, not badd, just a fact.

Number one, FUBO, hearsay is not news.
Number two, I'm not BUFFALO centric.

get over yourself

Number one, FUBO, hearsay is not news.
Number two, I'm not BUFFALO centric.

get over yourself

Gosh you are an angry person. If discussing a national retail chain on a development site upsets you so, I can only imagine what would happen if the lady in the checkout line ahead of you used coupons and paid by check! :lol:

You need to relax a little and let your skin thicken a wee bit.

Gosh you are an angry person. If discussing a national retail chain on a development site upsets you so, I can only imagine what would happen if the lady in the checkout line ahead of you used coupons and paid by check! :lol:

You need to relax a little and let your skin thicken a wee bit.

Nope, not angry; just not patient for non development, unsubstantiated news in the Development thread.

The Trader Joe's was formally announced as a part of the Amherst Town Centre project. As is typical in these parts a lawsuot delayed the project long enpugh for the recession to kill it. Now a new location closer to NFB has been chosen.

here is a link from just prior to the original announcement
http://buffalochow.com/2009/09/oc_chow_trader_joes_is_coming.html

The Trader Joe's was formally announced as a part of the Amherst Town Centre project. As is typical in these parts a lawsuot delayed the project long enpugh for the recession to kill it. Now a new location closer to NFB has been chosen.

here is a link from just prior to the original announcement
http://buffalochow.com/2009/09/oc_chow_trader_joes_is_coming.html

Thanks for that 2009 link.

Thanks for that 2009 link.

No problem. Trader Joe's has been trying to get into suburban Buffalo for the past few years, finally the pieces have come together for a 2012 construction start.

No problem. Trader Joe's has been trying to get into suburban Buffalo for the past few years, finally the pieces have come together for a 2012 construction start.

Good news that Trader Joe's coming to the Buffalo area, its one of the best among the chains.

But looks like it could be a couple of years before the store opening?

More windmills coming to Steel Winds site

http://www.buffalorising.com/2011/10/construction-watch-steel-winds.html

No problem. Trader Joe's has been trying to get into suburban Buffalo for the past few years, finally the pieces have come together for a 2012 construction start.

that's cool. it's a great store. where is it going?

Was originally slated for the Amherst Commons on the old Buffalo Gun Club site but a neighborhood lawsuit turned that project from upscale hotel and retail uses to undergraduate student housing for UB. LOL, Hope the neghbors that brought the suit like loud parties.:banana:

TJ's found another location in a new build further up Maple closer to NF Blvd.

Where exactly? That area of Maple is so built-up, I can't picture where they would put a store other than in an existing property that is either vacant or that is going to be vacant when the lease is up.

Still, it's going to be a tough sell in that part because of Buffalo staples Wegmans and Tops dominating the landscape ( Well, Wegmans mostly).

Still, it's going to be a tough sell in that part because of Buffalo staples Wegmans and Tops dominating the landscape ( Well, Wegmans mostly).

With the population in that area booming I don't think it will be a tough sell at all. There are over 2,000 new grad student apartments coming on line in the next two years on Maple and off of Sweet Home. Another 400 came online this year on Chestnut Ridge just off of Sweet Home.

From Business First:

Kaleida Health has selected 818 Ellicott St. as the location for a new Women & Children’s Hospital on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, with plans to begin construction by next summer and completion by 2015.

The site is adjacent to Buffalo General Hospital between High and Goodrich streets. Kaleida is working with its physician steering committee and Sg2, an outside consulting team, to develop the plan.

The Main Street corridor in Amherst could see a major change to its skyline over the next two years with a new hotel and high-end apartments renting for more than $2,000 a month.

Buffalo developer Carl P. Paladino wants to build a$20 million, six-story hotel and apartment building at Main Street and South Forest Road just west of the Village of Williamsville, and the plans are moving forward despite some concerns from neighbors.


http://www.buffalonews.com/city/communities/amherst/article636762.ece

Can't really tell much of anything from the rendering. Is it really built up to the property line on Main Street? If so, excellent and surprising site design from Ellicott Development. Or is that just showing us the view from the back of the parking lot?

Six stories is pretty high for the burbs, but on the other hand, it is Main Street near Williamsville, and should have density if anywhere around there should.

What have you read that indicates that it will be built to the property line along main? The only thing i saw in the article stated:

The project will go before the Planning Board at 6:30 this evening in Town Hall, 5583 Main St., but no decision is expected because the Zoning Board of Appeals has yet to rule on two variance requests regarding street setbacks and a special-use permit request regarding surface parking on an adjacent residential parcel, Black said.

That would seem to me that it won't be. Especially since its not within the village, and the other 3 corners at that intersection are already car oriented. I'd love to be wrong though.

That would seem to me that it won't be. Especially since its not within the village, and the other 3 corners at that intersection are already car oriented. I'd love to be wrong though.
You're probably right. I was just picking up on the rendering, which looks like if has proper storefronts, and the reference to a two-level parking garage made me think that that avoids the need for a big parking lot in front.

Sounds like up to the street to me. If they were planning a big set back with parking in front they would not need a variance. These days you need to ask for variances NOT to build in a sprawl style. Sound to me like the parking would be out back next to the houses

I don't get it. What's the big deal? There's got to be hundreds of buildings like this in suburban DC... :dunno:

I don't get it. What's the big deal? There's got to be hundreds of buildings like this in suburban DC... :dunno:

Its pretty ugly. Is this really what suburban DC is all about? I thought everyplace else but Buffalo was supposed to be so great.

Its pretty ugly. Is this really what suburban DC is all about? I thought everyplace else but Buffalo was supposed to be so great.

I guess I would describe it as banal and yes, suburban DC is an ocean of banality. :)

Still, it's going to be a tough sell in that part because of Buffalo staples Wegmans and Tops dominating the landscape ( Well, Wegmans mostly).

Not really. TJ's isn't a small upscale supermarket like Sprouts or Fresh Market. It's not like the Lexington Co-Op. "Aldi for yuppies" doesn't even describe it. They sell a lot of high-end specialty goods under their own private label, at fairly low prices. You can't do all your grocery shopping at a TJ's, but you can find a lot of interesting items that you won't see at Wegmans or Tops.

It's a store with a very loyal cult following; not some fad-of-the-day novelty like Krispy Kreme. The TJ's not too far from where I lived in Cleveland was packed all the time, all five years I lived there. This despite the presence of Whole Foods, Fresh Market, Heinen's (local upscale grocery store chain), and many ethnic supermarkets. Cashiers at the Cleveland TJ's told me that they see many shoppers from Erie and Buffalo, arriving with coolers and cold bags, and checking out with multiple carts filled with hundreds of dollars of groceries.

I don't get it. What's the big deal? There's got to be hundreds of buildings like this in suburban DC... :dunno:

Buffalonians have never embraced high-rise living, or even apartment living, to the extent seen in peer and larger cities.. Delaware Avenue south of Gates Circle has the largest collection of mid-rise apartment buildings in the city. It's cultural; there was a very large blue-collar working-class population, wood for construction was cheaper in Buffalo than any other city in the country thanks to the lumber port in North Tonawanda, there was always an abundance of inexpensive two-flats.

Not really. TJ's isn't a small upscale supermarket like Sprouts or Fresh Market. It's not like the Lexington Co-Op. "Aldi for yuppies" doesn't even describe it. They sell a lot of high-end specialty goods under their own private label, at fairly low prices. You can't do all your grocery shopping at a TJ's, but you can find a lot of interesting items that you won't see at Wegmans or Tops.

It's a store with a very loyal cult following; not some fad-of-the-day novelty like Krispy Kreme. The TJ's not too far from where I lived in Cleveland was packed all the time, all five years I lived there. This despite the presence of Whole Foods, Fresh Market, Heinen's (local upscale grocery store chain), and many ethnic supermarkets. Cashiers at the Cleveland TJ's told me that they see many shoppers from Erie and Buffalo, arriving with coolers and cold bags, and checking out with multiple carts filled with hundreds of dollars of groceries.

The Trader Joes in Santa Fe is about 20,000 sq. ft. and does over $1 million a week in sales, as much as a 60,000 sq. ft. conventional supermarket. TJ's is incredibly popular out here.

the obsession with Trader Joe's is amusing... especially since it fits right in the the BRO crowd (who you guys tend to mock). :)

IMO if they come here fine. If they don't, fine. But the amount of posts both here and on BRO about bringing in a Trader Joe's or an IKEA is kind of ridiculous.

the obsession with Trader Joe's is amusing... especially since it fits right in the the BRO crowd (who you guys tend to mock). :)

IMO if they come here fine. If they don't, fine. But the amount of posts both here and on BRO about bringing in a Trader Joe's or an IKEA is kind of ridiculous.


Agreed, it's not as though a chain of overpriced food stores will make or break the city. It's not really development news. Most new stores if they open will just be using old vacant spaces anyway. An IKEA though done right could bring in a huge amount of traffic to an area. If they designed an urban style one in your core it could do wonders for the area. The 5 suburban ones we have in T.O are crazy busy year round.

That would be a great store to anchor your Canal Side project. Trader Joe's on the other hand will have zero impact on urban landscape so to keep talking about it with such high importance really is silly.

It would be nice to see development on this scale in Buffalo again some day soon.
http://www.buffalorising.com/Yamasaki-Book-Buffalo-NY.jpg

It would be nice to see development on this scale in Buffalo again some day soon.


The Larkin Warehouse renovation of about 7 years ago about is probably 5 times the size of this building. The current Larkin warehouse renovation is probably 15 times the size of this building. The Avant is probably very close in size to this building. The courthouse is proably about 1/2 the size of this building, Lafayette hotel renovation is probably about 2/3 this size. Paladino's recent condo project on the waterfront was proably about 2/3 the size of this building.

A reno doesn't count as new build and the rest you mentioned were much smaller.

Not only that.


Seems he forgot to mention that "Bringing Cars Back to Main St" could be TWICE AS LONG as the M&T building is TALL.


If that happens!

A reno doesn't count as new build and the rest you mentioned were much smaller.


Well you said development. You are changing the language now. And M&T is not a very big building. It is only about 350,000 sf. The Avant is over 400,000 sf. Fact is there has been a lot of smart development in Buffalo over the last few years bigger than this building. Just less flashy becasue it is not completely new building. Look at Detroit which did build lots of falshy new stuff. In the process they left behind dozens of empty 1920s skyscrapers - that was not smart. I am happy for Buffalo to continue filling its old underutilized buidings before building too much new stuff from scratch.

http://buffaloniagara.org/files/content/Research/Maps/DowntownDevelopment.pdf

Look at Detroit which did build lots of falshy new stuff. In the process they left behind dozens of empty 1920s skyscrapers - that was not smart. I am happy for Buffalo to continue filling its old underutilized buidings before building too much new stuff from scratch.

Complete utter hogwash. Clearly from someone who’s clearly learned nothing from that amazing “Demolished Buffalo” thread posted over the past year. Following such nonsensical logic, perhaps the Statler Hilton, the Hotel Lafayette, the Central Terminal, & several other “empty 1920s skyscrapers” await their turn at the wrecking ball?

Truth is, many of Buffalo’s best buildings are of course long gone. Foremost among them that magnificent old Erie County Savings Bank, the DS Morgan Building, the Old Library, Pierce’s Palace Hotel, Hotel Buffalo, Iroquois Hotel, the German Insurance Company Building, to name a few. The preservation of the sprawling Larkin Factory is a VERY rare & welcome exception. However, the Larkin administrative building is of course but a long gone memory.

Truth is, if there’s any salvation in store for Detroit, it’s that the Motor City HAS kept DOZENS of empty skyscrapers up, leaving and preserving a magnificent skyline up & intact. Rather than knocking down so many fantastic treasures, as Buffalo demolition gangs have managed, leaving in their wake seas of banal, boring, parking lots & garages.

^
You have to admit that RenCen was one of the worst urban 'redevelopment' mistakes ever made.

^
You have to admit that RenCen was one of the worst urban 'redevelopment' mistakes ever made.

Design wise, Detroit’s Ren Cen was your standard 70s John Portman.

But be serious. What’s the prospect of downtown Buffalo getting a new 70 plus story office-hotel skyscraper complex downtown anytime soon?

Or even half that?

Well you said development. You are changing the language now.


No I'm not, when I said development and showed a large building u/c it was pretty obvious what I meant. The reno's are great, keep them coming but the skyline is in serious need of some updating. It wasn't that long ago Buffalo news was covering the story of a new tallest for your city.

unfortunately Bashar Issa had far more plans than money to accomplish them
http://m2.wnymedia.net/files/2009/02/invisible_skyscraper.jpg
He even bought an expensive speedboat to gallivant around in even though he was only in Buffalo a few days a month at best
http://m2.wnymedia.net/files/2009/02/issa.jpg

He had half the city drunk off his grandiose plans, the other half saw right through him from the beginning.

unfortunately years back I was part of the former, blindly caught up in his optimism :nuts: :ohno:

Uniland (IMHO) is the best hope for building tall buildings in Buffalo but only when it makes financial sense. In the mean time there's still a lot to be rehabbed!

I thought Issa would finish his Statler renovation. I never thought the City Tower thing made any sense. In the end, I was too optimistic about the Statler too.

On the bright side, Mark Croce has done a better and faster job with the Statler than I expected!

500 Seneca Street

http://www.buffalorising.com/assets_c/2011/11/DSC_0379b-thumb-600x326-24878.jpg

http://www.buffalorising.com/assets_c/2011/11/500%2520Seneca_Exterior_TitleBlock-thumb-600x328-24882.jpg


http://www.buffalorising.com/2011/11/new-plans-for-500-seneca-retain-historic-corner-portions.html

500 Seneca Street

http://www.buffalorising.com/assets_c/2011/11/DSC_0379b-thumb-600x326-24878.jpg

http://www.buffalorising.com/assets_c/2011/11/500%2520Seneca_Exterior_TitleBlock-thumb-600x328-24882.jpg


http://www.buffalorising.com/2011/11/new-plans-for-500-seneca-retain-historic-corner-portions.html

Looks farmiliar.:)

^
The lamps look awful.

No I'm not, when I said development and showed a large building u/c it was pretty obvious what I meant. The reno's are great, keep them coming but the skyline is in serious need of some updating. It wasn't that long ago Buffalo news was covering the story of a new tallest for your city.


Yea ok whatever.

Anyway, a flashy skyline surrounded by parking and empty older buildings is ultimately pretty dull.

I thought Issa would finish his Statler renovation. I never thought the City Tower thing made any sense. In the end, I was too optimistic about the Statler too.

On the bright side, Mark Croce has done a better and faster job with the Statler than I expected!

Indeed! Since Issa let everyone down with the Statler, most people were skeptical this time around and Mr. Croce has so far proven the naysayers wrong. Mr. Croce is restoring one of Buffalo's gems one piece at a time. Kudos Mark!

That jerk Andrew Rudnick, on the other hand called for the Statler to be torn down! :ohno: Someone should make Mr. Rudnick's job disappear quicker than a Friday afternoon emergency home demo :lol:

^
The lamps look awful.

maybe, but still better than Cobra head lamps

Looks farmiliar.:)

"Larkin District" is coming along nicely. :)

Looks farmiliar.:)
Hey I always include the link to BRO. :)

That jerk Andrew Rudnick, on the other hand called for the Statler to be torn down! :ohno: Someone should make Mr. Rudnick's job disappear quicker than a Friday afternoon emergency home demo :lol:

Yeah, once again, another example of the traditional brain-dead demolition mentality that's plauged Buffalo & its skyline.

Hey I always include the link to BRO. :)

True!

Buffalonians have never embraced high-rise living, or even apartment living, to the extent seen in peer and larger cities.. Delaware Avenue south of Gates Circle has the largest collection of mid-rise apartment buildings in the city. It's cultural; there was a very large blue-collar working-class population, wood for construction was cheaper in Buffalo than any other city in the country thanks to the lumber port in North Tonawanda, there was always an abundance of inexpensive two-flats.


Yeah, sad but true. Wooden cities like Buffalo haven't aged with the grace of brick or masonary cities.

unfortunately Bashar Issa had far more plans than money to accomplish them
http://m2.wnymedia.net/files/2009/02/invisible_skyscraper.jpg
He even bought an expensive speedboat to gallivant around in even though he was only in Buffalo a few days a month at best
http://m2.wnymedia.net/files/2009/02/issa.jpg

He had half the city drunk off his grandiose plans, the other half saw right through him from the beginning.

unfortunately years back I was part of the former, blindly caught up in his optimism :nuts: :ohno:

Uniland (IMHO) is the best hope for building tall buildings in Buffalo but only when it makes financial sense. In the mean time there's still a lot to be rehabbed!


Thanks for posting that. Some of you say there is no real interest in highrise living in Buffalo, what about some decent midrise along your waterfront? I'm not talking more townhouses but some decent structures with large terraces facing the lake that they could market to empty nesters and office workers?

what about some decent midrise along your waterfront?
Of course. The "pasquale" and other mid-rise condos are successful. Despite those successes, developers are cautious about reaching saturation for condo buyers, and somehow it seems NYS rules about condo development make it more complicated than it should be.

Yeah, sad but true. Wooden cities like Buffalo haven't aged with the grace of brick or masonary cities.

To repeat what you said, sad, but true. Buffalo's upper-middle and upper-income neighborhoods aged fairly gracefully, all things considering. However, in middle-class and working-class areas, it's a different story. It's not just how frame structures age, but that they're far easier to modify. Houses in Buffalo have been subject to the ravages of vinyl siding, enclosed porches, decorative iron railings, picture windows and the like, far more than peer frame cities. Cleveland, Syracuse and Rochester aren't devoid of such "mods", but they're not seen to nearly the extent encountered in Buffalo's pre-WWII neighborhoods.

A few examples:

http://wnyheritagepress.org/photosofweek/building_buffalo/sheffield.htm
http://wnyheritagepress.org/photosofweek/building_buffalo/gratiot_fernill.htm
http://wnyheritagepress.org/photosofweek/building_buffalo/lovering_tacoma.htm

decorative iron railings
I doubt the original short wooden railings would meet modern safety codes. People would trip and fall over the edge. Plus they hold snow instead of letting it blow across.

To repeat what you said, sad, but true. Buffalo's upper-middle and upper-income neighborhoods aged fairly gracefully, all things considering. However, in middle-class and working-class areas, it's a different story. It's not just how frame structures age, but that they're far easier to modify. Houses in Buffalo have been subject to the ravages of vinyl siding, enclosed porches, decorative iron railings, picture windows and the like, far more than peer frame cities. Cleveland, Syracuse and Rochester aren't devoid of such "mods", but they're not seen to nearly the extent encountered in Buffalo's pre-WWII neighborhoods.

Not surprising given the familiar/predictable place & background: How Buffalo’s once again thrown up a large oversupply of cheaply-built, suburban-style, wooden, single-family houses over the past couple of decades.

Rather than say taking advantage of the opportunities to literally move up the housing ladder: Building say a smaller number of more durable, solidly-built, multi-story, urban style housing that might help create a vibrant, smarter, & ultimately more sustainable city over the long run.

Who Knows: Maybe Buffalo still stands a chance of climbing up that ladder?

I doubt the original short wooden railings would meet modern safety codes. People would trip and fall over the edge. Plus they hold snow instead of letting it blow across.

Some of the metal railings are no taller than the wooden railings. Decorative metal made very few inroads in the Cleveland area, and they've got the same issues with snow. Meanwhile, decorative metal is very popular in the NYC area, where there isn't snow, but, like Buffalo, there's lots of Italian-Americans.

The railings just cheapen the look of styles of architecture that, in their original form, present a solid appearance despite their frame construction.

The railings just cheapen the look of styles of architecture that, in their original form, present a solid appearance despite their frame construction.In your opinion

Developers finally discovering the Niagara River

http://www.buffalorising.com/2011/11/niagara-the-front-lofts.html

http://www.buffalorising.com/Figure%205a.jpg

http://www.buffalorising.com/figure%203.jpg

More renovation on the downtown fringes

http://www.buffalorising.com/LH-.jpg

http://www.buffalorising.com/LH-1469.jpg

Lafayette reno coming along nicely

http://www.buffalorising.com/Marquis-de-Lafayette-Buffalo-NY.jpg

http://www.buffalorising.com/2011/11/marquis-de-lafayette.html

Modernist Birdhouse finished

http://www.buffalorising.com/2011/11/birdhouse-unveiled.html

http://www.buffalorising.com/assets_c/2011/11/bird-house-1-Buffalo-NY-thumb-660x422-24826.jpg

http://www.buffalorising.com/assets_c/2011/11/Bird-House-3-Buffalo-NY-thumb-660x431-24825.jpg

More renovation on the downtown fringes

http://www.buffalorising.com/LH-.jpg

http://www.buffalorising.com/LH-1469.jpg


I see a few people in the rendering.

But of course, not a single pedestrian in sight in the photo.

What a contrast with the amazing colorful murals & streets alive with people I see in the Toronto forums!

More renovation on the downtown fringes

This will be a great corner project.
Just like the Main/Ferry HOME project.

This will be a great corner project.
Just like the Main/Ferry HOME project.

Bit by bit we bring teh city back

Those Broadway/Michigan buildings are great. Fantastic to see them back in use, and the Langston Hughes Institute being there will only add to the gradually coalescing Michigan corridor of African-American heritage sites.

Shame they just recently tore down a row of similar brick mercantile buildings along Michigan a little to the south.

Shame they just recently tore down a row of similar brick mercantile buildings along Michigan a little to the south.

Very sad. One wonders how that may have happened.

Is that Sabre rattling I hear on the Webster Block?

Those Broadway/Michigan buildings are great. Fantastic to see them back in use, and the Langston Hughes Institute being there will only add to the gradually coalescing Michigan corridor of African-American heritage sites.

Its always great to look back, honoring & preserving our history.

However, the critical focus needs to be on ensuring that residents of the Lower East Side neighborhoods in the Michigan Av Corrider gains significant access to the projected employment in the Medical Corrider.

No need to re-invent the wheel. The University Circle on Cleveland's East Side provides a good model of how neighborhood residents can access medical employment.

Is that Sabre rattling I hear on the Webster Block?

I thought that was reserved for HSBC? Care to elaborate?

I thought that was reserved for HSBC? Care to elaborate?

Where have you been? HSBC is shrinking its WNY presence.

Nothing downtown has been put on the chopping block and the lease renewal for HSBC tower is still up in the air. But you didn't answer my question....

Nothing downtown has been put on the chopping block and the lease renewal for HSBC tower is still up in the air. But you didn't answer my question.... They pretty much said there is no new building planned for Buffalo

Is that Sabre rattling I hear on the Webster Block?
What have you heard about the Webster block

What have you heard about the Webster block

Oh just some interesting chatter

Chatter along the lines of the well worn out rumor that Jim Kelly and a whole bunch of investors are ready to buy the Bills when Ralph Wilson passes or something more realistic like the NFTA considering expanding the Metro Rail?

Oh just some interesting chatter

Or in other words, the chatter of the trully clueless.

Or in other words, the chatter of the trully clueless.As usual

Chatter along the lines of the well worn out rumor that Jim Kelly and a whole bunch of investors are ready to buy the Bills when Ralph Wilson passes or something more realistic like the NFTA considering expanding the Metro Rail?

We will have to wait and see

Since you brought it up... any reason why you're not sharing the 'chatter' here then?

Since you brought it up... any reason why you're not sharing the 'chatter' here then?

Oh its probly just idle bar talk

Oh its probly just idle bar talk
Chicago must be pretty dull if Buffalo's Webster block is the talk of the local gin mills :)

Job growth of 18% here spurred by construction
Region rates 3rd in U.S. for building, 5th overall

December 5, 2011

The Buffalo Niagara region added more construction jobs than all but two U.S. metro areas in the last year, a result of health care, university and private-sector development projects that spurred an 18 percent gain in overall employment.

From October 2010 to October 2011, the region added 3,600 construction jobs, pushing employment in that sector to 23,900 -- the highest point since before 2001, an industry official said during a Monday news conference outside the Larkin at Exchange Building just east of downtown Buffalo.

Only Houston, with an increase of 5,100, and Columbus, Ohio, with a gain of 4,200, added more construction workers than Buffalo.

Buffalo's 18 percent gain overall ranked fifth nationally, topped only by Lake County-Kenosha County in Illinois and Wisconsin; Casper, Wyo.; Grand Forks, N.D.; and Haverhill-North Andover-Amesbury in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.


full - http://www.buffalonews.com/business/article660946.ece

Job growth of 18% here spurred by construction
Region rates 3rd in U.S. for building, 5th overall

December 5, 2011

The Buffalo Niagara region added more construction jobs than all but two U.S. metro areas in the last year, a result of health care, university and private-sector development projects that spurred an 18 percent gain in overall employment.

From October 2010 to October 2011, the region added 3,600 construction jobs, pushing employment in that sector to 23,900 -- the highest point since before 2001, an industry official said during a Monday news conference outside the Larkin at Exchange Building just east of downtown Buffalo.

Only Houston, with an increase of 5,100, and Columbus, Ohio, with a gain of 4,200, added more construction workers than Buffalo.

Buffalo's 18 percent gain overall ranked fifth nationally, topped only by Lake County-Kenosha County in Illinois and Wisconsin; Casper, Wyo.; Grand Forks, N.D.; and Haverhill-North Andover-Amesbury in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.


full - http://www.buffalonews.com/business/article660946.ece


This is pretty impressive since it is a raw number ranking rather than a percentage ranking. That means Buffalo is doing very well compared to much lager and wealthier cities which added fewer jobs. However, there seems to be an error in the reporting because they said Buffalo was 3rd only behind Cinci and Houston but later they also reported that NY added more jobs too. Are there other cities they missed?

Buffalo is third behind Houston and Columbus. The higher number for New York is a statewide figure, not NYC

NYC lost 4000 construction jobs :

Buffalo also fared better than the rest of the state. Statewide, New York added 8,500 construction jobs, up by 3 percent, to a total of 325,700. Besides Buffalo, Rochester gained 1,700, and the Albany area saw an increase of 1,600 jobs. Most other metro areas experienced a slight gain or a slight loss of jobs, while New York City posted a drop of 4,000.

Buffalo is third behind Houston and Columbus. The higher number for New York is a statewide figure, not NYC

NYC lost 4000 construction jobs :

Oh yea I see that now. Well this is extraordinary news!

WNY wins on state development

Medical Campus does best here as $100.3 million for 96 projects is heading this way

...

* Streetscape and infrastructure projects for Buffalo and Olean, which were awarded $6 million. Council officials consider these part of a "smart growth" strategy that would reduce sprawl by making improvements in central business districts.

* A project to return vehicular traffic to Main Street in downtown Buffalo, as well as making streetscape improvements and enhancing transportation options between the Genesee Gateway, Main Street and the Medical Campus, which received $4 million. The council had sought $8 million for the $23.4 million project.

* Conversion of the former Rainbow Centre mall in Niagara Falls into a Niagara County Community College facility to train students in the culinary, hospitality and leisure field, which was granted $2 million toward the $2.5 million project.


FULL - http://www.buffalonews.com/city/capital-connection/albany/article664938.ece

Good on you Buffalo. Nice to see some positive gains happening in our closest American city.

Plans still seem vague on which exact block to start with...



City to get some federal funds for Main Street project
December 12, 2011

WASHINGTON — Buffalo will receive $15 million in federal funds to begin restoring vehicle traffic to parts of Main Street that were converted to a pedestrian mall when the Metro Rail opened a quarter century ago.

... Based on conversations with city officials, Schumer said he expected the funds to be used to restore cars to either the 500 block of Main Street or the Canalside area — or perhaps more parts of the streets.

"The money comes right away so they can get moving very quickly," Schumer said. The funds will come from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Transportation Investmentment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant program, which aims to fund major projects that can have a significant national, regional or local impact.

Buffalo applied for $32 million for the Main Street project, and while the city was awarded far less, it nevertheless fared very well in the tough competition for the federal funding.

FULL - http://www.buffalonews.com/city/communities/buffalo/article670050.ece

^
That's good news. The city can get more money to backfill those grants later. :cheers:

Deal secured to renovate Donovan site
December 14, 2011

The developers of the former Gen. Donovan Office Building and the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp. have agreed to a formal contract, clearing the way for the $30 million downtown Buffalo project to proceed.

... The Buffalo law firm of Phillips Lytle LLP has agreed to anchor the building, taking the top four floors — 85,000-square-feet — of the eight-story structure. Phillips Lytle, which will be moving from One HSBC Center, will bring more than 300 employees to the Donovan building.

Besides Phillips Lytle, Benderson is reviewing other tenant options for the Donovan building including restaurants, a brand-name hotel and some other offices. Those leases are expected to be signed by early next year.

The Donovan building has been empty for more than three years with the state offices that were in the structure relocated to other downtown sites. The building was originally targeted to be demolished and used as a parking ramp for the proposed Bass Pro store that had been eyed for the former Memorial Auditorium property. The Aud was razed but the Bass Pro deal fell apart in July 2010.

The Aud site will be the central point for a number of replica Erie Canal waterways that will be one of Canalside’s signature attractions. Bids on the canal work are due back on Dec. 22 and construction is expected to start by mid-winter.


FULL - http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2011/12/14/deal-secured-to-renovate-donovan-site.html

Rail shift will free up Bethlehem property

A pair of grants could open the door for a large chunk of the former Bethlehem Steel property in Lackawanna to be renovated into a shovel-ready development site.

The Erie County Industrial Development Agency has accepted a $300,000 grant from National Grid that will help pay for the relocation of a South Buffalo Railway line that cuts through the property. The grant, coupled with $4.42 million allocation from New York state, should be able to finance the project officials say.

The rail line will remain on the property but will be shifted about 1,000-feet west of its current location, a move that could make up to 400 acres of land a shovel-ready development site. ... The work will start this spring and should be completed in six months. ...


FULL - http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2011/12/19/rail-shift-will-free-up-bethlehem.html

Central Terminal wins National Trust grant

The Central Terminal, an East Side landmark and one of Buffalo’s architectural icons, will be awarded a $10,000 challenge grant, thanks to a social media and online contest run by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

The Central Terminal was one of four local landmarks selected by the National Trust for the contest. The others were the Colored Musicians Club, Graycliff, and the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural site. The grant was provided by Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co.

Online and social media voting took place from Dec. 12 to Dec. 19. The winner was announced on Dec. 19. The Buffalo Challenge came just two months after the National Trust held its annual conference in Buffalo, bringing in more than 2,500 people. ...


FULL - http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2011/12/19/central-terminal-wins-national-trust.html

That Beth Steel site would be ideal for a steel mill. srs

"The ECIDA signed-off on a $300,000 brownfield redevelopment program grant from National Grid for the Bethlehem Steel Rail Improvement Project. The ECIDA, Erie County, Tecumseh Redevelopment, Inc., South Buffalo Railway, and National Grid have partnered to relocate an existing rail corridor. The grant from National Grid will be used to redevelop 400 acres of the former Bethlehem Steel site for a business and multi-modal logistics park. Over $4.4 million from the NYS Multi-Modal rail funds will be combined with the grant and work is expected to begin in the spring."

http://www.buffalorising.com/2011/12/ecida-approves-13-million-in-incentives-for-various-organizations.html

^^
Container port? Can Buffalo make a container port happen? Or is their concept of 'multimodal' different than how I'd understand it?

i don't know the details, but I wouldn't assume they were going for a container port necessarily. Multimodal could be just rail to truck. But given the lakefront location, there could be some shipping component too.

Roswell Park to put up 11 floor building in BNMC

renderings: http://www.fxfowle.com/projects/office-corporate/roswell-park-clinical-science-building.php

More info on the project.

Plans by Roswell Park Cancer Institute to build a new clinical sciences facility took a step forward this week. The downtown hospital filed plans Dec. 16 with the state Department of Health for an 11-story, $43 million Clinical Sciences Center, to be built adjacent to the existing facility at the corner of Carlton and Michigan streets on the eastern border of the Buffalo Niagara Medical....

http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2011/12/21/roswell-files-plans-for-larger-43m.html

^ The original plans were 8 floors, then 10 floors, now 11 floors.
Nice to see a project get bigger instead of smaller - like the Court St project

Mighty Taco is coming to downtown Buffalo

Mighty Taco has agreed to lease a portion of the first floor space in the Calumet building on Chippewa Street between Pearl and Franklin streets. Mighty Taco is expected to open by early spring.

The restaurant chain is leasing space that was once the Third Room and, more recently, La Luna nightclub. Another restaurant, Bacchus will remain open as the first-floor neighbor of Mighty Taco.

The Calumet was acquired by the law firm of Kenney Shelton Liptak & Nowak LLP, which is renovating its upper floors and will be moving into the building from the Rand Building this spring. ...


full - http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2011/12/27/mighty-taco-is-coming-to-downtown.html

Great news on the construction jobs in Buffalo-Niagara!

Regarding the Donovan building, I thought it was at one time to be torn down. I guess now they're going to renovate it, which works ok too.

Construction Watch: The Calumet
mike puma

Behind the boarded windows of the historic Calumet building, big things are starting to take shape. Work is currently underway, restoring the historic fabric of the building and preparing it for new tenants. The law firm of Kenney, Shelton, Liptak, & Nowak (KSLN) partnered with Frank Parisi and Angelo Natale to purchase the building from Mark Goldman and Arthur Ziller in January 2011. Carmina Wood Morris is the architect for the project and Natale Builders is doing the actual renovation work.

Bacchus Wine Bar is still occupying the first floor, but has recently expanded their footprint in the building. The restaurant took over the space which was previously occupied by 3rd Room. Mighty Taco will be moving into the balance of the first floor space.

The second and third floors will be occupied by the law firm, which is where most of the work is currently happening. Framing is going up for the new walls and crews are finishing up the electrical and mechanical components of the project. Since the project is utilizing historic tax credits, the renovation work must in accordance with standards set by the Secretary of the Interior and based on the approval by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). The building is on the National Register.

All the windows frames have been removed from the building for complete refurbishment. If a portion of the frame was rotted, it was removed and replaced in-kind, rather than replacing the entire frame with something new. The glass going back into the frames is a thicker, more efficient window but does not look out of place. All windows which were originally operational have been restored so that they can function once again.

Not all the work is taking place on the interior of the building; there is a new addition taking shape in the courtyard space off of Franklin Street. The foundation for a new elevator tower has been poured that will still allow enough room for a great outdoor space. It was designed within SHPO standards so that the addition does not damage historical fabric while also complementing the original design.

Parisi and Natale led the tour and explained their big plans for the block. The pair already own Soho Burger Bar, which was recently converted to a restaurant rather than just a nightclub.

They also own Omega Lounge next door and have plans to renovate the building for a different use, instead of a nightclub. The building is currently available for retail or restaurant use, no nightclubs allowed.

"Our vision is to restore the street and get some more foot traffic," Natale explained. "We're going to capture the popularity of the street, but guide it in a different direction." KSLN also shares the same vision for transforming Chippewa Street.


http://www.buffalorising.com/2012/01/construction-watch-the-calumet.html


http://www.buffalorising.com/assets_c/2012/01/6595053373_996f81da9c_b-thumb-550x392-25806.jpg

AM&A's update from Rocco:

http://www.buffalonews.com/business/article694548.ece

Billion Dollars For Buffalo


http://www.buffalonews.com/city/communities/buffalo/article697339.ece

Projects announced, started or completed last year:

http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/5070/2011map.png

Projects announced, started or completed last year:

http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/5070/2011map.png

Pretty slim portfolio, especially when you consider peer cities such as Pittsburgh which just yesterday approved construction of a $400 million skyscraper. Buffalo continues to lose ground and fall even further pack in the pack.

Pretty slim portfolio, especially when you consider peer cities such as Pittsburgh which just yesterday approved construction of a $400 million skyscraper. Buffalo continues to lose ground and fall even further pack in the pack.

Whatever troll.

Whatever troll.

Wow you sure set me straight, Buffalo IS booming more than any other City in the World :ohno:

Projects announced, started or completed last year:

http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/5070/2011map.png

Pretty impressive. The completed and in construction stuff must be in the 300 mill range right?. You forgot to put the canal side canals in there. not long ago that crappy closed down Burger King on Main was the most exciting thing that you would have had on this map. In a year or so you will be able to add the $600 Mill new UB med school on the map. Downtown development energy has steadily built over the last 6 years.

Pretty slim portfolio, especially when you consider peer cities such as Pittsburgh which just yesterday approved construction of a $400 million skyscraper. Buffalo continues to lose ground and fall even further pack in the pack.
What a loser! Whats the point of that post?!? :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:


Get a job and get a life, pathetic

Whats the point of that post?!?

Point being, while Buffalo is happy with a few rehabs of run down vacant buildings. Our peer rust belt city, Pittsburgh, is boldly moving forward, not only with small rehabs like Buffalo, but also with bold new skyscrapers costing nearly a half billion dollars. Thus we are not even treading water, we are indeed falling further behind. Therefore, what, when looked at in isolation may appear impressive, is at best, mediocre, when viewed in the context of what our peer cities are doing. That is my point.

Your point seems to be Buffalo, rah, rah, rah, sis, boom, bah !:nuts:

Point being, while Buffalo is happy with a few rehabs of run down vacant buildings. Our peer rust belt city, Pittsburgh, is boldly moving forward, not only with small rehabs like Buffalo, but also with bold new skyscrapers costing nearly a half billion dollars. Thus we are not even treading water, we are indeed falling further behind. Therefore, what, when looked at in isolation may appear impressive, is at best, mediocre, when viewed in the context of what our peer cities are doing. That is my point.

Your point seems to be Buffalo, rah, rah, rah, sis, boom, bah !:nuts:


So you're comparing Buffalo to a city that always was and is still stronger financially and industrially, and that has a much more intact built urban environment? The same Pittsburgh that has several large universities within a small district creating a neighborhood Buffalo could only dream of with resources that make Buffalo's institutions seem modest? The Pittsburgh that is substantially larger in metro size to Buffalo and thus has a larger demand than Buffalo?

And with all of that, Pittsburgh is hardly "treading water" as you say. Pittsburgh is on the same downward leading road...

Point being, while Buffalo is happy with a few rehabs of run down vacant buildings. Our peer rust belt city, Pittsburgh, is boldly moving forward, not only with small rehabs like Buffalo, but also with bold new skyscrapers costing nearly a half billion dollars. Thus we are not even treading water, we are indeed falling further behind. Therefore, what, when looked at in isolation may appear impressive, is at best, mediocre, when viewed in the context of what our peer cities are doing. That is my point.

Your point seems to be Buffalo, rah, rah, rah, sis, boom, bah !:nuts:


Breaking News This just in from Pittsburgh:

http://www.jamiedole.com/gifs/KingTut.gif

Point being, while Buffalo is happy with a few rehabs of run down vacant buildings. Our peer rust belt city, Pittsburgh, is boldly moving forward, not only with small rehabs like Buffalo, but also with bold new skyscrapers costing nearly a half billion dollars. Thus we are not even treading water, we are indeed falling further behind. Therefore, what, when looked at in isolation may appear impressive, is at best, mediocre, when viewed in the context of what our peer cities are doing. That is my point.

Your point seems to be Buffalo, rah, rah, rah, sis, boom, bah !:nuts:

Where are you getting this idea that Pittsburgh and Buffalo are peer cities? The only thing that they ever had in common is the loss of industry. Unlike Buffalo, Pittsburgh had a diverse economy set up that helped lessen the blow when Steel production went to Asia.

As for this so-called skyscraper in Pittsburgh, I'd hardly call a 33 story tower a skyscraper nor is it a claim to prosperity.. Niagara Falls, ON has a 50+ story Hilton. Big deal.
I'd rather the region focus on improving the buildings we already have before building up.

As for this so-called skyscraper in Pittsburgh, I'd hardly call a 33 story tower a skyscraper nor is it a claim to prosperity.. Niagara Falls, ON has a 50+ story Hilton. Big deal.
I'd rather the region focus on improving the buildings we already have before building up.

:yes:

The Tower at PNC Plaza is the first building of any meaningful height to be built in Pittsburgh in 25 years. I'm sure a lot of people there have felt equally frustrated and dissatisfied with the pace of change to their own skyline. Buffalo is simply behind the pace of many US cities (and well ahead of some others) where it comes to rebuilding its inventory of underused or derelict buildings before plowing ahead with major new towers. Of course if Buffalo had the immense accumulated wealth and deep pool of major institutional and Fortune 500 benefactors like Pittsburgh, it could do both. As such, this slate of new projects means that the city is well along the path of transforming its core -an important predicate to elevating its status as a place where building new tall towers is possible.

we're not in competition with Pittsburgh or any other city for skyscrapers. And it's not like there are only a handful left at the skyscraper store that we have to beat them to it before they're sold out. Like others have said before, I would take improved density and renovations over 2 giant 50 story towers any day. It would be great to see some modernization of the skyline but that's cosmetic and isn't a sign of real growth. Buffalo had lots of skyline changes in the 70's and it surely wasn't a sign of growth then!

last month, weren't you saying pittsburgh was dying because a department store was closing?

fubo, you are a tool.

Point being, while Buffalo is happy with a few rehabs of run down vacant buildings. Our peer rust belt city, Pittsburgh,

Where are you getting this idea that Pittsburgh and Buffalo are peer cities? The only thing that they ever had in common is the loss of industry. Unlike Buffalo, Pittsburgh had a diverse economy set up that helped lessen the blow when Steel production went to Asia.

As for this so-called skyscraper in Pittsburgh, I'd hardly call a 33 story tower a skyscraper nor is it a claim to prosperity.. Niagara Falls, ON has a 50+ story Hilton. Big deal.
I'd rather the region focus on improving the buildings we already have before building up.

Absolutely. Compared to ten years ago, downtown is on a roll. There are few 'easy' residential conversion candidates left- a decade ago that was only a planner's dream. 2012 should be another good year, there's alot cooking and not just downtown.

Where are you getting this idea that Pittsburgh and Buffalo are peer cities? .

Both had about 600,000 people in 1950 both have about 300,000 people now. Both are in the rust belt, both had heavy industry. The fact that Pittsburgh is now stronger than Buffalo simply proves my point that we are falling further back in the pack behind our peer cities.

Besides if Economic Development Officials in Pittsburgh consider Buffalo a Peer city to Pittsburgh that is good enough for me.

http://www.examiner.com/community-in-pittsburgh/has-pittsburgh-been-revitalized

Both had about 600,000 people in 1950 both have about 300,000 people now. Both are in the rust belt, both had heavy industry. The fact that Pittsburgh is now stronger than Buffalo simply proves my point that we are falling further back in the pack behind our peer cities.

Besides if Economic Development Officials in Pittsburgh consider Buffalo a Peer city to Pittsburgh that is good enough for me.

http://www.examiner.com/community-in-pittsburgh/has-pittsburgh-been-revitalized

Whats the point here? The fact is that according to many statistics, Buffalo (and I believe Pittsburgh as well) whethered the recession better than almost 75% of metros out there, and Pittsburgh was always almost twice the size as Buffalo anyway (metro size). The premise of this portion of the thread is that rehabs continue downtown at a pretty good clip.

It is not farfetched, as other people have noted, that in maybe 5 years or so there wont be many rundown buildings left in downtown ro rehab. Then perhaps we will start seeing some new builds/highrises.

Cheers from NYC
R

The point as proven by the facts was and is that for every step forward Buffalo takes our closest peer cities are taking two steps, thus leaving Buffalo further behind. The only way to relistically turn this around is to create jobs and attract immigrants. This will not happen by converting old offices into rental apartment for suburban kids. It will happen when like Pittsburgh we have a demand from the creation of new jobs to build a nearly half billion dollar skyscraper to accomodate new workers.

The point as proven by the facts was and is that for every step forward Buffalo takes our closest peer cities are taking two steps, thus leaving Buffalo further behind. The only way to relistically turn this around is to create jobs and attract immigrants. This will not happen by converting old offices into rental apartment for suburban kids. It will happen when like Pittsburgh we have a demand from the creation of new jobs to build a nearly half billion dollar skyscraper to accomodate new workers.

PNC is similar to M&T except that it's much larger (almost a money center bank) so they are expanding their footprint in downtown Pittsburgh. Given how many buildings they occupy there, PNC could have consolidated everything into a supertall. But they didn't. M&T could do likewise but they are too conservative and cautious, more like a Canadian than a typical American bank. That's why M&T survived the global finacial crisis and they're not likely to start taking chances now. So I don't think a new tower in Pittsburgh says anything about immigration or job creation there aside from the fact that any city with major Fortune 500 companies can have more civic baubles to show for it along with whatever additional employment comes with that. I do think having the university so close to downtown (compared to UB) has generated an energy there that Buffalo missed out on when Nelson Rockefeller plunked his little Brasilia in remote Amherst.

The point as proven by the facts was and is that for every step forward Buffalo takes our closest peer cities are taking two steps, thus leaving Buffalo further behind. The only way to relistically turn this around is to create jobs and attract immigrants. This will not happen by converting old offices into rental apartment for suburban kids. It will happen when like Pittsburgh we have a demand from the creation of new jobs to build a nearly half billion dollar skyscraper to accomodate new workers.

As a nice recent comparison, isn't First Niagara growing absurdly and just relocate to a brand new headquarters that would be something like a 40 story builidng if it was stood on its end? I would also like to see information based on real statistics and data that show Buffalo taking one step forward and Pittsburgh, Rochester, Cleveland, Detroit, Toledo, etc taking two steps forward. I am sure you could draw a nice cartoon in that regard.

As a nice recent comparison, isn't First Niagara growing absurdly and just relocate to a brand new headquarters that would be something like a 40 story builidng if it was stood on its end?

Not exactly even with the U Building FN is only leasing 160,000 square feet compared to the Pittsburgh bank adding 800,000 square feet. Using the same floor plate size as Pittsburgh First Niagara is using the equivalent of a 6 floor building. More importantly in typical Buffalo scatter shot fashion FN is located outside the CBD while the Bank in Pittsburgh is comitted to bilding within the core of that Cities downtown thereby creating more critical mass as opposed to diluting it like FN is doing in Buffalo. Jobs formerly in the HSBC Tower will no doubt be migrating to Larkin U thus further weakening Downtown Buffalo.

Interesting that you guys are comparing Buffalo to Pittsburgh as a peer city. That is quite a compliment to Buffalo in that Pittsburgh's metro population of 2.3 Million is more than 2 times that of Buffalo at 1.1 mill. Even if you add in the nearby 500,000 Canadians Pittsburgh is a much larger city with more big companies.

Buffalo has always pulled way more weight than its size would suggest and does compare well in cultural amenities and historical achievements. How many other cities sent 2 presidents to the white house?

Just recently it was reported that Buffalo added more construction jobs than all but just two other American cities. That suggests that Buffalo is doing pretty good in building stuff. It would be interesting to see what Buffalo is doing development wise on a per capita basis as compared to Pittsburgh.

Based on the metro size difference that 33 story tower in Pittsburgh is equivalent to a 15 story building in Buffalo. In the last five years Buffalo has added the 11 story court Building, 10 story Global Vascular Institute, 12 story Paladino condo building. 15 story Avant and has a 22 story Gates apartment building planned. Also underway is the 10 story reconstruction of the old State Office building which is essentially a new building. All of these could be scaled up to a 20 to 30 story building to make a fair comparison based on metro size.

So it is quite nice having Buffalo compared against Pittsburgh rather than Rochester, Grand Rapids, or Toledo.

That said Buffalo is way better off concentrating on filling these older and smaller buildings. One big new tower surrounded by parking and dead scape is the wrong path

Interesting that you guys are comparing Buffalo to Pittsburgh as a peer city. That is quite a compliment to Buffalo in that Pittsburgh's metro population of 2.3 Million is more than 2 times that of Buffalo at 1.1 mill. Even if you add in the nearby 500,000 Canadians Pittsburgh is a much larger city with more big companies.

Buffalo has always pulled way more weight than its size would suggest and does compare well in cultural amenities and historical achievements. How many other cities sent 2 presidents to the white house?

Just recently it was reported that Buffalo added more construction jobs than all but just two other American cities. That suggests that Buffalo is doing pretty good in building stuff. It would be interesting to see what Buffalo is doing development wise on a per capita basis as compared to Pittsburgh.

Based on the metro size difference that 33 story tower in Pittsburgh is equivalent to a 15 story building in Buffalo. In the last five years Buffalo has added the 11 story court Building, 10 story Global Vascular Institute, 12 story Paladino condo building. 15 story Avant and has a 22 story Gates apartment building planned. Also underway is the 10 story reconstruction of the old State Office building which is essentially a new building. All of these could be scaled up to a 20 to 30 story building to make a fair comparison based on metro size.

So it is quite nice having Buffalo compared against Pittsburgh rather than Rochester, Grand Rapids, or Toledo.

That said Buffalo is way better off concentrating on filling these older and smaller buildings. One big new tower surrounded by parking and dead scape is the wrong path
Speaking of which, any updates?

Interesting that you guys are comparing Buffalo to Pittsburgh as a peer city.

I think as long as Pittsburgh views buffalo as a peer City (which any google will prove to be the case) there is no reason for Buffalo not to reciprocate.

Peer cities involve more than simply population other factors such as geographic proximity, demographic makeup, industrial makeup and past history would also come into play.

and has a 22 story Gates apartment building planned.

:lol: That's about as likely to happen as you moving to Buffalo. :lol::lol::lol:

I think as long as Pittsburgh views buffalo as a peer City (which any google will prove to be the case) there is no reason for Buffalo not to reciprocate.

Peer cities involve more than simply population other factors such as geographic proximity, demographic makeup, industrial makeup and past history would also come into play.

I do like the idea of Buffalo giving Pittsburgh a run for its money... :)

Senecas still plan to get bigger in Buffalo

Despite facing a deep pool of legal issues, the Seneca Gaming Corp. is confident that construction on the permanent Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino will start this year

This despite still unresolved legal battles in U.S. federal court, the potential of New York state allowing non-Indian operated casinos, and a related issue about payments withheld by the Seneca Nation of Indians — parent to Seneca Gaming Corp. — to the state. The payments, more than $350 million, are being held in an escrow account until an arbitration between the state and the Senecas can be held and the issue is resolved.

... Designs for the new casino are expected to be completed this spring and construction should follow shortly thereafter, said Robert Odawi Porter, Seneca Nation of Indians president.

“We will have a shovel in the ground this year,” Porter said.



FULL - http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2012/01/13/senecas-still-plan-to-getting-bigger.html?page=all

I do like the idea of Buffalo giving Pittsburgh a run for its money... :)

Yep a 1 mill city pulling the weight of a 2 mil city ain't too bad

I think as long as Pittsburgh views buffalo as a peer City (which any google will prove to be the case) there is no reason for Buffalo not to reciprocate.

Peer cities involve more than simply population other factors such as geographic proximity, demographic makeup, industrial makeup and past history would also come into play.

:nuts:

Yep a 1 mill city pulling the weight of a 2 mil city ain't too bad

Actually it's 300kcity compared to $276k city. Again if Pgh thinks of Bflo as a peer city why shouldn't Buf view Pgh as the same?

Interesting discussion on Peter Hunt's WBEN show this morning with CVB head Dottie Cohen. They were comparing Buffalo with it's peer city... Pittsburgh. Case closed!!!

Interesting discussion on Peter Hunt's WBEN show this morning with CVB head Dottie Cohen. They were comparing Buffalo with it's peer city... Pittsburgh. Case closed!!!

Yepp- peer in what? Convention market? Tourist market? :ohno:

Yepp- peer in what? Convention market? Tourist market? :ohno:

They will post the podcast to the Hunt website in a few days. Basically the discussion was about creating jobs and retaining our youth. Worth a listen fer sure

Senecas still plan to get bigger in Buffalo

Despite facing a deep pool of legal issues, the Seneca Gaming Corp. is confident that construction on the permanent Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino will start this year

This despite still unresolved legal battles in U.S. federal court, the potential of New York state allowing non-Indian operated casinos, and a related issue about payments withheld by the Seneca Nation of Indians — parent to Seneca Gaming Corp. — to the state. The payments, more than $350 million, are being held in an escrow account until an arbitration between the state and the Senecas can be held and the issue is resolved.

... Designs for the new casino are expected to be completed this spring and construction should follow shortly thereafter, said Robert Odawi Porter, Seneca Nation of Indians president.

“We will have a shovel in the ground this year,” Porter said.



FULL - http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2012/01/13/senecas-still-plan-to-getting-bigger.html?page=allHope. It's at least in the $100 million range. Anything less and you might as well keep the current shed

Probably won't hear any details until spring. I do like how they've been talking about working their casino plans in with the city plans for Canalside. That, combined with them no longer including a hotel will probably make the new casino more of a Win for downtown than their original plans would have been. (with a sovereign hotel downtown having too big of an advantage over the other regular hotels...)

It would be great to see a 20-25 floor hotel go up near the Casino, perhaps the Webster block or if out of scale there then perhaps behind the Atrium

I believe we'll see a proposal for the Webster Block soon.

I believe we'll see a proposal for the Webster Block soon.

Hopefully it will be a major block filling proposal and not another Hot Dog selling tool shed. Something that the general public will use and not just offices would be nice.

Hopefully it will be a major block filling proposal and not another Hot Dog selling tool shed. Something that the general public will use and not just offices would be nice.

It's full-block and mixed-use including a tower of about 20 floors.

It's full-block and mixed-use including a tower of about 20 floors.

That would be awesome, just what the doctor ordered to move Downtown that next giant step forward and build real momentum on the waterfront. The Webster Block as it currently sits is a major black eye downtown. A rail stop that lets you off at a surface parking lot in January is depressing indeed.

It's full-block and mixed-use including a tower of about 20 floors.

That would be equivalent to a 40 story building in Pittsburgh!

:lol:That would be equivalent to a 40 story building in Pittsburgh!

:lol::lol::lol::applause::master::banana2::rofl::rofl: You are soooooooooo clever !!!

It's full-block and mixed-use including a tower of about 20 floors.

East Coast - I haven't really been following the Webster Block. Did the city issue an RFP? Is there already a preferred developer? Didn't HSBC have first shot at this block?

I believe we'll see a proposal for the Webster Block soon.

Senecas 20 story hotel?

East Coast - I haven't really been following the Webster Block. Did the city issue an RFP? Is there already a preferred developer? Didn't HSBC have first shot at this block?

No RFP- the HSBC option is passed. I'm not sure how this is going to work- it's an unsolicited proposal for a city-owned site. I imagine the City designates them as developer to give them time to pull something together and make a deal to purchase the block. It's not as if other developers haven't had an opportunity- it's been vacant for 40+ years. I don't think the Senecas are involved with this one.

Unsolicited proposal will draw suspicion. After much study it will get shot down or long debates over pros and cons will drive the interested party away.

Unsolicited proposal will draw suspicion. After much study it will get shot down or long debates over pros and cons will drive the interested party away.

Depends entirely upon whether or not they are willing to "Pay To Play"