[Halovet]

October for Aud demolition in Buffalo, March for Bass Pro construction

By Sharon Linstedt NEWS BUSINESS REPORTER

Updated: 07/16/08 10:11 AM



Robert Kirkham/Buffalo News file photo

http://media.buffalonews.com/smedia/2008/07/16/10/175-LOCAL_KIRKHAM_memorial_aud.standalone.prod_affiliate.50.jpg

Buffalo's old War Memorial Auditorium will have to be knocked down rather than imploded due to its proximity to other structures.
Plans to knock down Buffalo's venerable Memorial Auditorium to make way for a Bass Pro Shops store got initial City of Buffalo approval Tuesday.

The Buffalo Planning Board OK'd a general site plan that will see demolition begin in early October, following completion of a comprehensive asbestos removal effort.

"If all goes well, by the end of March we'll be ready to start construction," said Chuck Rosenow, president of the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp., which is overseeing the massive Canal Side redevelopment project, which includes the Bass Pro store.

Under the current timetable, remediation of asbestos and other hazardous materials from the Aud will wrap up by the end of September, followed by the start of building demolition in early October.

"We will not implode it. We can't do that because of where it's located," said Lowell Dewey, of C&S Engineering, the project's demolition consultant.

Dewey cited the close proximity of the I-190, Skyway, CSX/Amtrak railroad corridor, and underground water and sewer conduits, all of which stand in the way of a dramatic implosion end to the Aud's 68- year run. A request for bids to take down the Aud will go out next month.

Steve Fitzmaurice, chief operating officer of the adjacent One HSBC Center office tower, urged the planning board to approve the demolition plan to maintain the project's momentum.

"We're anxious to see the Aud go. We've been looking at that eyesore for years now," Fitzmaurice said. "This is a very important next step."

The five-acre Aud site will be a blank slate resembling a gravel parking lot when demolition is complete. The only remnants will be sub-surface foundations on the north side of building, along Lower Terrace Street, which will be reused to build the new Bass Pro store.

Rosenow said while the development agency and its consultants work on getting the future store site construction-ready, Bass Pro designers continue to perfect blueprints for a 125,000-square-foot Outdoor World store. Current renderings, which have not been made public, depict a multilevel store, with underground parking for 450 vehicles.

Eric Recoon, a Benderson Development executive, is working directly with Bass Pro to integrate the new store into the framework of the 20-acre Canal Side site.

"We've seen a bunch of slightly tweaked iterations over the past months. It's going to be a dramatic and impressive building, a one-of-a-kind store, that is very much in keeping with the Great Lakes/Erie Canal theme," Recoon said.

The Benderson executive said Bass Pro officials will come to Buffalo in the next month to walk through the recently opened harbor and the project site as part of the effort to "marry the store design" to the larger $400 million development.

A master plan for siting the Bass Pro store, plus another 400,000 square feet of retail, entertainment, residential, office and museum space on the blocks surrounding the historic Erie Canal Harbor, will be made public by late summer, according to Recoon.

Full-blown plans for the entire Canal Side project are expected to be complete by early October to officially kick-off required environmental reviews.

"We have to begin the [State Environmental Quality Review] process at least six months ahead of when we want to start construction so there's no delays," said Jordan A. Levy, chairman of the harbor agency. "At that point our plans will become very, very public."

The current timetable calls for the Bass Pro story to open in early 2010.

slinstedt@buffnews.com

[BUFFALOVE!!]

^^^ YES, YES, YES!!!!!!!!!!! i'll bring down a shovel myself to help

[BUFFALOVE!!]

When does the building next door (donovan?) come down? at the same time?

[westcoastperspective]

RIP City Tower:

http://www.buffalorising.com/story/city_tower_site_sold

:(

[BuffaloBill]

So long Bashful Issa, we hardly knew ye.

:runaway:

Run back to Manchester...maybe create a surface parking lot...about your limit there Bashful.

:jester:

[Jas]

I'm not sure who did these renderings for the intersection, but I can tell you it's NOT the planned building for the KFC site. Nevertheless, it's an interesting proposal that is worth sharing.

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll2/BfloHighRise/Before.jpg[/IMG]

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll2/BfloHighRise/After.jpg[/IMG]

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll2/BfloHighRise/After-Building.jpg[/IMG]

[westcoastperspective]

What are the chances of Rite Aid going away at Bryant/Elmwood. :rolleyes:

[BUFFALOVE!!]

Wow those renderings look great. I hope they cross the owners desk.

and i had no idea no one had posted this yet

"In downtown Buffalo, Croce will build something on site he bought from Issa"
http://www.buffalonews.com/businesstoday/localbusiness/story/395677.html

[homestar]

Wow. That rendering is awesome. We can dream I suppose... :fingerscrossed:

[BANKofMANHATTAN]

That's right around the corner from my parent's place. I sure would like to see something done with that intersection! Where are these proposals from - are they legit at all??

[westcoastperspective]

From Biz First.

http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/9012/casalucexv2.jpg

That'll fit in down there.

[Jas]

From Biz First.

http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/9012/casalucexv2.jpg

That'll fit in down there. :yuck:



Waterfront condo development proposed

One of the last remaining residential parcels in downtown Buffalo's Waterfront Village is targeted for a $15 million condominium and townhouse development.
The Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency has agreed to award development rights for the 2.8-acre parcel along the northern end of Waterfront Village to Waterfront Medical Professionals LLC. It's a joint venture between radiologists Frank Mascaro and Joseph Serghany - both of whom built the Western New York Medical Arts complex along Michigan Avenue - and McGuire Development Co. and R&P Oak Hill Development. Carmina Wood & Morris P.C. is the architect.
Waterfront Medical Professionals was one of three firms that submitted a bid to the city agency for the property. Other bids were from Benderson Development Co. and Savarino Cos., which were pitching residential units for the parcel, although Benderson withdrew its bid to focus on its Canal Side development efforts.
The property is located near the Portside townhouse development.

[westcoastperspective]

http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/133/naerial3pw8.jpg

[lastcall4am]

I was hoping for something much taller, but they did not a nice job fitting this in with the rest of the development

[westcoastperspective]

I was hoping for something much taller, but they did not a nice job fitting this in with the rest of the development

Not a nice job, or a nice job?

I'll have a bunch of the other renderings up on BRO tomorrow. Its definitely different, and will likely get skewered in the comments, but I like it. Keep pushing the box architecturally.

[lastcall4am]

Not a nice job, or a nice job?

I'll have a bunch of the other renderings up on BRO tomorrow. Its definitely different, and will likely get skewered in the comments, but I like it. Keep pushing the box architecturally.

mixing up my words...they did a nice job...

[westcoastperspective]

Almost the full set of renderings for the new condo project:

http://buffalorising.com/story/bold_design_chosen_for_waterfr#sca

We'll see how this goes over with the fickle BRO crowd. They skewer Frilzen for being conservative, this is anything but.

[BUFFALOVE!!]

i think its pretty cool

[westcoastperspective]

It has grown on me. The townhouses have the potential to be pretty amazing. And it could use a bit more glass on the tower. But I think these are early plans that will evolve a bit. Three are already taken by the development team- moving from the 'burbs. In Biz First, one of the developers says they have a list of over 50 interested just through word-of-mouth. :tup:

This could be a good test- Buffalo has been pretty conservative as far as residential design.

[kznyc2k]

I like the ultra-modern design (lord knows Buffalo could use a dose of it), but immediately after looking at it I thought, what will the materials be? Metal panels? Perhaps, but probably not since it's a residential structure. Rather, when I see a building with bold colors like this I think of Dryvit.

And not to sound melodramatic, but if it's Dryvit then I'd almost rather this thing not get built. That stuff sucks so hard.

Oh, and thanks Halovet for the info on that picture!

[westcoastperspective]

I like the ultra-modern design (lord knows Buffalo could use a dose of it), but immediately after looking at it I thought, what will the materials be? Metal panels? Perhaps, but probably not since it's a residential structure. Rather, when I see a building with bold colors like this I think of Dryvit.

And not to sound melodramatic, but if it's Dryvit then I'd almost rather this thing not get built. That stuff sucks so hard.

Oh, and thanks Halovet for the info on that picture!

It is called trespa:

http://www.trespa.com/na/

[eMKay]

Not sure if this is news or not, but demolition has started at the Freezer queen site, I took this pic Wednesday from my boat...
http://www.emkayusa.com/Sailing/fq01.jpg

[BUFFALOVE!!]

^ i cant believe how much money they say they are going to be putting into that building. lets see if they can still do it with todays economy

[westcoastperspective]

^ i cant believe how much money they say they are going to be putting into that building. lets see if they can still do it with todays economy

They're be selling the metal shack for scrap- that'll help offset the construction costs. :P

[bassboy]

Any word on Uniland's Gates Circle plans?

Is that one down the tubes or is construction slated to begin at some point?

[Halovet]

Any word on Uniland's Gates Circle plans?

Is that one down the tubes or is construction slated to begin at some point?Last news I herd is that it would break ground before end of the year. Law suit was dismised months ago.:yes:

[lastcall4am]

Any word on Uniland's Gates Circle plans?

Is that one down the tubes or is construction slated to begin at some point?

I contacted Uniland to inquire about presales of the Gates Cirlce tower. They don't even have a timeframe to begin that, but they immediately directed me to the AVANT building downtown. I get the feeling that they are focusing all of their efforts into selling condos for the new AVANT building and would guess that the Gates Circle tower is still a year away

[BUFFALOVE!!]

^^ dont worry avant condos are going to sell out in no time. they already have a hotel in line and about 70K square ft. of office space under lease. i'm sure they'll be making money on that guy in no time and gates circle will be just around the corner!!

[BUFFALOVE!!]

I had the day off today and what better way to spend it than chillen in downtown buffalo...

if you pretend my camera isnt a pos you can see some buildings in the glass
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3206/2721037280_b49d87dd63_b.jpg

The Webb... fully leased I hear
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3071/2721056246_6edc39bfbb_b.jpg

Court tower construction with everyones favorite
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3023/2721043064_7e09bde419_b.jpg

and everyones new favorite
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3218/2721035030_78548d84a1_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3064/2720209783_71053a6bed_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3104/2721036120_22bb3c5cd6_b.jpg

I took a bunch more that i'll be putting on the Photos section later this month. Buffalo looks better every day!

[westcoastperspective]

Avant's skin looks great- Love the picture taken from behind the Roanoke, nice contrast between old and new.

[lastcall4am]

The contrast between the old and the new is amazing. They took a boring government building and made it into something exciting :cheers:

[BUFFALOVE!!]

The contrast between the old and the new is amazing. They took a boring government building and made it into something exciting :cheers:

You're telling me. It just shows that if you throw enough money at a building you can make it work.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3218/2723102564_ffe8a0d93f.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3104/2721036120_22bb3c5cd6.jpg

Now if only I had $60 million

[steel]

I bet the feds are wishing they could move back into Dulski and out of that crappy Niagara Center

[believeinbflo]

i would like to issue an emergency demo and RFP's for niagara center asap lol.

[Sulley]

Avant looks like something out of a 1980s Dallas office park.

HOWEVER - downtown Buffalo needs glass so it's A-OK in my book.

[STERNyc]

I don't know the glass looks good to me. Its not too reflective, it has some transparency and depth to it too. The Dulski's old bones are apparent though; I guess once a box, always a box.

[steel]

Avant looks like something out of a 1980s Dallas office park.

HOWEVER - downtown Buffalo needs glass so it's A-OK in my book.

In Dallas the glass would be gold mirror or brown mirror or bright blue green mirror.

[westcoastperspective]

Hamister proposes hotel on waterfront
Joins Ciminelli bid near Shanghai Red’s
By Sharon Linstedt NEWS STAFF REPORTER

A Buffalo-area company with a fast-growing, out-of-town hotel portfolio is looking to stake its first local claim along Erie Basin Marina.

The Williamsville-based Hamister Group has signed on as the hotel partner of Ciminelli Development Co. of Amherst for proposed hotel/office/retail project to be located next to Shanghai Red’s restaurant. Ciminelli is vying with J. W. Pitts Properties and Development of Buffalo to be named “designated developer” for the 1.5 acre city-owned parcel.

Ciminelli, J. W. Pitts and Tampa, Fla.-based Birchwood Properties Corp. submitted plans for the site last November, but Birchwood has bowed out of the selection process. The Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency is expected to select a developer by the end of September. :brickwall:

Hamister Group Chief Executive Mark A. Hamister confirmed he’s signed a memorandum of understanding with Ciminelli to deliver as many as 140 Hilton Hotels Corp.- brand rooms to the project.

The Ciminelli/Hamister proposal calls for a mid-rise tower that incorporates as many as 10 floors of hotel and office space, with first-floor retail and an interior parking ramp. J. W. Pitts, which is partnering with Shanghai Red’s owner Specialty Restaurant Corp., proposes a four-story, 100 room

Wingate Hotel, with physical connections to the restaurant.

The Florida firm, which withdrew its plans, wanted to construct a two-story office building.

In June, Hamister confirmed he’s interested in developing a luxury hotel on Buffalo’s Outer Harbor as part of the Queen City Landing project. Phase One of that project, led by local businessmen Gerald Buchheit and Jon Williams, proposes turning the idle Freezer Queen food plant into condominiums.

“The Outer Harbor hotel is at least three to five years off and will play to a different market, so there’s no conflict with what we hope to do with Ciminelli at the Erie Basin Marina site,” Hamister said.

http://www.buffalonews.com/145/story/406120.html

[believeinbflo]

10 floors? 1st floor retail? parking garage? sounds inappropriate for waterfront village and therefore excellent!

[Jas]

[QUOTE=westcoastperspective;3711989]Hamister proposes hotel on waterfront



Got any renderings WCP?

[westcoastperspective]

Nothing. :shrug:
I don't know anyone at Ciminelli. Getting it out of City Hall is next to impossible. You'd think the process would be more transparent. I'd love to see what Benderson proposed for the Lakefront site that was just awarded.

[lastcall4am]

Nothing. :shrug:
I don't know anyone at Ciminelli. Getting it out of City Hall is next to impossible. You'd think the process would be more transparent. I'd love to see what Benderson proposed for the Lakefront site that was just awarded.

speaking of Benderson. Any idea when the finalized canalside plan will be released? I haven't heard anything about possible tenants or more detailed designs yet

[westcoastperspective]

speaking of Benderson. Any idea when the finalized canalside plan will be released? I haven't heard anything about possible tenants or more detailed designs yet


October is what the News said a couple weeks ago.

[FireMedic]

Link to America's Fastest Dying Cities - Forbes.com


Link to America's Fastest Dying Cities - Forbes.com
http://www.forbes.com/home/2008/08/04/economy-ohio-michigan-biz_cx_jz_0805dying.html

[FireMedic]

Link to America's Fastest Dying Cities - Forbes.com


Link to America's Fastest Dying Cities - Forbes.com
http://www.forbes.com/home/2008/08/04/economy-ohio-michigan-biz_cx_jz_0805dying.html


Buffalo doesn't want to be on this list, BUT

With continued population erosion, above-average unemployment and slow economic growth, Buffalo has been included on a list of "America's Fastest-Dying Cities.

http://buffalo.bizjournals.com/buffalo/stories/2008/08/04/daily18.html?jst=b_ln_hl

[BUFFALOVE!!]

^^why did you quote yourself

[westcoastperspective]

^^why did you quote yourself

:koko:

[westcoastperspective]

http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/511/dsc0091fj9.jpg

Waterfront Village project being reshaped
Business First of Buffalo - by James Fink Business First

A slowdown in the upper-end residential market is prompting one developer to adjust his plans for a Waterfront Village townhouse and condominium project.

Carl Paladino said the next phase of his waterfront townhouse development will have revamped units with a slightly reduced price tag. At the same time, he is going to ask the Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency to extend his development rights for a condominium tower he wants to build as part of the same complex. The agency is expected to consider the request within a few weeks.

Paladino pledged that the townhouses and condo tower will be built, as planned, but on an extended development schedule.

"It's time to do a new market study," he said.

The culprit is this: a sluggish local economy and the potential of 454 upscale condominiums, townhouses and apartments coming on the downtown market within a few years.

"I want to determine the market conditions and see how the high-end market has changed," Paladino said.

Still, he said he remains committed to finishing the 16-unit townhouse complex and building the still-to-be determined condo tower. The tower will be named the Antonio, after his uncle, and will serve as a companion to a 47-unit tower named the Pasquale that Paladino expects to complete this fall. Thirty-two of the units are under contract, he said.
"It's not a question of if, but when," he said. "The Antonio likely won't go to design until we're a little further along with the Pasquale."

At the same time, Paladino is considering lowering the cost of the units in the next phase of his townhouse project from about $495,000 to the "lower" $400,000s, he said. The newer units will be a couple hundred square feet smaller than the first units, but still in the 2,000-square-foot range.

Amenities will include large, bay windows and a different roof line.

Of the first four townhouse units built by Paladino, three are sold and the fourth is in the final stages of contract talks. He plans four more units in the second phase.

http://buffalo.bizjournals.com/buffalo/stories/2008/08/04/daily43.html?jst=b_ln_hl

[sullymon54]

I know everyone is going to freak out but I don't think this is such bad news, with the announcement of the other condo project next door it might make him work a little harder on the design of the rest of his townhouses and the new tower. I personally hope to god he doesn't build another hideous concrete pedestal base like he did on the Pasquale, that is just awful. But I know you guys are gonna go nuts but other than that I don' think the tower looks TOO bad. Oh and the prices coming down on some of these units isn't bad either.

[steel]

I am not sure why he is claiming sales of the townhouses are slow when he has them all sold (cept one) before completion of construction. I would bet that price is not the problem but that at that price people want more that a tiny little piss-hole for a window.


How about some downtown views for the tower next time too.

[westcoastperspective]

I don't know if he sold the TH units at a loss (I doubt it), but he dropped the price down to $449k on two of the units (from $499). The end unit sold for $559k.

Narrower and taller for tower two please.

I think the base is going to look better once landscaped/bermed and the two-story addition on the city side goes up that will be the common areas/lobby goes up.

[Halovet]

I like the ultra-modern design (lord knows Buffalo could use a dose of it), but immediately after looking at it I thought, what will the materials be? Metal panels? Perhaps, but probably not since it's a residential structure. Rather, when I see a building with bold colors like this I think of Dryvit.

And not to sound melodramatic, but if it's Dryvit then I'd almost rather this thing not get built. That stuff sucks so hard.

Oh, and thanks Halovet for the info on that picture!
No problem kznyc2k. One of the rare opportunities I get to add something other than opinion to the conversation.:haha: Score one for the over~the~hill guy!:D As for the new condo, as was stated earlier, I would have liked to see something much taller, but this being Buffalo, someone would have probably jumped off the dam thing. :koko: :haha:


believeinbflo had the best line of the week! "sounds inappropriate for waterfront village and therefore excellent!" THAT WAS F%$KING GREAT! :brickwall: :lmao:

[BUFFALOVE!!]

Statler owner's projects in jeopardy
http://buffalo.bizjournals.com/buffalo/stories/2008/08/11/daily9.html?surround=lfn

I wish he would just sell it soon and get it over with. In a perfect world someone will come in and do what he wanted to do... Uniland or Roco Termini come to our rescue!!!

Please note this has nothing to do with the economics of Buffalo. Issa just got in over his head.

[lastcall4am]

Design contract increased for Canal Side
Business First of Buffalo - by James Fink Business First

As the demolition of Memorial Auditorium and the Gen. Donovan State Office Building nears, the fine tuning of the design stages for the $500 million Canal Side development is entering its final phase.

The impending demolition of the two downtown Buffalo buildings means the final design of how the re-created terminus of the Erie Canal has to be completed in order to meet state environmental review mandates as well as concerns from the project's anchors, Bass Pro and Benderson Development Co.

To that end, the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp. board, Tuesday morning, approved increasing its three-year-old contract with Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn Architects of New York by $65,000 to allow for additional urban-design and strategic-planning services.

"They will define a number of program elements," said Larry Quinn, board vice chairman. "Like, all the things we've talked about it. The conceptual thinking is fair far along, this just finalizes it."

The central element of Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kahn's focus will be how the Erie Canal elements will actually be worked into the Canal Side design. Canal Side is being anchored by a 175,000-square-foot Bass Pro store that will be constructed on the site of Memorial Auditorium and nearly 600,000-square-feet of retail, restaurant and entertainment venues that Benderson will be bringing to the lower Main Street neighborhood.

The canal's water may ultimately cut through a portion of the Bass Pro outlet before ending at Scott Street. Some portions may be as deep as 10 feet or 12 feet, making it boat-friendly, or in the wintertime used for ice skating or pond hockey, Quinn said.

The technical issues will concentrate on the widely divergent depths of the canal -- caused by the sloping geography of lower Main Street. In same cases, there can be as much as 30-foot difference in depths, all within a matter of a few blocks.

"It's not a flat piece of ground," Quinn said.

Quinn said he expects the architect's report to be completed within the next month, which will clear the way for the final design and development work. Construction on the Bass Pro store is slated to start next summer and the outlet is expected to open by mid-2010.


Workers clear way for Aud, Donovan razing
Business First of Buffalo - by James Fink Business First

The answer: "On schedule."

The question: "Is the pre-demolition, asbestos removal at Memorial Auditorium and the Gen. Donovan State Office Building proceeding as anticipated?"

In a briefing to the directors of the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp., the project manager for the "Aud" and Donovan sites, said everything is moving ahead, as planned.

Mark Smith, the agency's construction guru, said asbestos abatement and removal at the cavernous Aud is about 70 percent completed with two shifts of workers -- roughly 80 people -- working on the project. The Aud should be ready for demolition by late September.

The Aud and Gen. Donovan Building are being demolished to make way for a 175,000-square-foot Bass Pro store that will anchor the Canal Side development along lower Main Street. Bass Pro and other retail and restaurant outlets are expected to open by mid-2010.

The Donovan Building, where the asbestos removal began after the Aud, should be ready for demolition by December. The Donovan Building is being eyed as a parking ramp and possible hotel site that ties directly into the Bass Pro store.

Smith said the Donovan's asbestos removal and abatement is about 40 percent finished with as many as 60 people working on the project. The basement is about half remediated while the first floor is virtually gutted.

"Nothing's left there except for the shafts of the elevators," he said.

Both buildings will be gone and the site will be shovel-ready by June.

Demolition bids may be awarded by late September, Smith said.

Inside the Aud, interior landmarks, such as the Aud Club, are virtually gone.

"It took a lot of manpower, there," Smith said.

The biggest surprise crews found was the amount of brine that was left in the Aud's pipes. Brine is a central element in making ice. Sullivan said original estimates assumed there was about 5,000 gallons of brine left in the pipes when there was actually 11,000 gallons. Outside of that, the rest of the work has provided no extra surprises, Sullivan said.

All told, more than 1,300 tons of asbestos and other hazardous materials has been removed from the two buildings.

[BUFFALOVE!!]

I cant wait for the day when those two come down. Even better when something new goes up!!

[mrussell83]

Wait... They're on schedule. wow thats a first :)

[westcoastperspective]

Wait... They're on schedule. wow thats a first :)

On schedule for the revised, revised and revised schedule. Bass Pro was supposed to be open in 2007 I believe when first announced. :shrug:

I'm anxious to see what Benderson and Bass Pro are proposing.

[Jas]

I'm anxious to see what Benderson and Bass Pro are proposing.


What ever happened to this ramp?

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll2/BfloHighRise/WaterfrontRamp.jpg

[steel]

I love how that family is embracing as they stare on in awe of the parking deck that has Jesus beams emanating form its top.

[believeinbflo]

I love how that family is embracing as they stare on in awe of the parking deck that has Jesus beams emanating form its top.

LOL!

...we all know buffalonians worship ample parking.

[Sulley]

Anyone else notice that the Skyway is the most detailed portion of the rendering?

[Downtown Bolivar]

Anyone else notice that the Skyway is the most detailed portion of the rendering?

Love it or hate it it's ever-present. If they lit it up with floodlights it would actually look pretty good at night, kinda like how the Peace Bridge looks good at night.

[BUFFALOVE!!]

Rocco Termini has put the old AM&A's warehouse on contract. He's 80% sure it's going to happen. 40 Units could be under construction by early next year!!!!

http://buffalo.bizjournals.com/buffalo/stories/2008/08/18/story2.html?b=1219032000^1684617

[westcoastperspective]

Rocco Termini has put the old AM&A's warehouse on contract. He's 80% sure it's going to happen. 40 Units could be under construction by early next year!!!!

http://buffalo.bizjournals.com/buffalo/stories/2008/08/18/story2.html?b=1219032000^1684617


And, There's another project in the works nearby that will be about 80 units. Allentown Lofts (430 Virginia) breaks ground this week. I hear work has re-started at 504 Washington (three townhomes that will each could be designed to have a second unit for rent).

So after a little lull, developers are preparing for the next wave of lofts. Last week's decision on Empire Zone benefits by the governor is a real big deal for residential development that help make the numbers work.

[Halovet]

And, There's another project in the works nearby that will be about 80 units. Allentown Lofts (430 Virginia) breaks ground this week. I hear work has re-strated at 504 Washington (three townhomes that will each could be designed to have a second unit for rent).

So after a little lull, developers are preparing for the next wave of lofts. Last week's decision on Empire Zone benefits by the governor are a real big deal for residential development that help make the numbers work.



for reference:


http://www.buffalorising.com/upload/2008/02/DSC_0108c.JPG

http://www.buffalorising.com/img/img_entries/w600/18524.jpg

[Downtown Bolivar]

Glad to see the next wave is going to happen. It seemed like the market really too a deep breath there.

[sullymon54]

Tuesday, August 19, 2008 - 1:10 PM EDT

Paladino OK'd for Court Street project
Business First of Buffalo - by James Fink Business First

Efforts by a downtown landlord to block the development of a neighboring project have been stymied by the Buffalo Planning Board.

Despite a series of tactical legal arguments from a lawyer representing the owners of the Liberty Building-Main Place Mall-Main Place Tower complex, the planning board agreed to extend previously approved plans for a multi-tenant office building at 50 Court Street. The project been proposed by Carl Paladino and his Ellicott Development Co.

The action before the planning board was the latest salvo in a long-simmering legal feud between Paladino and Violet Realty Inc., owners of the trio of Main Street buildings.

Paladino first proposed the 11-story, 300,000-square-foot building in 2004, but the project has been delayed by a series of lawsuits initiated by Violet Realty, a company headed by Patrick Hotung. Hotung and Paladino have waged a series of legal battles over the years -- many directly connected to the proposed office building at 50 Court St., which sits right behind the Liberty Building-Main Place Mall-Main Place Tower.

Hotung has continually stated he would like to buy the two Court Street parcels that run between Pearl and Court streets for additional parking for his tenants and also expressed concerns that a new office building could potentially drive tenants from his complex to the new building.

When Paladino first announced the 50 Court Street project, he was hoping to land at least two major law firms as anchor tenants. The two firms -- Cellino & Barnes PC and Damon & Morey LLP; Cellino & Barnes, ironically, will be moving to the Main Place Tower, while Damon & Morey will be moving to the Avant building on Delaware Avenue next summer.

Paul Gregory, an attorney and senior executive with Ellicott Development, told the planning board the office building would have been constructed by now if not for the series of lawsuits filed by Hotung and Violet Realty. Ellicott Development has won virtually every legal battle with Violet Realty.

"We hope to pick up where we left off," Gregory said.

The project, however, may not be of the same size and scope.

Laurence Rubin, Violet's attorney and a former development chief with both the city of Buffalo and Erie County, said he now believes the project will be 28 percent smaller, or roughly eight stories, and any modification will open the door for a new review process. The extension, Rubin argued, was unprecedented and could open a Pandora's Box of issues for the city down the road.

"It could have a chilling effect on the development community," Rubin said. "This is all simply too stale. You don't make decisions sitting around the table without looking at the salient facts."

However, planning board members acknowledged the only reason that Ellicott Development was seeking its extension was the delays caused by legal action.

"Lawsuits specifically designed to stall projects should not be rewarded," noted Cynthia Schwartz, a planning board member.



Nice hotung, I'm glad developers are also doing their part to slow down new development as well as all the other reasons that contribute to the slow upstate economy

[BUFFALOVE!!]

Big expansion plans for the medical campus!!!!
From business first
http://buffalo.bizjournals.com/buffalo/stories/2008/08/18/daily14.html?surround=lfn

Kaleida, Ciminelli unveil big plans

In a surprise move, representatives from Kaleida Health unveiled plans for more than $200 million worth of new projects within the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.

And, officials noted Tuesday, the development price tag could balloon by another $100 million if the University at Buffalo joins ranks with one of the planned buildings.

After a brief meeting with the Buffalo Planning Board, which agreed to serve as the lead agency on a mandated environmental review, the development team confirmed Kaleida will construct a global vascular institute at the corner of Goodrich and Ellicott streets along the northern edge of the downtown Buffalo medical campus. The $102 million project will initially be around 380,000-square-feet and five stories tall, said Robert Bragg, Kaleida vice president of project management. But, the building could double in size and cost if the University of Buffalo agrees to shift some of its medical school operations into the complex. UB is still mulling that option, Bragg said.

The institute is a central part of Kaleida's plan to close Millard Fillmore Gates Circle Hospital and shift many of that facility's functions to the medical campus. Millard Gates was recommended to be closed by the Berger Commission report issued by state officials last year.

Bragg said construction on the institute will likely begin next year with the building ready to welcome its first patients by March 2011.

"We're under a tight time frame from the state," said Michael Hughes, Kaleida spokesman.

Hughes said Kaleida's plans for Gates Circle could known by the end of this year.

In the meantime, Kaleida is also working on plans to construct a four-story, 200,000-square-foot skilled nursing facility at the corner of Michigan Avenue and North Street, also in the campus' north end.

The skilled nursing facility would replace some of the functions that Kaleida handles at Millard Gates Circle. Gates Circle has more than 660,000-square-feet of ambulatory and medical care functions that are still active in the hospital.

"There's a lot of out-patient services that need to be planned for," Hughes said.

Some 1,300 full- and part-time workers would eventually shift from the Gates Circle facility to the medical campus.

Hughes said Kaleida's game plan is to build the global vascular institute first and then the skilled nursing facility, but both would be ready by 2011 -- the state deadline for when Millard Gates Circle has to be shuddered.

Meanwhile, Ciminelli Development Co. has confirmed it will be constructing a multi-tenant, medical office building where the 50 High Street Tower was imploded last summer. Ciminelli has long since said it was going to build a medical-related building on that property, which it has owned for nearly a decade.

However, this marks the first time specific plans have been confirmed.

The project is the largest in Ciminelli's vast development pipeline of current, single projects.

Tim Vaeth, Ciminelli director of development, said the building will likely be seven or eight stories and possibly as large as 250,000-square-feet. The total development price tag has yet to be established, but Vaeth said costs will be "well north of $100 per square foot."

Vaeth said Ciminelli would like to start construction on the project next spring and have it ready when the two Kaleida facilities are scheduled to be completed. "Our hope to is to go concurrent," Vaeth said.

No tenants have been signed, Vaeth said it is likely most will have a direct or indirect relationship with the medical campus.

[BUFFALOVE!!]

^^ I think Buffalo should put a lot more attention to the medical campus. That is really going to be the city's future. Lots more money, lots more cutting edge technology, and lots more high paying high tech high skill jobs in the heart of Buffalo

[Downtown Bolivar]

^^^I'm much more confident with Kaleida in charge of the Medical Campus in partnership with UB. I think it would be better to keep the city out of it completely other than normal public services.

[homestar]

And, There's another project in the works nearby that will be about 80 units. Allentown Lofts (430 Virginia) breaks ground this week. I hear work has re-started at 504 Washington (three townhomes that will each could be designed to have a second unit for rent).

So after a little lull, developers are preparing for the next wave of lofts. Last week's decision on Empire Zone benefits by the governor is a real big deal for residential development that help make the numbers work.
Any potential for condo conversions? Outside from the waterfront, they are limited (Aloft, and that conversion on Delaware)

[Halovet]

Downtown Main begins return to 2-way
Street section runs between Goodell and Tupper streets":tup:


By Sharon Linstedt NEWS BUSINESS REPORTER
Updated: 08/23/08 6:58 AM



Sharon Cantillon/Buffalo News
http://media.buffalonews.com/smedia/2008/08/23/07/314-0823mainst.standalone.prod_affiliate.50.jpg

The 700 block of Main Street was busy this week as work crews began Phase One of the “Cars Sharing Main Street” project. About a dozen trees were removed, and utility crews began marking connections.
There are now physical signs of the long-stalled effort to make Main Street in downtown Buffalo “car friendly.”

Preliminary work got underway late this week in the 700 block of Main Street on Phase One of the $40 million-plus “Cars Sharing Main Street” project. The current stage of work will return two-way traffic to the section of Main Street between Goodell and Tupper streets.

The 700 block, located at the north end of the Theater District, the point where Metro Rail goes underground, currently allows one-way, northbound traffic.

“It feels great to get going on this. We said it would start in August and we’re making that schedule,” said Buffalo Public Works Commissioner Steven Stepniak.

Late this week, crews removed about a dozen trees that lined the west side of the block, and utility crews began marking connections ahead of excavation work.

“Unfortunately, we had to remove the trees to do the project. And it was the assessment of the city forester that they wouldn’t survive transplanting,” Stepniak said.

Blueprints for the one-block re-configuration on Main Street call for the street bed to be straightened and widened, making room for one-lane each of northbound and southbound traffic, on-street parking and a tree-lined median. Excavation of the west side of the street will begin in the next week and move to the east side as the project progresses. Plans call for one northbound lane of the street to remain open for the duration of the project.

Destro & Brothers Concrete submitted the low bid of $1.6 million for the work, which is slated for completion by the end of the year. Landscaping work will be completed next spring.

“All these projects are weather-dependent, so we’re [hoping] we don’t get too much rain or an early snow. We want to wrap this up before winter,” Stepniak said.

The Federal Transit Administration is continuing to review plans for overhauling the remaining six blocks of Main Street to integrate vehicular traffic with Metro Rail. Planners continue to hope the 600 block of Main Street, a “no car” section which runs between Tupper and Chippewa streets will be approved for conversion work to start late next summer.

slinstedt@buffnews.com

[sullymon54]

never thought i would see the day

[lastcall4am]

never thought i would see the day

I find myself saying this a lot lately. :worship: I drove past the Aud today and saw large holes in the side of the building where they are removing the skin. The casino is moving very quickly, Avant looks like the exterior will be finished this fall, the federal courthouse continues to rise, and the condo project on the waterfront looks like it is close to completion :cheers:

[westcoastperspective]

More transportation news-

The Erie Canal Harbor Dev. Corp. is issuing a Request for Qualifications Monday to hire a firm to study potential Buffalo River bridge crossing locations- select a site and do preliminary design work. It is meant to be a local bridge connecting the inner and outer harbors, not a replacement for the Skyway.

Potential crossing locations were previously identified: Erie Street, Main Street (two bridges), Pearl Street, Michigan Avenue and Ganson Street.

Erie Street thru the Erie Basin Marina parking lots gets my vote.

http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/5452/outerharborbridgemu2.png

[Halovet]

More transportation news-

The Erie Canal Harbor Dev. Corp. is issuing a Request for Qualifications Monday to hire a firm to study potential Buffalo River bridge crossing locations- select a site and do preliminary design work. It is meant to be a local bridge connecting the inner and outer harbors, not a replacement for the Skyway.

Potential crossing locations were previously identified: Erie Street, Main Street (two bridges), Pearl Street, Michigan Avenue and Ganson Street.

Erie Street thru the Erie Basin Marina parking lots gets my vote.

http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/5452/outerharborbridgemu2.png
There has been talk of doing this sense 1962. I was 8 yrs old then (ok almost 9) but you get the point. I'm not holding my breath, and hey, I'll be dead before any of this happens anyway. I just want to see B-lo knock Albany from the upstate tallest building ranking in my lifetime. Is that to much to ask?:shrug:

[Halovet]

More transportation news-

The Erie Canal Harbor Dev. Corp. is issuing a Request for Qualifications Monday to hire a firm to study potential Buffalo River bridge crossing locations- select a site and do preliminary design work. It is meant to be a local bridge connecting the inner and outer harbors, not a replacement for the Skyway.

Potential crossing locations were previously identified: Erie Street, Main Street (two bridges), Pearl Street, Michigan Avenue and Ganson Street.

Erie Street thru the Erie Basin Marina parking lots gets my vote.

http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/5452/outerharborbridgemu2.pngThere has been talk of doing this sense 1962. I was 8 yrs old then (ok almost 9) but you get the point. I'm not holding my breath, and hey, I'll be dead before any of this happens anyway. I just want to see B-lo knock Albany from the upstate tallest building ranking in my lifetime. Is that to much to ask?:shrug:

[westcoastperspective]

The difference is that there is actually money set-aside for this. $2 million for the study- and I think $10 million towards construction (????). Higgins should be able to get funding for the balance of the cost I would think. Still, this is at least five years out from what I hear (selection, design, env. review and construction).

This really is the missing link to the outer harbor.

[sullymon54]

I was out and around a few days ago and decided to snap a few pictures.

Courthouse Progress
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3258/2794064911_6d6fc87edf_o.jpg

Casino Progress
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3009/2794912356_5216d7d71d_o.jpg

Canal Side
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3203/2794912008_f4ebd1e786_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3247/2794911502_df630f2875_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3284/2794063245_2f2bebc374_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3109/2794062839_ff5fe8b3a1_o.jpg

[Wheelingman04]

^ Great photos.

[westcoastperspective]

I hope everyone reads this, including the comments.

http://nymag.com/realestate/features/49491/

http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/7577/21418pu3.jpg

[Downtown Bolivar]

^^^Nice, I ate it up! Buffalo's got it's own unique vibe and the people who tend to hate it are the one's who moved out or feel stuck here. I think it's part of our Catholic culture...just try talking religion among ex-Catholics...it's a lot like bringing up the city among ex-WNYers! I loved the comments--it's funny that an article from NYC has more positive comments than the average article on Buffalo Rising.

[sullymon54]

yea, its got a lot of stuff except work for people with advanced degrees. Also it was probably more positive because people who don't live here don't get to see the glaring faults first hand everyday.

[BUFFALOVE!!]

^^ thats pretty harsh.

I'm not saying new york isnt an amazing town, but i think its the most over-rated city in the world. To me places like philly and dc and boston and pittsburgh and buffalo are way more real, and interesting

[FireMedic]

More than one out of four people in Buffalo are poor, according to the latest estimates by the U. S. Census Bureau.

Figures released Tuesday on U. S. income and poverty show Buffalo still has one of the highest poverty rates in the nation — 28.7 percent in 2007.

http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/story/424439.html

[sullymon54]

Sorry guys, my comment was harsh because it came on the tail end of some issues I'm having in my job search. However I'm not condoning posts like idiot sticks up there, constantly putting obvious statistics on display. Oh and by the way with the new numbers that came out Buffalo actually moved up from second to third on the list of most poverty stricken cities. A small but, as some could construe, positive move. Take that Cleveland.

[westcoastperspective]

I'd like to see a ranking of county poverty rates. We know poverty is concentrated in the city- where does Erie County rate nationally? 30 percent in the city is mind-boggling, but how does the county compare to elsewhere? Do we rank terribly due to the relatively small city population and inability to annex?

[BUFFALOVE!!]

Great news for the Stewart & Benson Travel building!!!

http://buffalo.bizjournals.com/buffalo/stories/2008/08/25/daily26.html?surround=lfn

Business First

Don Warfe is about the join the growing legions of downtown Buffalo residents and investors.

Warfe, who runs the Brodo restaurants on Elmwood Avenue and Main Street in Snyder and is also general manager of the Buffalo Yacht Club, has the former Stewart & Benson building on downtown’s 500 block of Main Street under contract.

The deal is expected to close in mid-September. Terms were not disclosed.

Warfe said he plans to convert the building’s second floor into two, 2,000-square-foot apartments and he will occupy one of the units. Portions of the first floor will be used as an enclosed garage while the remaining 1,000-square-feet will be available for lease.

“Personally, I am very excited about moving and living downtown,” Warfe said.

One thing Warfe won’t be doing is running his own restaurant from the building’s first floor.

“My plate is full, already,” he said.

Warfe is a former 40 Under Forty winner, winning the Business First award in 1994.

The Stewart & Benson building was supposed to be part of a block-long redevelopment effort by Rocco Termini, who proposed residential units on the upper floors and commercial uses on street level. The project was scrapped when historic tax credits that were crucial to the project’s funding could not be obtained.


I'm so happy. I love that building and the rehab should do wonders for starting development of the rest of that block. I wonder what he is doing with the 3rd floor...

[FireMedic]

The Seneca Gaming Corporation has decided to suspend construction at the Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino for many factors including challenging economic and capital market conditions

http://wben.com/news/fullstory.php?newsid=10687

[westcoastperspective]

Hmmm. Yesterday after the court ruling: "business as usual, construction continues." Today: "We'll pulling back because of a bad economy." :koko:

[Downtown Bolivar]

The Seneca Gaming Corporation has decided to suspend construction at the Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino for many factors including challenging economic and capital market conditions

http://wben.com/news/fullstory.php?newsid=10687

If the original casino negotiations taught us anything is that the Seneca's know how to posture, and posturing is exactly what they are doing because they know that this kind of talk causes massive paranoia at city hall.

[westcoastperspective]

Avalon Dev. just bought 715 Main Street for $450k which gives Jabobs five contiguous properties on the east side of Main.

http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/9383/dsc0343bwf2.jpg

http://buffalorising.com/story/avalon_development_takes_anoth#sca

[jomaled]

I just read the article on some people moving to Bflo. because of cheap housing. That would be nice, but after the move, what to do? There are hardly any jobs there which pay a decent wage, the city is depressing, downtown is basically deserted most of the time. I would love to move back after being away for 10 years, but I just came back from a visit after I left and nothing much has changed! Why can't anyone there get their act together and move the region forward? There are undiscovered gems in the city and the area around it. The landscape around WNY is fabulous.

[Downtown Bolivar]

I just read the article on some people moving to Bflo. because of cheap housing. That would be nice, but after the move, what to do? There are hardly any jobs there which pay a decent wage, the city is depressing, downtown is basically deserted most of the time. I would love to move back after being away for 10 years, but I just came back from a visit after I left and nothing much has changed! Why can't anyone there get their act together and move the region forward? There are undiscovered gems in the city and the area around it. The landscape around WNY is fabulous.

I understand the criticism but I really don't understand the "what will I do afterhours thing." I dunno, go hang out at a bar, go to a restaurant, see the sights, visit friends and family. How is that different than any other city in the country? My brother lives in Los Angeles and my sister lives in Seattle, and yet they do just about the same things that I can do here. I understand the enormous opportunities they have there--and yes there are many more opportunities for what they do in these cities than in Buffalo. And yet, if they wanted to they could come back and carve out a life here--they talk about every so often. So ya gotta carve out a life here--I guess it depends what you consider important.

[jomaled]

Hi,

I didn't really want to sound mean about my Buffalo comments. I am passionate about the city that I spent half my life in. Friends and family still live there. That being said, let me make a brief comment/comparison with Denver, where I live now....

Denver was, in the 70s and 80s, in just as dire a situation as Buffalo is/was. I was told the big sections of downtown were deserted, run down, etc...the areas around the core were decaying, and most everyone fled to the 'burbs. Well, nothing can be further from the truth today! I find Denver one of the most livable, manageable and beautiful urban core there is in the U.S. I live in Capitol Hill, which is, I think, Denver's equivalent to the Elmwood corridor, and it's urban living at it's best. I am proud to take my out of town friends around downtown and they are just amazed at the growth, the buildings and the general atmosphere. Well, the mile high climate helps...the region gets more than 300 days of sunshine a year, and low humidity to boot. The DNC just ended and a lot of comments from out of towners were how pleasantly amazed they were by the city and a number of them are considering moving here. What happened? Well, the city has had 3 dynamic and involved mayors in the last 20 years or so, cooperated as a region with other cities in the metro area, lured lots of businesses and people into the region, and is in the process of building one of the most comprehensive public transportation projects in the U.S., including the largest airport in the U.S. I noticed that people here dream big.

[Halovet]

If the original casino negotiations taught us anything is that the Seneca's know how to posture, and posturing is exactly what they are doing because they know that this kind of talk causes massive paranoia at city hall. Indeed! I saw this coming a while back, and I like how they are playing it. Fact is, nobody is going to let the land just sit there like that for 10 years, even in Buffalo. They built it up to a point where at some point action will have to be taken. Cant tell them to build anything else, they're business is gaming. Sense when do Casino owners NOT have enough money? No way do I buy that one. I expect to see it sit two three years, drive everyone nuts, then at some point after this judge moves to Boca, another lets em go full spead ahead. Trouble is, this could drag on 10 years, but what the hell, THAT'S BUFFALO!:koko:

[steel]

Hi,

I didn't really want to sound mean about my Buffalo comments. I am passionate about the city that I spent half my life in. Friends and family still live there. That being said, let me make a brief comment/comparison with Denver, where I live now....

Denver was, in the 70s and 80s, in just as dire a situation as Buffalo is/was. I was told the big sections of downtown were deserted, run down, etc...the areas around the core were decaying, and most everyone fled to the 'burbs. Well, nothing can be further from the truth today! I find Denver one of the most livable, manageable and beautiful urban core there is in the U.S. I live in Capitol Hill, which is, I think, Denver's equivalent to the Elmwood corridor, and it's urban living at it's best. I am proud to take my out of town friends around downtown and they are just amazed at the growth, the buildings and the general atmosphere. Well, the mile high climate helps...the region gets more than 300 days of sunshine a year, and low humidity to boot. The DNC just ended and a lot of comments from out of towners were how pleasantly amazed they were by the city and a number of them are considering moving here. What happened? Well, the city has had 3 dynamic and involved mayors in the last 20 years or so, cooperated as a region with other cities in the metro area, lured lots of businesses and people into the region, and is in the process of building one of the most comprehensive public transportation projects in the U.S., including the largest airport in the U.S. I noticed that people here dream big.


The big difference is that Denver, being the only big city in the state, is the master of its own destiny as far as state policy goes. Buffalo is an ant under NYC's shoe and can not control state policy to work in its favor

[Halovet]

The big difference is that Denver, being the only big city in the state, is the master of its own destiny as far as state policy goes. Buffalo is an ant under NYC's shoe and can not control state policy to work in its favor
You put that very well steel. Another point, as jomaled stated, is that Denver has had very agressive mayors the last 20 years, that had the city's best interest at heart. Buffalo has had Gangsters in leardership going back to 1959. Probably before that, but that's as far back as I can remember. The mayor now is a good one, but it's going to take every bit of that same 20 years to turn Shitty Hall into City Hall. How much population will remain by then is the $64 question. Hey, I left in 1970, and they're still leaving. Somethings gota give, and quick!:shrug:

[westcoastperspective]

Elmwood/Bryant KFC Plans:

http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/5943/elmbryantwd4.png

http://www.buffalorising.com/story/greasy_to_great_at_elmwoodbrya#sca

[BUFFALOVE!!]

^^That is an amazing improvement. Now for that stupid rite-aid across the street...