More jobs coming to Buffalo!

http://www.buffalonews.com/145/story/769055.html

The Richardson Olmsted plan sounds very exciting. :)

Good news for a prime corner:


Buyer emerges for ex-Twain, Cloister site

Local chiropractor Dr. Scott Croce confirmed he expects to close in the next few days on Twain’s former Buffalo home at 472 Delaware Ave. The proposed buyer has plans to construct a new building on the site while playing off the few remaining elements of Twain’s house including the fable carriage house.

“I look at it as a prime corner that needs a beautiful building,” Croce said.

Croce is still working out his final plans for the site.

Initially, he is considering razing much of the former restaurant portion of the property and replacing it with a two-story building that may approach 12,000-square-feet that will house the offices of his firm, Erie County Chiropractic, and other medical-related offices. Croce said he may even consider a third floor that may be home to three apartments.

Croce would like to start the construction work later this fall or by early next year and be in the building within the next 12 months.

Whatever Croce builds, he wants to play what remains of Twain’s carriage house and brick work from the abode. Twain, using his birth name of Samuel Clemens, lived in Buffalo in the house between 1869 and 1871 when he was editor of the former Buffalo Express. He moved to Hartford from Buffalo in 1871.

Croce said he has always had a strong interest in the building, not only for its history but also for its location.

“I’ve always loved that corner,” Croce said. “It’s right in the heart of Allentown and just a few blocks from the (Buffalo Niagara) medical campus.”

http://buffalo.bizjournals.com/buffa...ml?t=printable

This is off-topic but me & miketoronto will be in Buffalo today so if anyone wants to meet up with us today text us your phone number @ 647-216-4562.

At a restaurant on Elmwood.

First Niagara is finally moving to buffalo! and adding 300 new jobs along the way

I wish it were downtown but i'll take it

http://www.buffalonews.com/258/story/790792.html
http://buffalo.bizjournals.com/buffa...l?surround=lfn

Another big move. Keep it moving!

http://www.buffalorising.com/2009/09...cy-school.html

Larkin District Gateway Project

Preliminary work has started on the gas station conversion- it'll be either commercial or retail space. Plans for the three-story building behind it are still in flux (office is likely, but perhaps residential?- no definite word from CityView/Larkin).


http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/1251/larkin52.jpg

http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/6291/larkin53.jpg

What/Who is rumore?

Phil Rumore is the Buffalo Teachers Federation President

Look here to hear what the owner of that building has to say about it:

http://www.buffalorising.com/2009/07...l#SlideFrame_0

and here:

http://vimeo.com/6383496

Official start of the conversion of the Curtiss Bldg. at Franklin/Huron starts Tuesday afternoon. :cheers:

http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/6426/curtisshotel.jpg

http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/9079/dsc0357w.jpg

New Hotel coming Indeed!
 

Buffalo Skyway Adaptive Reuse
 

I'm not sure if anybody has heard of Ran Webber's proposal of the Buffalo Skyway, but this very recent article that I came across was very interesting to me as it relates to Mr. Webber's vision and raised me out of my seat of what could become of our "future inner harbor development".

Many people are for tearing the Skyway down for clear land to develop on, but nothing would compare to the actual skyway structure itself becoming the development on its own. Imagine what possibilities and out of the box ideas it could bring to our city!

http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/09/09...y-bridge-span/

www.ranwebber.com

http://www.ranwebber.com/Movie/skywaymovie.html

From the way the business first article was worded http://buffalo.bizjournals.com/buffa...l?surround=lfn it sounded like the continental was going to be demolished for a surface driveway. The rendering does it much better justice than the article. This is a great project. Hopefully that beautiful red brick hertz building next door (which i believe he owns as well) and those two enormous surface parking lot across the street see some action next. Not to mention that hideous repair shop on the NE corner of Delaware and Huron across the street from Avant. This part of downtown is long overdue for some loving.

Another project on the move!
 

Here's some great news coming to us from Buffalo State College.

http://www.buffalorising.com/2009/09...s-complex.html

CANAL SIDE: Buffalo, NY
 

Here are some new Canal Side renderings!

http://www.eekarchitects.com/communi...ide-buffalo-ny

Skyway To The Future
 

Nice find....I had given up checking their website for any news. For what they're being paid to lay out the design- we haven't seen much from them. :koko:

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/4356/ramp1w.jpg

First look at Marine Drive ramp plan
Some tenants fighting it

Rich Newberg

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - As Buffalo's inner harbor takes shape, people are going to have to park somewhere to take advantage of the attractions.

But on Thursday, some Marine Drive Apartment residents are saying "Not in my backyard!"

With Bass Pro coming in along with hotels, museums, and water attractions, 2,700 new parking spaces will have to be created.

Almost half are slated to be located on Marine Drive.

A six story parking ramp, plans seen for the first time, would accommodate 1,200 cars and include retail stores and offices.

It would replace the surface lot where tenants of Marine Drive Apartments now park.

Some tenants have major concerns.

Tenant, Edward Ball asked, "What are we going to have to do, drive up to the fourth and fifth level? And also, is there going to be security in the ramp?"

The Tenant Council wants the ramp put somewhere else.

Tenants' Attorney, Joseph Makowski said, "When you go from a 400 car residential lot to a 1,200 car commercial lot, there is lots of traffic, congestion, smog."

But waterfront planners say the location of the ramp is critical, across from the Commercial Slip and all future Canal Side attractions.

Matt Davison of the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation stated, "It's very important. It's part of our first phase of Canal Side and really establishing a tourist destination in downtown Buffalo. We need a place where people can come and park and are able to visit Canal Side."

But the ramp's Senior Project Manager, Steve Ranalli, is reassuring tenants they will have priority parking, with their own separate entrance.

"It will be free. It will be separated out physically from the ramp, so that we're not getting commuters, or visitors, or anyone else into the BMHA's parking," Ranalli said.

http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/First_l..._plan_20090924

From the Canalside EIS, word from ECHDC is that the elevations are only meant to show massing/scale and are not final designs.

http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/3935/canalside8.jpg

http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/8585/canalside7.jpg

Proposed Webster Block:

http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/3796/canalside16.jpg

Proposed Donovan Bldg. Makeover:

http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/8392/canalside15.jpg

wow...seeing the number of units, hotel rooms, and square footage really puts this into persepective. this feels much bigger. 520 residential units, 480 hotel rooms, and roughly 500,000 sq. ft each of retail and office space.

if you haven't seen the current site, check it out on the link below.

http://www.earthcam.com/client/erie/



re-laying the cobblestone street grid should be starting within a few weeks.