[westcoastperspective]

From this week's Business First, some initial details on the Genny block renovation- no residential space:

Swift's group, Genesee Gateway LLC, is hoping to develop between 50,000 and 60,000 square feet of mixed use space in the buildings. No tenants have been signed.

Swift says the buildings will ultimately stay in a commercial mode instead of bringing residential units into the mix.

"Downtown needs new commercial options," Swift said. "I, personally, am very comfortable with the commercial market. But, having said that, we are not going to discount residential options."

Flynn Battaglia Architects is just finishing a development overview for the project. The report is due in January and that will determine what approach Swift's group takes with the building. The complex could welcome its first tenants by early 2009.

"We know what we are dealing with here," Swift said. "This is a fairly high profile corner in downtown Buffalo. It will be a huge psychological boost for the city to see these buildings come back to life. It says 'we survived the bottom and have turned the corner'."