Prospectus Day!

Today is one of the more exciting days for me and my clearly unexciting life. The Buffalo News released its 2010 Prospectus in today’s paper; summarizing different sectors of the local economy in a mostly positive light (adding some much needed positivity to the brain).

The local banks are growing, the airports are succeeding, the medical campus keeps expanding, and cultural tourism reached epic levels of success.

We even got a (I think) first look at a Convention Center upgrade rendering…

Not to mention a significant new project Carl Paladino is planning…

And he’s “looking forward” to a larger mixed-use hotel, office and residential project downtown on a property Ellicott Development is seeking to buy, but he would not disclose any details. However, he doesn’t expect that to start until 2011.

But not everything is rosy, not even in the Prospectus.

Here is a quote that sums up the realistic future of the Seneca Gaming Corporation courtesy of Catherine Walker, COO of Seneca Gaming…

“People are looking maybe not for an overnight experience with a fine gourmet restaurant, but they may be looking for a couple of hours and a hamburger or something like that.” Walker said.

As tragically amusing as this quote/revelation is, it speaks volumes about either the boom of the early 2000’s and/or the delusional corporate ideology at SGC by thinking the region would supply high-roller gamers who would automatically take up hotel rooms and tables at fine dining establishments. Some brief people-watching inside the Buffalo Creek Casino would immediately tell you otherwise aka give you a good feel for the “hamburger or something like that” crowd that has occupied these casinos all along. In other words-get used to that rusting steel frame by the arena.

Continuing with the depressing growth outlook we look to Niagara County. An article summarizing the real estate trends starts off by pumping you up about Yahoo!, Remington Lofts on the Canal, and the new airport but then ends up summarizing the more typical Niagara County development projects…

A never-filled 30,000-square-foot space in the Home Depot Plaza will become a Crawford Furniture store this year…

Smaller Lockport openings will include a Jim’s Steakout location in a vacant former Starbucks on South Transit Road; a pizza shop in a vacant former John & Mary’s location; and a sales office and an engineering firm opening on Snyder Drive.

Overall, the Prospectus is honest and thorough journalism mixed in with some serious PR and pats on the back to get the business community excited for each other as they begin a new year. Its encouraging to read about companies like Cannon Design and Greatbatch evolve into a new era while also learning about growth plans from M&T, HSBC, and FNFG, while also reading about developers like Termini and Kissling creating contemporary living spaces in neglected urban areas.

For at least one day, you can feel excited about the region’s very uncertain future.

New life for 523 Main

Some very encouraging news to come out of the 500 Block of Main Street. According to Buffalo Business Jorunal, Roger Trettel is buying 523 Main Street. If the project goes through, it could stimulate some future small-scale rehabs nearby…

Trettel, city officials said, wants to connect the 17,120-square-foot building with an adjoining one he already owns at 500 Washington St., which once housed the Szechuan House. The two buildings will serve as a hub for small retailers and restaurants, with some upper-level residential or office units.

It is in plain view of the Hyatt and four properties north of 501 Main, currently being rehabbed into apartments and a small scale “Brodo” restaurant-that property is two buildings away form Carmina Wood Morris’ rehab of an office building at the northern end of the 400 block.

By being across from the Hyatt and short walking distance to a heavy concentration of downtown apartments, there is a realistic shot at mildly successful retail in the property.

Although it would be cheaper to rehab the entire block in one fell swoop a la Termini’s attempt at “Century City Lofts”, it appears the most realistic chance we see at a stable and healthy 500 block is seeing one successful rehab lead to another (I said the exact opposite a couple posts ago, I know). It is taking far, far, far too long, but it seems to actually be happening.

UPDATE: 02.02.10
BuffaloRising has a more in-depth summary of the project’s specifics. The project will be called the “Cornucopia”, a cafe tenant is secured, and Trettel is looking for potential tenants for “live-work” spaces that would go for $400-$500 a month (utilities included).

*Image courtesy of Chris Schmidt via BuffaloRising.com

A place for learning, not for charity

The University at Buffalo is in the business of educating people 1st and foremost. Sometimes, this helps the region it is set up in. I shudder at the thought of what this region would be like without UB.

That being said…

UB has little to no reason for setting up its law school in the Statler.

UB is specifically set up with the intention of having campus-like settings. The historic South Campus, the brutalistic North Campus, and the eventual Downtown Campus. The University does not benefit from having three specific campuses, and then throwing one specific program into a massive CBD building with floor plates that suggest anything but a college.

There is no need to say “but what about NYU or George Washington? They have different schools in different buildings!” Not really. Although those campuses are truly urban in nature they are also mostly clustered together. You can walk from PSC101 to FR101 and then to your dorm while stopping for some frisbee along the way without feeling like you are going out of your way to getting somewhere. The only way UB could be like NYU or GW in its layout would be to set up its academic buildings in adjacent properties along Main or Washington streets around the BNMC. Imagine a freshman living in the Ellicott Complex taking Political Science, World Civ, English, Intro to Urban Planning, and an introductory Law course. He would take the 3min bus ride from Ellicott to Student Union and walk to all his classes… except for the Law one. He would take the UB Stampede to South (18min ride), wait for a train at University Station (0-12 min), take the train to Lafayette Square (23min), then walk to the Statler (5min). That is a one-hour commute to attend one class.

This whole debate has stemmed from one developer trivially saying how he could easily rehab the Statler if only he had UB on board. It gets blown up when Higgins won’t stop talking about it even though UB has politely said no already. Similar to when Sam Hoyt decided to propose moving Architecture and Planning kids into available space in City Hall, completely ignoring what it is like to be a student.

We are so desperate and frantic about the potential doom of the Statler that we want everything to be fixed and solved now but this project would fail not only the area and the students, but the building itself.

The Statler is surrounded by courts, government buildings, private office buildings, parking garages, restaurants, hotels, bars, and public transit. The site itself has value as does the building itself. One day, maybe 5-10 years from now, a developer will find the public funding necessary and rehab the Statler into something similar to what Issa or what New Buffalo Statler proposed. Until then, it will stand up.

UB students are not collective pawns for politicians and planners to throw around into buildings they want to bring life to. The Statler is not the end-all of downtown’s history or future. SUNY Buffalo is not a charity, it just happens to bail out this area on a cultural and intellectual level every single year. It is already doing a lot just by aggressively pushing for the development of its downtown campus.

Everybody calm down, and wait a little bit. Buffalo has seen more important buildings with more urgency to save in the past and has saved them. The Statler will eventually end up as one of those in time.

*Photo credit: “Decor Adventures” via Flickr

Have big company, will spend.

I came across a video showcasing Greatbatch’s new luxury suite at the HSBC arena. It puts all other local corporate suites to shame. Company buzzwords along the walls, imported Italian designed seats, expensive flooring, local art, the works.

Greatbatch seemingly overnight has become a recognizable, huge, overwhelmingly successful company. In the span of about a year the Darwin Martin House pavilion named after the founder of the company opened up, they changed their logo, moved into a flashy, brand new headquarters in Clarence, bought ad space at the HSBC arena-immediately making them no longer an unknown company, and commissioned the Martin Group to design their luxury suite at the arena.

It is a company that exemplifies what Buffalo needs. Some smart people who create things people all over the world need (like a pacemaker), develop and grow a company locally, and then spend its massive profits locally while enhancing the value of the company name.

500 Block: Already solved

Most people interested in local real estate or urban planning or architecture take a look at downtown’s 500 Block of Main Street and wonder how in the world each of the buildings could be in such bad shape-especially being accross from the Hyatt and being surrounded by office towers and loft conversions.

UB’s Urban Design Project actually took on these questions, found out that each building alone was too cost prohibitive to rehab and developed a thorough redevelopment plan for the block with assistance from many of the property owners.

As nice as it would be to see an organic renaissance of the block with small project after small project (like what is happening at 501 Main) the reality is that the block will likely have to wait for a Genesee Gateway-esque situation to evolve where some entity is willing to give out millions to a private developer to rehab the entire block. Genesee Gateway sat in the decrepit position it did for over 20 years, hopefully the 500 Block’s turn is not too far away.

Marketing Win

Some have you might have seen this 1980’s commerical promoting Buffalo called Its Got To Be Buffalo, USA. Its your standard, predicatable 1980’s Buffalo-boosting commerical…always a treat.

My friends and I impulsively decided to do a 2010 remake of it today. Here it is. Hope you enjoy.

AM&A’s Lofts 12.21.09

Signature Development’s AM&A’s Loft project continues to move along quickly and is targeted for an April 2010 completion for both the residential and office portions of the project.

I received a quick tour of the model apartment unit and the 1st floor office space.

The office space is in the brick-colored structure, leased from top to bottom by one tenant. The interior will maintain its original look.

Although only the model unit is fully furnished (by Room), each apartment will still have high-end, contemporary finishes in the kitchens and bathrooms.

It is part of an emerging residential corridor along Main, Washington, and Ellicott Streets including the Warehouse Lofts, Holling Press, Bellesario, and Ellicott Commons. Rocco Termini also has well publicized plans for adjacent properties including a mixed-use complex at the former AM&A’s Flagship store and the Hotel Lafayette.

The AM&A’s Lofts are right next to the Warehouse Lofts (formerly a Seneca Paper Company warehouse), the NFTA/Greyhound Bus Terminal, ECC, Flickinger Center, One M&T Bank Plaza, Church Street LRRT station, and a lot more.

The 1960’s addition is almost entirely demolished and is to be replaced with protected surface parking. An attractive new wall facing Ellicott Street will emerge as designed by Carmina Wood Morris.

Original wood panels are still in place on all floors. Secure parking, security system, and laundry included. 36 one-bedroom units and 12 two-bedroom units make up all the residential space. Monthly rents range from $795 to $1,050. Eight units are currently spoken for. If interested in renting an apartment, contact Rocco Termini at (716) 861-5385

Great blog…greater book

I’ve always judged books by their covers, mostly because I had to come up with some way to select one of the 10,000 books in my parents house as a kid. As a result I’m very much into print design, and happily became a daily reader of Julian Montague’s “Montague Projects Blog”. Julian is a local artist known for his stray shopping cart project, cover design for City on the Edge as well as other beautiful books and posters and for having his drawings stolen by Artvoice last fall. His blog is simply a daily picture post of different old books he finds. Very enjoyable.

One book he finds is “We Live in Canada”. A book that fulfills any cliche about Canadians circa 1980. An anti-Canadian comedian could have come up with the pull-out quotes in the book and the photography…well it speaks for itself.

And that’s how I end this work week on a happy note…

Social media’s “Thanks, but no thanks.”

Back in the day, maybe three years ago even, one would apply for a job, never get a response, and move on with their lives.

Those days could soon be gone.

Travers Collins had a job opening for an administrative assistant earlier this fall. TC&C also operates a blog. TC&C’s blog has a post highlighting the fails and epic fails of resumes received for said opening as well as advice-all written by the person receiving all those resumes.

As of now things like this might just be done by progressive companies who are more internet/social media savvy than others. But whose not to say that 20 years, 5 years from now, a manager at an auto repair clinic will tweet about the awful resumes or youtube the bizarre interviews he had for his company’s latest opening?

UPDATE:
David Robinson of the Buffalo News writes about the same story two days later…

Good neighbor

First Niagara took some very bold steps this week to help revitalize their new neighborhood in the recently branded but infinitely historic “Larkin District”.

FNFG partnered up with Larkin Development Group and will be donating $1.5 million for infrastructure projects including new streets, sidewalks, bike lanes, curbs, landscaping, lighting, benches, bus shelters and crosswalks over a half-mile stretch of Seneca Street between Fillmore Avenue and Larkin Street. Also included in this plan is a renovation of 740 Seneca Street-a currently vacant commercial structure that will be turned into housing geared towards artists and young professionals. Construction should be started in the beginning of 2010 and finished before the end that year.

FNFG is also partnering with The Old First Ward Community Association to help neighborhood homeowners make improvements to their commercial or residential property.

Larkin Development in the meantime is also planning to convert a former gas station into a restaurant at 738 Seneca while recruiting tenants for Mill Race Commons and 800 Exchange Streets: both planned new builds that will provide the historic and urban charm like a downtown building, but with large floor plates and easier parking-which bodes very well for this neighborhood’s future as a vibrant commercial area.

This area for the later part of the decade has been sitting on the cusp of significant revitalization and with this newly released plan and financing, it seems as if that day is finally fast approaching.

ADDITIONAL COVERAGE:
Larkin Development
Buffalo News
Business First
Buffalo Rising