A Sad Day For Progressive Buffalo

I just received an email from Eva Hassett at Savarino Construction Corporation that detailed some pretty bad news for Buffalo Believers:

First, on behalf of myself and everyone at Savarino, I want to say thank you for the support and encouragement we have received – from the beginning – for the Elmwood Village Hotel Project.

We considered the Hotel to be something bigger than just a real estate project. We saw it as a chance to do something positive for the Elmwood Village neighborhood, for the cultural institutions, for Buffalo State College’s hospitality program, and for the tourists and visitors that would have experienced Buffalo far differently than they do now.

We developed the Hotel idea after we were invited to create the right development for the corner of Elmwood and Forest. We tried hard to listen to, and to be open to, the concerns of the neighbors and the community at large. We tried to accommodate those concerns in the hotel design and site plan. We worked to balance the need for a professional hotel operator with the desire to have something organic and local, incorporating local art and food service. To get all this input, we asked for and received a significant amount of time from area block clubs, individuals and organizations like Forever Elmwood – for which we are very grateful.

We also benefited from the strong support, talent and community spirit of our architect, Karl Frizlen.

Unfortunately, after a year of work, and due to circumstances beyond our control, we have decided not to pursue the Hotel project any further.

As most know, there was a legal challenge mounted last summer to the City’s rezoning of the property. In addition, this fall, while performing our diligence in conjunction with the purchase of the properties, we became aware of deed restrictions on the parcels dating back more than 100 years, that among other things prohibited commercial activity on the properties. These restrictions, which are meant to benefit more than 60 individual property owners nearby or adjacent to the proposed hotel site, provide more than ample standing for additional lawsuit(s) from opponents of the project – and by their nature would be impossible to extinguish in any legally supportable manner.

We have investigated the possibility of other developments for the Elmwood Forest site – such as apartments for students, for instance – but we believe that apartments are not the highest and best use for that location.

We said from the start that we wanted to do the right thing for that corner, and wanted to build what the neighborhood wanted. We want to be true to our word.

We have informed the property seller, Mr. Hans Mobius, of our decision. He has been a gentleman through this long and arduous process and was supportive of our efforts. We believe that he had no knowledge of the deed restrictions cited above.

All of us at Savarino are disappointed that the hotel project will not come to pass. We have spent a significant sum of money and resources to try to make it work. I must also add that I am personally disappointed because I am an Elmwood Village resident, and I have devoted a great deal of my life working for the benefit of our city. I intend to continue.

Thank you again, and the best for 2007.
Eva Hassett (Savarino Construction)

When Marc Odien and I organized a rally to support the Savarino hotel project, we were hopeful that the project would move forward. Thirty regular contributors to WNYMedia.net were joined by a couple of folks from Buffalo Rising to demonstrate that there were members of this community who supported transparent and community oriented development.

While Marc and I were able to bring Channels 2, 4, 7 as well as WBEN, WHLD, WNED, WBFO, The Beast and The Buffalo News to cover the protest and generate a supportive buzz for the project, we ultimately failed in our battle against NIMBYs and those who would rather preserve Buffalo as an architectural museum in a bottle than see it move forward.

While many invested themselves in critiques of the proposed materials, door style, window shape, and paint color; we focused on what we felt was the bigger issue; BANANAs and NIMBYs. Early on, we felt the biggest fight would be with the anti-progress crowd and we tried to get in front of the fight. Ultimately, our efforts were not enough to overcome arcane deed restrictions brought to the fore by the opposition’s attorneys.

Our message in over thirty articles on this issue was summed up nicely by Marc:

Your Opinion Counts – It doesn’t matter who you are, where you live, what you do, or what side of an issue you are on. Everyone wants to see Buffalo succeed. Even though we as a community may not always agree on the way to get there, it’s important to speak your mind and have your voice heard. The acronyms aside, you should always listen to everyone’s opinions, despite how crazy you think they are. Never be afraid to stand up for what you believe in, even if sometimes, you find yourself standing alone.

BUILD THE HOTEL

If only more people had heard that message…now, we are saddled with several empty properties on the “Gateway To The Elmwood Strip”.