Buffalo Development

Mainly focused on my pet project, Canalside. Also has posts on other development projects throughout the city.

My Sabres practice arena pipedream

Chris Ostrander4 Comments

I am a big proponent for developing the city of Buffalo. I even touch on it in this space from time to time. Those of you who follow me on Twitter, or sit behind me at work, know that I have been dreaming up a grand vision for a practice/junior hockey venue near HSBC Arena.

After a little bit of Photoshop and Illustrator work I have a picture to go with my ramblings. Please excuse the polish of my work, I am quite the novice when it comes to both Photoshop and Illustrator. The pictures and overall vision can be found after the jump.

I gave this creation a name just so it looks a little less bare. I chose to call it the New Era Centre because the cap company is a large Buffalo-based corporation and the name flowed well off my tongue.

Basically this idea cropped up in my head because there are two enormous, barren surface lots in the “Cobblestone District” that don’t get very much use. It is a real shame because the remaining buildings in the District have a similar feel to the Distillery District in Toronto. I began thinking of things that could be put in their place to add some life and density to a neighborhood that is composed of about six buildings on one city block. This multi-purpose arena came to mind.

Continue reading →

Boston offers hints for Buffalo’s future

Chris Ostrander1 Comment

I took another roadie to a city with quite a bit of history and tradition this past weekend. Wouldn’t you know it, there are plenty of ideas staring you right in the face that make you wonder, “why isn’t this being done in Buffalo?”

The belly of Quincy Market. The food court stretches down the hall in both directions on the bottom floor.

The city I visited was Boston. I caught a Dispatch concert that absolutely kicked ass and I was able to taking the area in and around TD Garden (the USRT boys certainly know this area) and I was able to stroll many a city block taking in the history and architecture of that great city. I also hung out a Quincy Market, an ideal template for some of the questions floating around Canalside and the waterfront.

I will first say this, I understand that Boston is one of the oldest American cities with boatloads more history and tradition than Buffalo. I also am well aware that Boston dwarfs the Queen City in size. But that is ok. What I want to focus on are key cogs, not the big picture.

No beating around the bush, though. Quincy Market is EXACTLY what Buffalo needs. I mean E-X-A-C-T-L-Y. It is filled with shopping and eateries in an open market setting. There is room for kiosks – for those functional lawn fans who only want t-shirts being sold – while having, gasp, national chain retailers as well. Basically, it is like taking parts of the Galleria Mall and turning them inside out so people can enjoy the weather while they shop. By the way, the snow argument doesn’t really hold water considering Boston’s geographic location. Continue reading →

An interesting development on the water

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Not long ago there was a terrible plan unveiled saying that the only thing you need to put on the Buffalo waterfront is a hot dog cart and a couple of lawns.

The rendering for the Canalside public market

Today there was a much more exciting plan that will probably never see much farther past today in terms of planning. Still, it is fun to dream. Today, the Erie County Harbor Development Corporation (ECHCHCHDCHD for short) pounded this baby on the people of Buffalo. My does that have the potential for greatness. Continue reading →

Just another Canalside headache

Chris Ostrander2 Comments

I have had just about enough of this nonsense. For more time than I wish to calculate I have been following the waterfront development in downtown Buffalo.

This was a great first step

When the Commercial Slip was opened I was overjoyed. It is a great interpretation of the rich history of Buffalo. All the while it was modern enough not to look like it had been pulled directly from 1867. Between the rewatered canal, the whipple-truss bridge and the two replica canal-era buildings, it was a step in the right direction. Not to mention there is plenty of signage around the area to keep one occupied for some time.

After that was put in I eagerly awaited the next step. And I waited, and waited and waited. While I waited the cobblestone streets were laid in their historic locations (despite the fact that the skyway cut parts of them off). Of course the preservationists exclaimed these streets were a hodgepodge of crap and took away from the district. Just a heads up on that one boys, you can’t take away something that doesn’t exist yet. I will say that the modern street signs look like ass down there, those are a mistake.bye funny part about how those street were laid is that the preservationists put up a stink so the streets stuck to the original grid but all they accomplished was a bunch of one-way avenues with no on-street parking. News flash, cars bring the people to your places. Continue reading →

Preservation vs. Obstruction

Chris Ostrander1 Comment

Sam Savarino and Roger Trettel are very smart men. They have created very successful real estate companies and have taken the reigns in helping to develop what is left of the Cobblestone District.

 

This needs to happen

One if their neighbors, Daryl Carr (owner of Cobblestone) has been trying to demolish a set of buildings on the corner of Illinois and South Park for some time. What will replace them is up for debate, but it seems like parking lot is where the spinning wheel of ‘progress’ may land. Continue reading →

HSBC decision extended

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The Buffalo News broke a story this afternoon saying that HSBC will be given 90 more days to make a decision regarding their occupancy of Buffalo’s tallest office building.

Right now there are three options; remain in the HSBC Tower, purchase the ‘Webster Block’ in anticipation of a new build and (the scariest option) move the employees out of the city. If you ask me this is a no brainer, build a shiny new office building across from the arena and HSBC Atrium building. For those thinking a lawsuit would be necessary because a new building wouldn’t fit in with the historic Canalside development, climb out from under your rocks and tell me if the World Trade Center on Baltimore’s waterfront is causing any problems.

A new build would saturate the downtown office market with class A office space in the existing tower. Correct me if I’m wrong but didn’t the owner of the tower claim a move would lower the cost class A space and allow for numerous companies to improve their current set up? To me that sounds like a perfect storm. Two massive office buildings in the city center filled with employees. Hmmm…how can obstructionists find fault with that, I wonder?

To me a new building smack near the water does a few things. I already listed the benefits to the downtown office community, but tell me the Buffalo skyline couldn’t use a little boost from another tower. Not to mention adding some density to a neighborhood that is little more than windswept parking lots. Lastly, this sort of build would boost the potential of the Canalside neighborhood. The 2000 (estimate) employees that will be going lunch or dinner year-round during the week, weekend happy hours and a 30 second stroll to the arena for events certainly screams for some sort of bar/restaurant presence. Where better to build than Canalside. Yet another solution to the $64 million question.

C’mon HSBC make the decision we all know you want to make.

Lighter, quicker, cheaper. Code for smaller, dumber, ineffective

Chris Ostrander1 Comment

I know dumber shows my prowess of the English language, but bear with me on this one. I had a long rambling post half written before I left work but all of my writing disappeared. So I get to start from scratch.

A while back I had a very productive conversation with a writer whose opinion I value greatly. Especially in the matter of development. We discussed a whole matter of topics ranging from the Outer Harbor to the Larkin District. However, the meat and potatoes of that conversation dealt with Canalside. The person’s name is Andrew Kulyk and he recently wrote a fantastic column regarding this topic for WNYMedia.net. Some of what is to follow will be quite similar to what Andrew wrote, mainly because we share a very similar opinion.

First I should thank Andrew for writing the column to give my brain a kick in the ass to write this post. I have been mulling over it for some time and I am now finally putting pen to paper….or fingers to keyboard in this case. Continue reading →

Buffalo continues to move backwards

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In 2013 HSBC’s lease will run out at the HSBC Tower in downtown Buffalo. The corporation is looking at numerous options in and around the city in addition to remaining in the tower.

The tower is the tallest building in the city and dominates the skyline. It isn’t pretty but, its tall and is a valuable commodity to the city. One prospect that seems to be high on the bank’s list is a new build near the existing Atrium building across the street from HSBC Arena.

This choice is apparently contingent upon the city deeding a piece of property on the Webster block to the Erie Canal Development Corporation. They, in turn, would sell/lease/whatever the land to HSBC for the new build. I’m not positive, but I’m pretty sure the parking lot across from the Arena is involved in all of this too. Continue reading →

This is why we should hate preservationists

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Read this story from Buffalo Rising – and please come back to my site to read my post too.

I would like to extend a warm thank you to Mark Goldman, Scot D. Fisher, Bruce L. Fisher, Susan M. Davis, Stephen C. Halpern, and Elizabeth P. Stanton for taking steps to block the only potential development occurring downtown.

I know there are numerous revitalization projects but, this Canal Side project was going to create a major destination for people coming to Buffalo. I have written previously that Bass Pro is not the silver bullet some people think it is. It doesn’t have to be. It should be one brick of many that goes towards rebuilding Buffalo. Continue reading →

Is Buffalo seriously this cursed?

Chris Ostrander1 Comment

I was driving through downtown today when I realized; Buffalo has been treading water for the past 10+ years.

There is so much potential for new development and exciting new projects, yet nothing ever gets off the ground. Start in 1997 when the new Peace Bridge was supposed to go up – hope nobody is still holding their breath on that one. Better yet, 2001, Bass Pro signaled that they wanted an anchor store in Buffalo, a short time later they earmarked The Aud as their ideal location. Today, Bass Pro has opened a gazillion (probably more like 10) new stores all over North America. WTF. Continue reading →