The 500 block of Elmwood is heading for some big changes. Developer Rocco Termini has purchased the former Faherty’s bar, and is planning on putting in a brewery/brew pub that will be operated by Mike Shatzel (Blue Monk/Cole’s, etc.) Termini tells me that he has big plans for the brewery/brew pub, as well as for the former Toro location next door, where he says that there will be a newly renovated restaurant. The restaurant will serve beers brewed by the brewery, and will have a rooftop patio. Termini also notes that he will be building an addition behind the restaurant to make way for a new kitchen.
“We’re trying to change the face of this block on Elmwood,” says Rocco. “It’s sort of like a dead block. We want to bring some life to the block, and if there’s any street that deserves a brewery, it’s Elmwood. Now that JJ’s (Casa di Pizza) is closed (take-out is still open), and the old Ambrosia restaurant location is closed, we need to step things up. We can’t afford to have all of these places closed. The brewery, and restaurant with rooftop seating, will be totally different for Elmwood. It will be a cool place that will help to get the block back in working order.”
“Everything that is happening on that block is indicative of big changes,” says Carly Battin, Executive Director of the Elmwood Village Association (EVA). “We at the EVA have been focusing our efforts on that block for the last couple of years, hoping for changes in a positive direction. Termini’s purchase, and his partnership with Shatzel, could be the turning point that we have been looking for. To add to the momentum, the EVA has dedicated $300K for grant funding from the Better Buffalo Fund, earmarked for that block from the Buffalo Billion – for property improvements and faced renovations.”
You might say that there is a lesson to be learned here. A number of years ago, three business owners on this block pleaded with the Masiello administration to not have the sidewalks widened (like the rest of Elmwood) because they liked the extra room for double parked cars – customers could pick up meals and delivery cars could get in and out. The Mayor conceded to the wishes of the three, and this block of Elmwood lost a golden opportunity to mimic the design and infrastructure of the rest of the street. It was a horrible decision, and showed that (especially back in those years) that if you knew the right people, then you could shift the positive momentum of a strong movement to suit your needs. In this case, eventually the double parking was eliminated anyways, in lieu of a truncated bike lane. I am of the belief that that one poor “connected” decision is the reason that this block has struggled for so long. As for the three businesses that pushed for the street to remain wider for double parking? None of them are open on Elmwood today.
While there is no immediate plan to reverse the work, or lack thereof, Carly does tell me that over the next year the EVA will be looking at a longterm strategic plan for the street, including infrastructure and design, and while there is no money to rectify the mistake, they are aware of the issue and would like to see the street act as a cohesive unit, rather than one that is disjointed.