Buffalo Rising Online

is that SketchUp?

Well put, Denizen and QE. This is one of the best blocks of Main Street because it is not ruptured by surface parking lots. That connected street wall counts for a lot, as do windows and activity at street level. Sacrificing those two things for "convenient" parking and blank walls is one of the most effective ways to kill your downtown.

Denizen is right. The most beautiful and welcoming and livable cities, ones that embody all three qualities, have building heights that pedestrains can relate to. We need more tasteful projects like this to seed downtown's population.

Love the project, LOVE IT. I just hope that some ********GREENERY******** will be added. With the massive sidewalks dominating the 500 block landscape, some greenery would SO improve the overall appearance of the block. Look at downtown Rochester - their Main Street is basically an entire vacant storefront, but it's so green with plants and flowers, that it's the most beautiful vacant Main Street possible!

Ok this is more like it! This project is exactly what dt needs. I wish people would see the need for reopening Genesee St and Mohawk Sts to reconnect this area and provide better access to this development. Main st will soon have cars riding along it once again too! IMAGINE an area filled with activity with cars and people once again able to use genesee street again and that deplorable excuse for a park (East Mohawk) replaced with direct access to the booming Deleware Avenue area (New Era, Statler, and the old Dulski building. The blocking off of these streets by the outdated convention center and Hyatt walkway and Atrium and more recently the expanded Belesario parking lot which I believe teh city is leasing to Carl Paladino is a major cause as to why downtown has become such the desolate dead place it is at the present time. Pearl street has become a one way speeding deathtrap on the stretch between Huron and Court st. The benefits are obvious. Our city's award winning Comprehensive Master Plan stresses the importance of our streets and reconnecting the Radial street network downtown! Why cant our leaders have any vision. Property values would most definelty rise along with increased activity around the area. Millions of dollars are about to be put into the Hyatt in renovating the entire hotel this will clearly end any chance of reclaiming Genesee St! We as Buffalonians have a duty to see these streets reclaimed. Genesee was once one of the greatest streets in buffalo. Imagine walking or driving down Genesse st from the electric building down to Niagara square ( you can actually see what it would look like form Roosevelt square). It would be arguably the most beautiful street in buffalo besides Main st with the Belesario , YMCA building, a renovated Hyatt and renovated Statler all in a continuous streetscape. This is so doable and will most definetly aid this future development along with spurring other developments. Please people lets fix our past mistakes and reclaim our historic Ellicott radial streets! They are what made our city great in its early years and can make us the great city we were meant to be in the future once again by making the mess that is driiving around downtown a more pleasant and friendly experience.

Ever been outside of North America Preskop?

RPreskop---Let's agree that beauty is in the eye of the citydweller. We have opposite tastes in urban streetscapes, so I hope you someday live happily in an eclectic, high- rise, low -rise, mid-rise jungle and I'll stay where I am. But since we can't all agree on what makes a city beautiful and livable (and Jane Jacobs is not the final word on that), all I ask is that we don't assume that a city MUST have this sacred mix of old and new, of high, low, and mid to survive, impress or inspire. It should not surpise you that the skyline of central Paris has not changed substantially in 200 years, and yet it continues to be a rather vibrant city, no? Closer to home, Washington D.C, in my eye by far the most stunning American large city, has no buildings over 12 stories. It, too, has a lively neighborhood culture. Buffalo, in its historic design of 1804 (I think), and in its boulevard textures and older materials, has much in common with D.C, and I think Buffalo's future depends on a careful integration of this architectural texture with new development, not on a laissez-faire, "let the city just organically grow" approach. Otherwise, why don't we just be Columbus, or Cleveland, or CIncinatti, or Minneapolis, or Portland, or whatever latest city du jour. So, you can say you wish this were a midrise building and that we had more sky ticklers, but you can't insist that this is the ONLY way for a city to grow and be vibrant. It works for some cities, but I don't think it's the right recipe for keeping Buffalo unique while making its pulse more resonant.

Sorry for going off topic but I just thought that since this development is literally smack dab in the middle of where I am talking about and I truly believe that for what seems like not that important of an issue it could possibly bring with it a total transformation of that area. Hey It might even actually get the eyesore that is the genessee block developed finally! and yea i kno about the new plans but ill beleieve it when i see it! lol

We have to reconnect the city street grid....I think we stand a better chance of getting genessee street open after the convention center relocates and they start ....that will start the discussion on reopening streets.

and I definitely agree that downtown Buffalo Streets need massive plantings of trees!

GREAT! Love the balcony, wish we had more. And I'm so glad these are appartments, for the retail on main st or the rest of downtown to develop people need to live there. Trees would be a nice addition. And i too must say lets fill in the holes before we think about going sky high.

There really are only two words that need to be said about this:

Fuck yes.

Oh - are Carmina & Wood the firm that resides in the renovated old Mcdonald's at the corner of Main and Mohawk? It would be cool if they did the design work for a project right next door to them.

I also must agree that continuity is much more important is creating a great city than pizazz. Rome, Paris, Munich are not created from stunning pieces of architecture they contain many, continuous good buildings. They provide for opportunities through options. A tower in a park are nice to look at from afar but when it comes to people spaces and vibrancy you never find it in the shadow of huge buildings. You find it in the smaller off streets where people feel comfortable. Think Empire Plaza in Albany, think, of the many empty places in Manhattan, then look at Greenwich Village, SoHo or the many other vibrant neighborhoods.

Comfort is one of the things that Downtown Buffalo has been lacking for decades. We have build towers in every decade since the 50's. HSBC, M&T, Key Towers, Dulaski... none of which reall make downtown more appealing for those on the street. They add a mass and scale that does add to the overall appeal but towers in a park(ing lot) are not something to be proud of. Remember that 50% of our downtown is still made up of streets and parking lots. The stuff that doesn't provide for anything to do, or reason to go there.

This area of downtown is actually parking deprived, the garage across the street has a rather large waiting list i hear so the addition of a structured ramp, with retail or residential built into it is a very smart move. It will pay the bills until the rest of the units are complete and as long as it actually has a smart and connection to the street for the pedestrian go for it! We can also think of this ramp as one goo reason to REMOVE THREE other surface lots. We don't need more parking downtown, we just need to organize it a little better.

Good project Rocco!! Good luck and good project!

Damn, That damn ugly BK building is not part of the project

Right on RisingDamp

To all the people on here that think that just because they want a tall building with more residential or commercial space than the market can support I say 1) take Economics 101 at UB (you might want to take it pass fail) or 2) put up your own money and build it. If the demand was there it would get built. This project is a damn sight better than the way the block is today. I am not a something is better than nothing person. A harmonious streetscape is needed here. This project accomplishes that.

When the demand for a high rise is there it'll get built. Remember this project isn't going in on the only available land downtown. The city looks like a mouth that is missing half its teeth. Getting those gaps filled in is paramount to creating a vibrant cityscape. I am not mormally a fan of fake period buildings but here they seem to fit right in.

The city deperately needs to landscape these blocks. In that I completely agree with a previous post. Also the garage shown here doesn't look bad at all. Washington Street in this area has always been more or less a back alley to Main. At least this ramp gives the illusion of being something other than what it is.

PLEASE let the rumor about the Genesee block be true!!!

On buffalonews.com this article is nestled in the bottom of city and region benith a robery, fraud case, stabbing, and a drive by. i think buffalo's next development should be to run the buffalo news out of town. oh but the article did say that the apartments on main will be one bedroom... BOOOOOOO

To all who were asking about if this is Sketchup: Yes it is, with some Photoshop to incorporate them into the existing surroundings.

Some of you also have concern about the bedroom situation: A study in each of the living spaces can be used as a second bedroom in all of the apartments, and some are honest-to-god two bedrooms as well. These units are similar to Webb lofts to those who are familiar with the project.

This is HUGE!!! Tragically, that block of Main Street is what a lot of the guests at the Hyatt remember during their stays in Buffalo. This will certainly help change people's perception of Buffalo.

One thing that could do this project justice is the addition of at least one more floor to the building. Too many in a row all the same height. If the market is so hot, why not go a little bigger. It's not like the project is that big to begin with. Also, it is MainStreet - it deserves a little more.

Since moving to Buffalo from New York City in 2003, I have never understood why this section of Main Street has sat in such urban decay. The fact that a Burger King restaurant, located in close proximity, could not even survive is telling. This project is long needed to boost the economy and the area. I am happy to see progress in motion.

Well the failure of a Burger King and McDonalds in our downtown I feel sheds light on the priorities of residents in this area. If we have options to support a local store we will take it. It isn't like there are no places to go to eat downtown, there are tons so I saidgood bye and good riddance to these two establishments long ago.

I've heard the failure of fast food in that building had little to do with business, but rather conditions of the building - rats and such. I was quite a busy place during the workday. Don't know the facts about it, however.

Slick Do nothing Byron Brown skirted the answer on cars on main steet when WGRZ asked him about a month ago. Actullay I am wrong - he gave an answer that was so vague he may have kept his mouth shut.

Good luck. Looking forward to the construction getting underway.

Spaulding: To correct you this is the Washington side of the project. To answer your questions: (1)There will be an entrance alleyway which is fully planted and secured from the Mohawk Street Side. This will connect the rear of the Commercial Spaces and well as give an Entraceway for the Aparment Tenants Secured from the Street Level and Parking Garage Level(s) (2) I have not information on the Car returning to Main Street, but we are in great anticipation of its commencement.

RPreskop-^^ so become a developer and build a tower. you are talking like $50million is a drop in the bucket for any developer, its not. and in regards to your major city comment, I think when people stop considering Buffalo as a major city then a lot of the negative perceptions of buffalo will be diluted. We have 300k people, thats not a major city but a mid-sized city. What other 300k person cities do you know of that have these vast skylines you are talking about? Washington, Newark, Rochester, Richmond, Anchorage, Spokane, Birmingham, Baton Rouge, Des Moines; all comparable in size to Buffalo and all have skylines comparable to Buffalo

these buildings are nice looking after the rehab, and the investment seems small compared to the amount of change in store. The parking garage is more then most apt rehab proposals, and this is the kind of project that needs to reach out into the community. The proposal reminds me of a mix of artspace and the elmwood hotel. It could use a tad bit more investment to help confer its identity and if only the cost of the parking garage was matched to provide a stronger character towards our burchfieldian lust. They could use a 4 story rounded front facade on that tiny brick dump on the corner of mohawk.

Great, so that ghetto clothing store (JP''s) will be gone? They only offered oversized clothing for the over wieght and hip hop crowd....What about EVERYONE ELSE? I hope a RETAIL marketing plan will be in place for the first level of this project as well for the rest of downtown that lacks any shopping.

I also would like to know where these cities with all this speculative high rise commercial space is being built are? I travel non-stop and the only cities that I can think of with high rise office buildings going up right now are Dallas, Charlotte, Philadelphia and NYC. I don't intend that to be an exhaustive list rather it is just what I have seen. In each of these none of buildings are purely "build it and they will come" speculative. Those days are over in both commercial and residential construction. They all have major anchor tennants in tow. There is no way any bank would provide financing any other without. Rpreskop do you think that developers use their own money to finance thse projects? Never.

One further thought...I do think a fourth floor over the center section would be great. That would allow for roofdecks over the 3 floor buildings. Those would be the greatest decks in the city!

some pictures from the WNY Heritage Press:

http://wnyheritagepress.org/photosofweek/mohawk_washington/mohawk_washington.htm

As for the other debate: high rise vs low rise.

Look at these pictures of then and now: http://wnyheritagepress.org/photos_week_2007/iroquois_hotel/iroquois_hotel.html

Which would create more life and interaction? Today in Buffalo I'd rather have 8 blocks of 5 story buildings filling in our missing teeth and continuity rather than one 40 story building on one block. Even 4 - 10 story ones built up to the street. It's these types of buildings which will create an interaction and movement of people up and down Main St. It will also allow the sun to hit the street for more of the day without the need for deadening plazas. If we do grow again some day these can be bought, knocked down and replaced with a skyscaper. If we grow to 1 million plus residents we can start throwing up high rise condos every block. Now if they could only figure out condos for the middle class.....

If Issa is able to find tenants for the Buffalo City Tower to build it I'll very happy to have that cool new factor around. But in the meantime it's infill and rehab developments like this that have me feeling good about a realistic healthy turnaround in the downtown.

I'm for any building that photographs well.

Enough of that Seneca crap too.....

Offer anybody a tax and regulation free plot of land with the only "tax" being 25% of the slot revenue and watch the proposals come in and buildings go up. And watch how the competition between these new places notch up the quality too.

Offer any establishment the ability to offer entertainment, liquor etc but only pay a portion of some slot machines and watch investment in their establishments skyrocket.

Let make every block its own sovereign nation. Of coarse stuff will get done....