First Unit Closes at Waterfront Place Tower

Im curious to know in what township Catherine Carbone lived previously

All tax free for years. Probably one of the main reasons the Governor is all for getting rid of the Empire zone credits. After construction is completed what jobs were created here, a few maid and janitor positions?

better than the grassy knoll that was there before

Huge congratulations to Carl Paladino and to Ms Carbone! It's a great addition to Buffalo and while we can quibble about the details, it's wonderful to see the waterfront come alive!

Why do we care what the owner's name is? Are we trying to scare potential new city property owners from buying by publicizing everything we can find out about them?

I guess the question is, who is benefiting from the Empire Zone designation here? The developer/builder or the eventual owner? Is this unit cheaper because of it? I don't get how the Empire Zone works for a project that gets sold off privately piece by piece.

Not sure what the empire zone benifit works out to be but subsidies for this type of project are normal even if this type of thing was to be built in amherst. Im sure the tax breaks would pale in comparison to the added public cost of instaling all of the needed infastructure that is required for suburban development. In the burbs the public pays for utility instalation, roads sewer etc. that would be needed for new development. Thats one of the reason taxes out there are out of control. This project like most city projects uses existing infastructure so there is no need for added govenment expence. Im not delighted that funds intended for job creation were used to build fancy condos but this one is a winner for all concerned.

If Buffalo is supposed to be famous for it's architecture, then this building is a step backward. Ya, I am being hard, but this was prime limited real estate and the city should have been harder on Palidino to come up with something better, especially since tax breaks were given. Anyone who likes this building has not driven on the QEW in Toronto in the last 5 years which, sadly, speaks for about 90% of Buffalonians.

Why is it sad if someone hasn't driven on the QEW in Toronto? Just curious.

This building looks like a truncated carpenter's level with a poorly-placed site glass.

Colin, Buffalo is in competition with other cities. How can we compete if we don't know what other cities are doing. Granted, surfing the web has brought us closer, but it can't replace actually living with the competition. It is my belief, that Buffalo needs outside eyes if it is going to get out of its own way.

Wow, Sorry for the confusion(I am in my own world today). The drive on the QEW as you enter Toronto is very impressive. I was just saying there is no comparison between and drive on the QEW vs 190 and I am not talking quantity but quality of the condos on the water front. For the millions in tax breaks, Palidino should have spent a bit more on the project and given those entering Buffalo on the 190 something to marvel over. It's not like the project was creating permanent jobs for the city and therefore, had to cater to his demands. Given the limited amount of water front real estate, the city should have held out for more and been willing to wait for the right project to come. Atlas, we are about to make the same mistake again with Wingate hotel proposal. Now I am going back to sleep, peace.

I do not know if the tax breaks were "given" to Palladino or he took advantage of the stupidity of our elected officials who did not recognize the waterfront is a diamond in the rough. So in Buffalo we are subsidizing housing for the upper middle incomes, the middle incomes in the Marine Towers, the poor on the east side of Lasalle Park and the railroad tracks and at the same time every foolish councilman is saying that Buffalo needs a bigger tax base. The council and Mayor have given away the land with the most tax potential and then cried and blamed the state and everyone else for the tax exempt properties elsewhere in the city. Where is the common sense? I do not think that there is one councilperson or other elected official who could articulate a policy that combines public use and public benefit in the form of tax base.
By the way I am glad that the waterfront development was created over existing infrastructure like roads, water and sewer lines etc that did not cost the taxpayer anything. The governor is right on something, reform the empire zone program.

Paul,if we only had their problems.