Hans Mobius Sells Elmwood/Forest Properties

inquiring minds are wondering...can't wait to see what unfolds...

Absolutely great news, what a day, coffee culture and now this. I hope the plans are fitting for such a remarkable corner. Build it soon.

Cookiemonster, don't you worry! Those horrible buildings will be gone soon enough. With the quantity of vacant lots in high demand, clearing more land is the best solution! I hope Affinity Elmwood can acquire the entire block and create an elegant pile of blocks, maybe in the style of the city court building. Oh, the possibilities are endless! Greed is good!! ;.(

bitter sweat... you could have had a boutique hotel and nice commercial properties drawing in the who's who or Buff state and ABK. Well to do professionals... now you will get a dorm and a bunch of drunk students.... way to go neighbors... way to go.. ;)

Maybe Pano's wants more parking.

bigfoot told him to sell the houses.

Tim, I am not sure if i understand. Sarcasm is hard to get via blogging. Are you saying knocking down those eyesores is negative. Are you implying those houses are architecturally significant to Elmwood's advancement to a higher tier neighborhood? See you may not understand this but the more eclusive elmwood becomes(exclusive meaning higher end retail,restaurants,and office/residential space) the greater chance college kids start to migrate to grant. Grant in turn can be the elmwood of the 1990's. I just hope the plan compares to the original hotel plan. Are you the type that hates progress? Do you consider people investing in Buffalo in order to make a profit bad? Do you hate capitialism? Just want to clear the air before I lose it...I hope to drive by there monday morning and see that land ready for development. In my eyes that means ...the city of buffalo rising/people making money/jobs/investment and growth through capitialism. Tim please explain

A Walgreens on this corner is not out of the realm of possibility. Panos has shown that the city has no means to stop the development on parking lots on Elmwood and has done nothing to change that.

Before you people go nuts speculating about what it might be...

The same deed restriction that prevents a hotel with first floor retail would also prevent a Walgreens, CVS, Gap, Mighty Taco, Whole Foods, Trader Joes, or a Pizza Plant.

Retail already there wasn't even allowed by the deed either, but evidently nobody ever fought it in court based on the deed.

Maybe that's why it sounds like the new owner is focusing on residential use.

Ok, now carry on with panicking that in might be used for a big ole mean greedy drug store with parking and a drive thru. The kind everybody hates and refuses to shop at, which is why their parking lots are always so full.

Speaking of parking, I was on Elmwood today and that lot the EVA and Preservation Board unsuccessfully tried to legally block from expanding next to Wilson Farms was jam packed this afternoon with cutomers for Elmwood businesses. All the spots added over the EVA's objections were full. Yeah that old empty doctors office next to Wilson Farms would be much better if only it were still there.

i am not 100 percent on whats going on but i really dont think a walgreens is going there nor a CVS. It would be nice for apartments to stay there or for the new owner to really take these properties to the next level and give them the TLC necessary.

It would be great to see that hotel go there. These houses are an eyesore to the street. They just weren't maintained. I thought the original hotel design was great. Really would have added something to street. I'm sure Buffalo ReUse would be happy to go in and salvage what they can.

Imagine those houses gone. Imaging needing to make up the cost both of the expensive new ownership then demolitions then paving from end to end. Imagine the need for profit combined with the enormous need for parking in all sorts of Elmwwood shopping areas--and incl. Allentown.

Then, imagine a fenced off, pay-as-you-park, time-limited parking lot with continually running private van services for the customers of EVA and all the Allentown shops.

Imagine that ONLY customers for the shops can pay to park and then pay to ride...
causing moneyless students to be denied...

Of course, the shop owners and customers will pay for these services and that will be payback for the enormous cost of purchasing those properties then demoing them and paving and reusing all that space.

And because most of those shops are "speciality", and the specialities are in limited variety and supply,,,
only those who can afford to will shop there and,,,
they WILL buy.

I asked at one of these topics how the revenues ran for the Christmas shopping venture--no replys, but, heck, we spend a fortune each year Christmas shopping at elsewhere places far from The E. or The A. and also The G. and The H. shopping areas.

Then imagine that if they are not parkingspace-denied,,,
the customers will come from far and wide!

I live in the city and drive all over elmwood...I can always find a spot. Yeah you might have to walk a couple blocks but this is the city not Niagara Falls Blvd with all the chains. Seems like building more parking lots is a waste. Would much rather see developments.

i don't see what's wrong with any of those buildings.

to me they've always given that corner its character.

but, if they are to be razed then i guess my question is why is it that a deed from 200 years ago (or whatever) can't be changed by the city the property is in?

I know most of you don't see the importance of those buildings, but as a part of a shopping district they are truly a unique place in Buffalo. With the Mallification of the "Elmwood Strip" those properties stood out as cool place to shop. It's too bad all those businesses bailed when they did, they could have been open for the last 2-3 years. I know everyone was mad a t Hans, I don't blame them, but leaving that corner to "get worse" didn't help the situation.

Except for the boxy enclosed porch on the northernmost house, I think the buildings and their businesses contribute to the authentic character of Elmwood. I also liked the hotel idea. Glad for the update.

Tim - I've got a great idea! Lets all go back to living in tee pee's. Wow! Talk about saving the regions past. Mabey there will be horse parking!

Sometimes the only way forward is to not look back. There are ways of making improvments. Sometimes (and this is an instance) we need to clear some land.

But hey - Jim Pitts is looking for another spot for his hotel...anybody got his number?

Knock those eyesores down!

BUFFALO RISING: How the heck does that "replied to" thingy work--without having to waste time trying to figure it out?

JAMESBFLO: You sound young and able to loop!

Meanwhile, during the Christmas shopping season, and with all the media publicity, I wonder how many people tried to get to the advertised shops then gave up? And I wonder how many of those who gave up were from out of town?

Also, don't forget that Buffalo and WNY will still be an aging population even when those who are young now will be elderly too?!

Therefore, in that imaginary large parking lot with van service, imagine two more things: Plenty of handicapped parking spaces and all vans that are wheelchair accessible...

Personally I cant wait till these eyesore get knocked down. Out with the old and in with the new. The boutique hotel idea was obviously a great one, too bad the nimby's and some horribly outdated verbage on some deed ruined the whole deal.
Regarding making this into a giant parking lot, NO. I mean really, seriously, this is a city, sometimes you have to spend 5 minutes looking for a parking spot, then actually walk a block or two to your destination, because thats what it is like in every city and really shouldn't be a surprise or a big deal. Sometimes i find a spot right in front of my destination, sometimes i have to circle the block or park around the corner, or brace yourself, a block or two away. Its frustrating at how lazy people can be, but at least most of the people on BR seem to 'get it'.

...and sheltered areas where the handicapped-accessible vans take all passengers on and off in nasty weather. And plenty of shoveling and plowing done when the weather is like it is right now...

Crisa,
Dont worry about the elderly and handicapped. There is currently a project in the works that will solve this problem, it is a green project as well, so there will be no harm done to the environment and they work for tips. Basically its a rikshaw taxi service, they will take you door to door. Expect to see them rolling out this spring along elmwood village, followed by, allen, delaware during lunch hours, chippewa on the weekends, and hertel during the italian fest.

...then again, there are the people who read here and actually "get the drift"!

...will those rickshaws be wheelchair accessible AND have room for wheelchairs once the handicapped person is onboard and can rickshaws be usable at all in ALL weather--

--or is someone here mocking out the many people who ARE olderly and/or handicapped?

I typed 'olderly' because truly elderly people are not in the same mobility position as people who know when they are no longer youngsters but are not yet elderly whether or not they are also handicapped.

That all from me folks...Have a nice weekend!

Yes, this is for real and yes the wheelchairs will actually be able to be mounted on the back of the rikshaw, by the rikshaw driver, once the passenger is safely secured in said rikshaw.

It's funny how the high brows on this site slam Rite Aid and Walgreens, but you know what - those stores stay put and make profits. Why? People shop at them. The problem with those places is merely aesthetics. Some, in nicer suburbs look quite attractive (in today's terms).

I bet there are no more than 4-5 people registered in this site who have ever shopped at those half assed places like Mondo and ...well it might be called "broken guitars on handrails" store, dunno, and Indian Tatoo place and smoke shop (whatever)...OK, Home of the Hits was good - WHEN I WAS 9.

Personally, I'd be satisfied with rebuilding 5-6 nice new homes (if the retail thing is kaiboshed), those old places were a sad entry view to the village. Good riddance. Knock em down with dynamite as soon as the deeds close.

On the wagon, I couldnt agree with you more. Tim, me and you will just never see eye to eye. I like new development, jobs, and growth. I also like historically significant property like the jersey street house from this summer. You see anything currently standing as significant. I personally think those houses on Elmwood can be knocked down for something more attractive and with a higher and better use for that property. You are the problem with Buffalo. Some things i see, others I think you are out of your mind. I like Panos and his parking, I like knocking the Aud down, I like the advancement of the casino, I like the genesse st project for preservation, and I like palidinos waterfront condo and most of carls work. Tim how are you going to sleep at night when they knock down that KFC on elmwood. I think it could be made into a museum for chicken and grease right here in buffalo. It should be preserved as is. Tim it is clear you are a man that cant move forward in life. Do you still call your girlfriend from high school and hang up. The past is the past brother move on. Im sure your heart is in the right place but please learn how to pick and choose your battles. You couldnt find 5 percent of the WNY polulation outside this website that would want those houses to stay over inteligently planned development.

two words: Condo Midrise.

Eye sore or not these houses looked nice. They were unkept but I liked walking by these houses and noticing how close they are together and what not about them. I didn't read the entire article so I may be wrong but was there a concrete plan for what was going to be put in place of these houses prior to them being knocked down? If not then I think that was a bad idea on part of the neighborhood and city.

I agree, this corner is not for dorms, to bad about the hotel though. It would of been a perfect fit for the colleges and museums, not much need for more retail here unless it was a draw such as gap or prada.

Bring back the 5 story building with underground parking and simply convert it to residential.

The houses are so bastardized and the corner too valuable and busy for anyone to seriously consider keeping them there. It would be nice to see them moved rather than demo'd but either way, the best and highest use precludes them remaining. A midrise residential of 6 or 7 floors with ground floor retail and food service is the way to go. It matters little who those users would cater to, either BSC students or Elmwoodies as that corner works well in many ways.