The Genesee corridor at the corner of Genesee and Oak, once a symbol of economic prosperity in Buffalo that has laid empty and dormant for decades, will soon return to prominence through the efforts of Genesee Gateway LLC. And sharing in that goal is National Grid, who yesterday donated $200,000 to the project as part of their Main Street/Commercial District Revitalization Program. The Buffalo Urban Development Corporation applied for the grant on behalf of the Genesee Gateway LLC.
"This is the most complex project I've ever worked on," said Douglas Swift of the Genesee Gateway LLC. "We're using more construction supervisors than ever," he added, owing to the sheer size of the nine-building complex. He also noted that the project is incredibly important to Buffalo, giving him a certain sense of satisfaction in watching an important piece of downtown come together.
Swift pointed out that the popularity of the project has elicited much interest from the private sector - without requiring much marketing - which hopefully equates to vendors pledging to rent space in the complex. At the moment, no one has "signed on the dotted line."
"This project will be a symbol of economic development," said Janet Day, Trustee of the Margaret L. Wendt Foundation, the organization that donated $7 million to the initial project.
National Grid Regional Executive Director of Energy Solution Services in Western New York Dennis Elsenbeck described the project as one with the right vision to make it work.
Construction is moving rather quickly, with a Winter/Spring 2010 completion date expected.
(Upstairs at the newly renovated Genesee Corridor.)
(View of Chippewa and Theatre District from second floor)
(Second floor with backwall removed for time being)
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"This is the most complex project I've ever worked on," said Douglas Swift of the Genesee Gateway LLC. "We're using more construction supervisors than ever," he added, owing to the sheer size of the nine-building complex. He also noted that the project is incredibly important to Buffalo, giving him a certain sense of satisfaction in watching an important piece of downtown come together.
Swift pointed out that the popularity of the project has elicited much interest from the private sector - without requiring much marketing - which hopefully equates to vendors pledging to rent space in the complex. At the moment, no one has "signed on the dotted line."
"This project will be a symbol of economic development," said Janet Day, Trustee of the Margaret L. Wendt Foundation, the organization that donated $7 million to the initial project.
National Grid Regional Executive Director of Energy Solution Services in Western New York Dennis Elsenbeck described the project as one with the right vision to make it work.
Construction is moving rather quickly, with a Winter/Spring 2010 completion date expected.
(Upstairs at the newly renovated Genesee Corridor.)
(View of Chippewa and Theatre District from second floor)
(Second floor with backwall removed for time being)
(An engineer mulls over blueprints)
(Scaffolding around a century and a half old window hole)
(Dennis Elsenbeck gives $200,000 check to Janet Day of the Margaret L. Wendt Foundation and Douglas Swift of the Genesee Gateway LLC.)
(Cover: Exterior of Genesee from their website)
(Dennis Elsenbeck gives $200,000 check to Janet Day of the Margaret L. Wendt Foundation and Douglas Swift of the Genesee Gateway LLC.)
(Cover: Exterior of Genesee from their website)
I cant say enough how much I love this project. I consider this one of the more important downtown projects in years. This totally re-creates the streetscape on an entire block that is incredibly prominent to anybody coming downtown. We alway say "build it to the curb". It doesnt get any better than this. Get some more apartments in the area and now we are really talking. Does anybody know the vacancy rate for downtown apartments, and at what point does the "market" (i.e. developers), in general connsider adding new apartments? What is considered a healthy market?