In a press conference Saturday morning, Congressman Brian Higgins urged that the University at Buffalo expand its downtown footprint by assuming responsibility for reuse of the Statler Building. In a letter to University President John Simpson the Congressman envisions the now empty former hotel as the new home of the UB Law School.
View image
"I understand they have taken a look at this in the past, but they need to look again," says Higgins. "The University has an obligation to the city from which it gets its name. UB is an ideal anchor tenant and has the opportunity to do the right thing at the right time for the benefit of the University and the entire region."
Under current plans being overseen by a court-appointed trustee, the Statler will be shuttered by the end of the month. Mothballing of the giant building will cost nearly $100,000. Future use and ownership of the building is uncertain. Finding a capable and well-funded developer has proven to be especially difficult.
Developer Rocco Termini has expressed interest in the Statler, but says it is not viable unless UB signs on to bring its law school into the building, along with the possibility of student housing and other opportunities. UB would take up at least one-third of the 750,000 sq.ft. building, making it a more feasible redevelopment.
Higgins supports UB playing a significant role in saving the structure. "The relationship between the University and its city is symbiotic," he says. "For the University to thrive the City must be strong, and for the City to succeed the University must be a great university...UB's $1.3 billion annual budget and its spinoff are a significant component of metro Buffalo's $39 billion GDP. With the possible exception of the Power Authority, no other state agency has the same level of impact on Western New York as UB."
Below: The Statler's last loyal tenants forced out
Perhaps there is more light to this building's future than what has previously been decided, or, could this be the Statler's Last Stand?
Being a local, I agree with Brian Higgins.
Being a student, it makes no sense.
UB makes additional money by having students live near or at their campuses. Whether it's food or shopping, UB gets money by the students being there. When you set up a Law School further away from the campuses, it doesn't allow the university to make as much profit, hence students and our taxes flip the bill. You could put those same dining facilities and shops, but the profit will be lower because less students will go there.
Besides all that, there are transportation costs. Now we'll need direct transportation to the Statler.
I would personally love to see the Statler get fixed and it would be nice to have a law school near the courts, but c'mon THEY SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THIS BEFORE BUILDING NORTH CAMPUS.
I see why you did'nt choose to go to NYU. That university is spread out through almost all of Manhattan. So, I wonder how do they do it, being so spread out?
I respectfully disagree.
Like Lego above me used NYU as an example, LOTS of Manhattan-based colleges (including other private, SUNY and CUNY institutions) do just fine with buildings scattered around town; commuting doesn't really hurt anyone except lazy undergrads that want to wear their pajamas to class and have the "big sprawling campus" experience.
UB already has the Stampede in place that works just fine shuttling me between the two campuses. Adding students to neighborhoods will only encourage more businesses to set up shop there.
Look at the East Side of Manhattan around 23rd/Gramercy before the School of Visual Arts started it's expansion, and look at it now. Almost two completely different neighborhoods.