Real Estate May 23, 2011 12:05 AM

Retail Ready: Sidway Building

Retail Ready: Sidway Building
WCPerspective
WCPerspective 15

The commercial space on the ground floor of the Sidway needs a tenant.

David Doerr of Realty USA Commercial is listing the 4,878 sq.ft. of space at 775 Main Street.  It was previously occupied by the Blu Mirage and short-lived Tabu nightclub and has been vacant since 2008.

The historic Sidway was converted from office space to 67 one and two-bedroom apartments in 2004 by Michael Joseph's Clover Management.

sidwayinterior.jpgWhite Plains-based Woodlark Opportunity Fund purchased the property in November 2006 for $7.1 million.  The building at the corner of Main and Goodell streets is at the crossroads of Allentown, the Theater District, and Medical Campus.

The 700 block has seen most of its buildings renovated in recent years. At the south end of the block, Avalon Development has had success attracting a mix of service, retail and restaurant tenants to its string of redeveloped properties at715,  723, 731, 737, and 741 Main Street.  Unfortunately the west side of the block has been decimated by demolitions.  Only the Ansonia Centre and Schmidt's garage remain, along with a rubble & weed patch begging for mixed-use development.  

Get Connected: David Doerr, 716.856.7107

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15 Comments Leave a comment
Lego1981
May 22, 2011 10:42 PM
Lego1981

I would luv to see a cool theme restaurant or furniture store here.

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DeanerPPX
May 23, 2011 12:02 AM
DeanerPPX

Get it now, while it's still close to a free-fare rail station!

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Tim
May 23, 2011 12:15 AM
Tim

I'd love to see a good NYC-style deli, differentiated from Washington Market. I'm afraid there's just too much retail space in the area, and not enough critical mass. Can they incubate a business free of charge except utilities (conditionally)? It would add more life to their building (create more demand to live there), and they'd be able to renegotiate rental terms based on the success/non-success of the joint.

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flyguy
May 23, 2011 6:55 AM
flyguy

Why did Blu Mirage and Tabu fail there?

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Fuzzy's New Hinwood
May 23, 2011 8:10 AM
Fuzzy's New Hinwood

For starters, shitty names.

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Chris
May 23, 2011 8:10 AM
Chris

a new england style raw bar would be nice...lobster rolls.... mmmmmmmm...

what about a tea house? coffee shops have been successful, why not something for tea? it would be a cool place to hang, plus a destination for people to purchase specialty teas. Tealux I think is a franchiseor. I'm sure that the franchisee could distribute as well.

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hamp
May 23, 2011 8:18 AM
hamp


I don't think that space can be successful unless the dark glass is replaced. People want to be able to see into a space, before they decide to enter.


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SevenOneSix
May 23, 2011 9:34 AM
SevenOneSix

I think it may have more to do with the intersection than the tint of the glass. I walk by it every day going to work, and the traffic coming down goodell off the 33 is, to say the least, less than pedestrian friendly. Make that stretch through to pearl st two way, or try to enforce the speed limit better coming off the 33 and maybe that corner becomes more viable.

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Captain Picard
May 23, 2011 1:20 PM
Captain Picard

The reason this place has sat empty is the same reason most storefronts in Buffalo stay empty: the rent is probably too high.

There is an enormous turnover rate on Elmwood Avenue because the building owners want $4000 plus utilities plus renovation plus insurance plus a portion of your receipts. A business cannot thrive when such a huge portion of revenue goes to rents. This is not the type of community where any one enterprise can do enough business to pay Toronto or New York-style expenses. Add in self-employment taxes and payroll and you're lucky if you break even. Sure, there are a few exceptions, but most fail because their costs are too high.

Unless, of course, your father owns the building, you're using proceeds from a trust fund or other source of unearned income, or the business is really just a pet project instead of a for-profit venture.

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replied to SevenOneSix
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NorPark
May 23, 2011 1:33 PM
NorPark

The rent is just Too Damn High!

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EllicottNick
May 23, 2011 2:33 PM
EllicottNick

You wearing leather gloves?

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EllicottNick
May 23, 2011 9:56 AM
EllicottNick

I think the fact that most people are still going about 175 mph when they get off the 33 and fly past it, might have something to do with its crappiness.

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RobH
May 23, 2011 12:50 PM
RobH

The signage faces Main Street where there is virtually no traffic. Goodell Street traffic, regardless of speed, can only ever see this location in a rear view mirror. Signage that faces traffic on the back of the building, with something that wraps around (lighting?) and ties the back of the building to the front might help.

Isn't this part of Main now two-way? The picture of the building accompanying this article shows a one-way sign and a Do Not Enter sign. People are probably not aware they can now turn left there, after 20 years of that being a one-way street. Maybe green arrows on the signal instead of the existing green light would draw more attention.

On-street parking in the left lane of Goodell Street that last block or two before Main would slow down traffic, and offer some parking to that retail space.

And it wouldn't hurt any if that massive dirt lot across the street was anything other than a dirt lot.

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Tim
May 23, 2011 4:38 PM
Tim

One thing this city does not need are more green arrows.

A nice park with a modern vibe across the street would be nice, until something more substantial takes its place. Who owns that land?

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The Kettle
May 23, 2011 8:24 PM
The Kettle

Having a pair of multi-story rehabbed buildings across the street would have helped stimulate foot traffic and activity in front of the Sidway. Unfortunately the pro-vacant lot crowd had their way and now we have just a rag tag patch of weeds on the other side of Main.

But maybe the property rights elitists are right. It isn't about what is best for downtown and the city. It's about what is best for the whims of an individual property owner.

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