Graystone Conversion Gets IDA Assist

Fine - I will be glad to see this redeveloped and its a decent use of public funds. But it makes me wonder if Paladino knows how to spell the word "hypocrite?" It doesn't make him always wrong, but the guy is a complete assclown.

This particular building has been on one, long, demented, merry-go-round for so long I am beginning to believe the renovation will never actually begin much less be completed.

I am sure the accidental removal of a load-bearing wall sparked a flurry of OSHA visitations and potential lawsuits so let us all hope and pray that Carl Paladino will be able to complete this project in a timely fashion with no additional mishaps.

He proved he was a hypocrite when he ran for governor, what I'm curious about is where people are going to park? Not that I'm a huge advocate for parking garages but I know the folks on Johnson Park already have problems with congestion.

My problem with this (other than the pure hypocrisy) is that we are enabling his poor stewardship--he let this building deteriorate over the past 10 (?) years. The renovation cost would be FAR inferior if Carl had taken care of the building (ie plugged the hole). But, instead, he let it die by neglect....to the point where the taxpayer has to subsidize him.

Congestion is a good thing - something downtown needs more of. But, in all reality, there is PLENTY of parking available up and down Delaware on evenings and weekends. Non-issue.

Carl and his tea party cronies lack the fortitude to live the values they claim to believe in. They rail against government but are first in line to feed at the public trough.

Whatever. I'd rather see it occupied than vacant and crumbling.

Who cares about politics. It is an eyesore that will be made beautiful again.

Rehab it, make money and reinvest. Rinse and repeat!

The parking lot and fence around the Vet office next door could use some love too. It's like a giant garbage net for the neighborhood. Since Carl's getting breaks he denounces others for receiving how about he ponies up and take care of that fence for his neighbor in return for them having to deal with his delapitated building for the last decade?

He maybe would also be out of business. It's similar to republicans railing against pork but taking it because it's there and they have constituents to please. The Florida governor rejected transportation funding. I'm sure his citizens didn't like that. It's better to shoot high and miss, than to shoot low, make the jump while laughing at those who missed the Higher mark.

All politics aside it is certainly good to see this long neglected building finally being renovated.

Great save. Well worth the public's investment.

Ahh, the trials of public opinion.

In this case its like sausage...I dont care how...just restore the darn building. What would be nice is if they extended that concrete facade and expanded the building to consume the other half of the block....not a problem since the rear is brick and its half falling apart anyway.

My priorities for downtown Buffalo are to get the Light Rail to the Larkin District and the Central Terminal and beyond to the airport....then get UB Amherst connected. Those are huge projects with huge impacts for our downtown.

Then I think downtown Buffalo should take a clue from the Larkin District and reconstruct the original fabric of downtown...yes, even a dozen or so landmark buildings that were demolished before we bring in more new contemporary/modern office buildings.

Okay, who's ready to take Paladino to court now? Hey, karma is a "B"!!!!!! Can't go trying sue others for getting help, and then doing exactly the same, Carl aka [deleted]

42 apartments are going to need at least 42 parking spots, 24 hours a day, so parking IS an issue - but it's the builder's problem to provide them, if he wants to sell the units. Street parking is not an option in this case.

I'm a 30 yr. old, white male that, regularly reads and enjoys this site, but also happens to be conservative and believe in many of the Tea Party's Principles...are you calling me a racist? I thought you “liberals” were open minded and judged everyone as an individual?

Liberal philosophies have done wonders for downtown Buffalo over the past 40 years, keep up the good work Black Rock.

IDA tax breaks for the Greystone are as bad an idea as they always are - regardless of building age, location, or anything. If people want to save old buildings, great. But they should have to pay the same taxes as others pay. Also they shouldn't get any govt funds (whether funds are called "tax credits", or grants, etc.) for privately owned buildings. Raise donations instead. Same goes for Trico, of course. Only publicly owned buildings/projects are appropriate for public $.

On the Paladino thing -
The hypocrisy complaints sound like a straw man. At worst case what he's doing seems similar to people who rant against the mortgage income tax deduction (some of those even comment here) but then still use it. I wouldn't consider that to be hypocrisy.

But this seems even less 'hypocritical' than that because I don't think Paladino ever claimed he's against all corporate welfare. Just because he sought votes or endorsements from Tea Party people doesn't imply he was endorsing all of their issue positions (not that they have a unified set of positions anyway, but even if they did it wouldn't mean he implicitly agreed across the board). And he never said he favors zero government.

It's the same as for Cuomo with unions. Just because Cuomo sought their support doesn't mean he endorsed everything they want.

Paladino has sometimes favored corp welfare for projects other than his own (he's favored corp welfare for Canalside and Bass Pro, as examples). And has sometimes he's opposed it (he opposed $5M grant to Mark Croce for the Statler, which Paladino says doesn't have any long term viability).

I'd guess some of you who favor it for the Greystone and Statler were against it for Bass Pro. If so, then you pick and choose which projects you favor or oppose it for too, just like Paladino does.

BlackRockLifer

The world wouldn't go round without people like yourself and Carl Paladino; thank you for being you.

There are good people on both sides. Believe it or not, I see your perspective.

However, at the end of the day, you "sound" like a disgruntled Obamanite that is looking for a hand out of some kind without having to do any real work. Playing the race card, pitting people against each other for their wealth doesn't solve anything.

In a free market, any one person should be permitted to capitalize within the limits of the law. If a developer can make a profit for himself he shouldn't have to determine if it meets you moral compass. Every business person has bills to pay, a business to run and a family to support.

Aside from the developers background, which I believe is superfluous in this particular case, he should be congratulated for the "risks" he has taken, the beautiful condo tower that was build on the waterfront and his loyalty to this city at a time when no one else believed that it could turn around....including me.

they're ba-a-a-ack!

Glad to see BRO is becoming more centered.

Too many tree huggers on here for a while. Good
to see balance finally.

LAWD! Everybody should give my Black Rock brethren a break (if you saw his formerly vacant but not awesome house in person you would know what a good dude he is). He is a wise man who loves his city and breathes the passionate breath of a man who sees his predominantly Democratic city is still disturbingly conservative.

1) Paladino is a scum and a hypocrite, but he is the scum who owns the building and has the big wallet, so let him fix it up. It is good for us in the long run.

2) The Tea Party does have a faction with a history of racist-bent commentary, including repealing certain amendments to the consitution that regard slavery. Despite them claiming this is not their main angle (i.e. they don't want to return to slavery) on the repealment it did not sit well with many black people (or many white people for that matter). Their anti-immigrant, back to a 1950's style America rhetoric doesn't sit well with most people of color or women, who had little to no rights at that time (at least socially if not literally).

3) Bring back the tree huggers. They may be just as delusional as the clearly Republican-bent folks on this post thread, but at least they had inventive handles.