This is truly a promising development for Grant Street. And exciting to see it publicized so quickly. Anybody concerned about the West Side needs to watch this video.

I discovered the new deed yesterday to a local owner, an obvious improvement to the NYCHANA REALTY LLC (from NYC?) who bought the huge complex for merely $132,000 in May, 2004, then dramatically mismanaged it.

Another precaution . . it is important to carefully monitor the virtual invasion of the West Side by "foreign" investor-scammers who now own hundreds of WS properties, most from NYC. Thier intentions are often highly suspect.

Dick Kern

Today is a good day. Great news. It appears Ms. Moran and husband are capable (financially) and have the business sense and contacts to make this work. I wish them well. The Grant / Lafayette corner is the most promising intersection in the neighborhood, and Lafayette Ave. going east is in fine shape.

I didn't realize so much was going on near that corner, never noticing the greenhouse rehab and the architect's office.

Hey, HelloKitty, no one is stopping you from buying a building and recruiting the retailer of your choice.

Grant St. is hardly in the "middle of nowhere." It is connected to Elmwood by blocks and blocks of mostly intact residential neighborhoods. Empty lots here and there but no urban prairie anything close to the East side.

I guess you missed this story on WBFO about the arts (note: plurals do NOT have apostrophes) being big business in the Buffalo economy: http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wbfo/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1101913§ionID=1.

I didn't hear anything in this story about grant funding. Consider the possibility that the owners will compensate performers just like nightclub owners compensate bands.

Sheesh.

Your right that the future of Grant Street should be bright but its hounded by three issues: 1) Niagara Street continues to be the image of decay regardless of the few bright spots of Healthnow, Riches, Contract Pharmaceuticals, Squaw Island Park, Erie Barge Canal and the Niagara River. 2) Forest Avenue continues to be the image of decay because of continued neglect from the Richardson 3) Continued neglect and ambivalence from Buffalo State.

Each of which provides an umbrella of disinvestment and decay that continues to keep the increasing development and increasing property values of Delaware and Elmwood from crossing Richmond.

Great things are waiting for Grant Street and Niagara Street but the major neighborhood players need to make commitments to the surrounding community for changes to take root.

Never-the-less....the Richmond-Niagara Street district is still more intact than much of the eastside...and therefore...when the change does come...it will come easier and faster than the eastside.

Bob Franke has been working endlessly for almost two years on Grant St. This is the first major announcement and it's a huge one.

I live a block over from grant and drive down it all the time and I think that it good things could happen...but not in the nearest future. The west side business owners association as well as the block clubs in the area, even though they fight the good fight, still has there thoughts rooted in a past that won't come back. What this area needs is a large scale emplpoyment center located in the neighborhood either on grant or niagara. Getting people jobs is the only way to lower the significant crime that still plagues this area. After getting these people gainfully employed, and lowering the crime rate, then this area has great potential but until then i think progress will be slow and spotty.

Is it just me or does almost everyone in this neighborhood walk with a limp? Sullymon54 is exactly right.....it will take years for this neighborhood to come around. It still hasn't bottomed out yet like some of the Eastside but if you don't think it will get worse before it gets better just wait until crystal meth goes full blown in this area.

A good many people with decent incomes need to discover the excellent late-Victorian homes surrounding Grant Street, and SOON - otherwise, this strip is doomed. It cannot stand many more years of neglenct, as it is now comsprised of the very poor, the very drug-addicted, and the very criminal. The entire length of Grant Street is very near Death By Criminals and Poverty, right now. (I have lived in the neighborhood for 20 years, by the way)