i wonder if GBSB inquired about the ETS building. It suprisingly fits with the architectural style they have already established at their other branches.
i wonder if GBSB inquired about the ETS building. It suprisingly fits with the architectural style they have already established at their other branches.
Very weird. What's up with Elmwood lately? Banks... Real estate offices... It's good to have solid anchor tenants like those for the tax base, but it's taking up retail space and driving up the rent for others.
Maybe Hertel is the "new cool."
GBSB would be nice there.
I personally think Elmwood has TOO MUCH RETAIL. I mean, how much do you people need to consume? How many shoes and clutches and dresses does a person really need?
I'm all for more services, like lawyers, CPAs, bars, restaurants - local businesses that would keep their revenues in our community.
If there is great concern about "office like" tenants, such as banks, occupying prime retail locations, taking those opportunities away from true retail - maybe this is a great time for some of the property owners on the street that own residential houses to build out storefronts to the sidewalk and expand the retail districts...
Instead of the name Elmwood Village, maybe it should be changed to "Banking District"
I totally agree with TownLine. There are still way too many residential gaps chopping up Elmwood's commercial stretch. Hopefully there will be more filling in the gaps by adding storefront additions to houses or razing some of the houses altogether for new mixed-use buildings.
There is definitely a need for services like banks on Elmwood. Every new storefront use that provides an essential service for people who actually live in the surrounding neighborhood means less places we have to get in our cars and drive to. A successful urban commercial district should have a healthy mix of retail, services, and dining/drinking/hang out spots.
Banks have this stuff called money that people use to purchase stuff.
Should I not also be able to walk to my bank?
getting another bank on Elmwood is like getting socks for Christmas.....I mean you need them, but do you really want them when you could get something more fun
A correction to this story. The Elmwood Village Association Design Committee is working with BOA's architects to develop a fully functioning second floor to their structure as outlined in the Elmwood Village Design Guidelines. We are also suggesting other design elements to create an appropriate urban building at this location. These Design Guidelines were created with input from the community, Elmwood Village Association and assistance from the City of Buffalo. To view these guidelines please visit our website at the link below:
http://www.foreverelmwood.org/clientuploads/DesignGuidelines.pdf
Sounds like an expensive proposition to add a second floor to the existing building. Too bad they won't take on one of the parking lots along Elmwood and build a new two (or more) story building that fills in some of the street. All the power to them if this is the "must-have" banking location.
This is actually very good for the area. Banks have at least 20-30 employees per branch as do real estate offices, and law firms... You add 5 of these and we have 100 new employees on Elmwood. Way better than some overpriced Pothandler store or expensive clothing
I also think is it a good move to bring banks into the area, it makes life for more people more convenient. They are well paid employees who get out early enough to show at the store before they leave, they will go to lunch and bring money and people to the strip.
I think the commercial areas can and will expand when demand gets large enough to warrant it. It happened at Auburn & Elmwood and as long as it is done well there are a lot of just ok buildings that would be perfectly suited to conversion.
Now when can we get an M&T in Allentown.!.!
A typical branch has about 7-10 well paid tellers earning about $10 per hour and 2 or 3 loan officers making in the $35K range with a branch manager making in the $40k. Not exactly an economic shot in the arm. OTHH it's better than yet another vacancy in a street that has a plethora of them.
It would be great if that ugly/ shadey gas station across the street from the current ets site was turned into a GBST and the current ETS location filled. This is a high traffic area so even if a bank doesnt take it i'm sure it will get filled. and good for BofA for adding a second floor to the pier one imports store... more density.
All commercial districts should have local and/or committed-to-the-City banks. I would think each sincerely wants their neighborhood branch to be a catalyst for nearby residential and business development. Of course the long-term leases and stability they bring to their parcels (and owners' wallets to invest more locally...hopefully), and pride in their buildings' appearance are great assets to neighborhoods too.
Least among the reasons to have banks nearby is the need to get cash or do transactions. ah..hem...debit card w/cash back, and online banking.
It's too bad GBSB hasn't opened up a branch over there yet. I live in Parkside, and am fortunate enough to utilize the flagship branch on Main Street (the old Cadillac dealership near the TRI-Main). The building is beautiful, and the customer service is equal to that which I received when living in a small seaside town of 2500 in Cape Cod years ago. That being, warm, friendly, and helpful. Christ sakes, I walk in and half the tellers know my name. Plus they have no charge change counting machines for customers. Top notch.
Was ETS taking up the BK lounge location purely strategy to keep a Mighty Taco from moving in? Do they warrant that big an expansion? Just curious? I'm not really a fan, so I don't know what kind of business they usually get. I do miss Edrito's. Especially the fish tacos. Damn, they were good.
I heard all the Burger Kings in the area are closing/closed, what's up with that?
rickyrick: a number of BKs have closed, but as a chain they are not leaving. Most of those which closed faced this problem: as their original leases expire, corporate BK insists that existing stores be renovated to bring them up to current corporate design standards. This renovation averages about $400k per store. If sales are not strong enough to pay this (on top of other operating costs) then the franchise operator shutters them instead of putting more money into a questionable proposition.
The former BK at the corner of Main and Bailey, for example (now a DD), sits on a piece of land for which the rent (for the land) was moving up to about $100k/yr. But the store's sales were only $800k/yr (being across from a medical school was apparently not the most lucrative location for BK; earlier in its incarnation, with many more undergrads at the south campus, the store did better). The costs of renovation plus rent plus operating expense led the owners to close rather than dig the financial hole deeper. That's been the pattern with those that closed.
I'd trade in a gas station for a bank any day. Justin, who is "BOA" that you are working with?
ETS is moving to the Burger King location primarily for the Drive Thru opportunity. Also, it will give them a great deal more seating. Go to the current location any day of the week at lunch time, its mobbed and theres no place to sit. They've simply outgrown their digs. They have the opportunity to literally double their business at BK with the drive through and expanded seating. They are outstanding business people. While I'm not a fan of the bank moving in, the ets gang has nearly singlehandedly stabilized that block by purchasing the BK, finding a long term tenant for the old location, and bringin in the Starbuck's several years ago (who doesn't seem to hurt Aroma's or Spot's business one iota by the way). Gotta hand it to them...... Hopefully we'll have a wildly successful Italian restaurant from the great guys at Mode soon!
If Buffalo is so poor, why does it need so many banks?
Sally, you are probably too young to remember Chief Rain in the Face, but if he had a moment of sexual joy, you must be the result.
Banks within a neighborhood reminds me of when they were an active part of neighborhoods. It's nice to do business within walking distance and with those whose faces and names you remember and recognize week to week. Besides, more banks in retal areas, more of a chance to make withdrawals to purchase.
Enough..please..I happened to hope the Pothandler heralded a more selective kind of shopping experience for the Elmwood Village..more upscale and discriminating.There are other places to shop for Blue Light Specials. Like it or not..the Village business scene will increaingly evolve into a more sophisticated core .Plebian comments and bank bashing notwithstanding.
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