What is he waiting for????? Time is already right to start converting these empty buildings into living/office spaces. We can definitely use another Boutique Hotel (The Mansion is always booked, why not give people another option?) You can never have enough restaurants, and isn't the current residential spaces all FULL? Why not create more? And as far as office, don't we need more Class A?

it makes me so mad. I love the hertz building and i'm going to be so mad when the building is demolished by neglect in 5 years. and that enormous parking lot on delaware by that mansion... wtf! delaware is hot right now sell it off to someone who will do something with it please! we dont need 40 story buildings in our downtown to make it a good downtown. WE NEED DENSITY. 5+ stories up to the street creates density.

yeah I agree that having these parking lots in private hands is only a detriment to the city overall. If streets are a public service then parking the cars should also be centrally managed. Otherwise we get exactly what buffalo has. A Downtown where there is more space dedicated to parking than offices, residences, shops and restaurants combined... People say there isn't anything to do downtown, thats because we demolished the 'stuff' so we could park...

Again, There isn't a parking problem in Buffalo. There is a parking management problem....

As for Croce, I am not going to hold my breath for redevelopment of the parking anytime soon. Nothing against him personally and he runs some great bars (Laughlins was for years my hang out) and the chop house is a fine establishment also but I don't see him as a builder especially considering he has had that lot behind Sheas since before the Queen City Hub Plan was finished... 8 years is a long time to be 'building' something.

I do hope he proves me wrong and I do feel he is trying but maybe getting into the development business was a bit more than he originally anticipated.

Other business owners downtown HATE Croce. He makes every effort in his power to impede the progress of other businesses. Ask any business owner downtown. Croce single handly put an end to the classic car shows that used to be held on Chippawa on Tuesday nights. There were once very good plans to turn the parking lot behind the crocodile Bar on Delaware into a pedistrian mall with shops, restaurants and a park and Croce put an end to that idea. This man is a menace! He may have opened up a few over-priced restaurants, but look at those building he has left sitting empty. Its a Damn shame!!!!! He could have been the most successful apartment loft developer in the city. He is buying up these other properties and they will sit empty which is a crime because someone else would have developed them. I know a number of Investors who tried to get him to sell 204 Franklin & 505 Pearl street for years. He wont sell them for any price. He is hiolding up progress. If he cant handle developing these properties on his own, he should sell them for a fair price and let our city move forward!!!!

It's a shame about the Hertz building and the white building next to it - in most any other city they would be hot properties to convert into something rather than let sit empty. I guess I should just be happy they're still standing and not another "shovel-ready" site, right?

Well we don't know if he can or not but 8 years to be sitting on something right next to Sheas, with Uniland as a partner, is a long time and doesn't boast well for his reputation. Are there plans? What's the hold up? You can't tell me with the proximity to Chippewa and the Theatres another option for drinks, dinner living wouldn't be sought out.

Plus that site is actually very close to Allentown and since it is practically impossible to rent anyplace in Allentown without bringing a checkbook to view an apt the demand is HUGE on that side of downtown and north. Quality space between Chippewa and Allentown would be a sure fire win. You get all the benefits of Allentown, a 5 minute walk north, and downtown, a 5 minute walk south.

We shall see but as I said, I am not holding my breathe until I see images or shovel in the ground.

tudorguy.. give it another 3-5 years when the roof collapses.. The longer it sits vacant the closer it gets to Shovel Ready heaven. Buildings just like everything else need critical maintenance but developers, and the city don't feel it worthy of maintenance without reward. Some could say that is justifiable but I don't buy it. You own it, it is now your responsibility to maintain it. It being vacant and not producing some sort of income isn't anyone's fault but your own. Letting it rot and fall down makes it a public problem.

Lets see what the city does to pressure owners like Croce and Paladino in the wake of the Livery to gets buildings like this / the greystone / Main street etc sealed and secure before the next wall falls down.

Croce will continue to do nothing with these lots but run them as parking.

More of his buildings on Huron... http://www.flickr.com/photos/jas23/350865016/in/set-72157594468045421/

@mybuffalo

so go start one, top companies aren't moving here...time to get cracking

I understand the Hertz building may be a difficult rehab project because of its structure, but there is no reason to just sit on the white building next door; it looks like an abandoned eye sore in the middle of the city.

It has all the right attributes of a loft project with a huge parking garage next door and chip strip right around the corner.

Do something with it!

It is ugly and decaying. It screams out that Buffalo is a loser town on a one way path to nowhere.

Everyone complaining about the condition of some of these buildings, why not do something about it?? Start calling the building inspector today instead of waiting until it needs an emergency demo and then try and scramble and mobilize. Why not be proactive instead of reactive on these things??

we need a fortune 500 co shiaaat

Hate to disagree but now is the WORST time to start any development projects. Credit crunch is killing projects from Manhattan to LA... There hasnt been a worse time in 20 years to start building a large project... Its not Buffalos fault or anyones for that matter, the economy is just shitty right now...

@magnum Price gouging is a myth created by big government and progressives. Unless someone is holding a gun to your head, there is no price gouging. If the price of parking is too high for you, don't park there or buy the lot and lower the prices.

Historically, virtually every attempt at "price controls" to eliminate "price gouging" has led to supply shortages. Value is determined by supply and desire. Innovation, competition and economic investment is the result of a perceived price being "too high". And lower prices, as the demand falls.

I would have thought Building Infilll, brings Restaurants, Which will then bring critial mass to create Retail...Not critial mass creates building infill, Doesn't make scense, much like his business scense.

He does own the white building next to the old Hertz garage..

I don't know about him.. I agree with Sony.. he has to be building for a seller. I don't really view him as capable in the hotel/office/residential sector.. he's a restaurant and parking guy.. developing all of those properties in my opinion is a little too far out of the restaurant realm. Don't hold your breath

If he can develop.. why doesn't he, I definately don't see a problem with the local market and by all means the vicinity to Chippewa, theater district, and all the new things going up on Deleware?? HELLO??? Even before the credit crunch.. whats the problem.. he has owned the white buildings and the hERTZ garage for a long time hasn't he?? I blame an incapable team or lack of a development team all together.

I for one will be suprised if anything goes up on the Issa site.. he did have a plan for the old M&T LOT as well.. that got us quite far as you can see.

Wow, can't believe he lied to M&T Bank about his plans for an empty lot, beating two other developers. Wonder what those guys had planned and I bet one of them might of actually built something by now if Croce didn't win the bid for that lot.

Outsidethebox, please, the way this city is run, Croce is buddy's with people in City Hall, we can complain all we want, who is going to do anything? Look at the properties in the 500 Block of Main Street, Rotting Away and nobody does anything. Look at the Main Place Mall (Looking abandoned from the outside, pushing retailers out) nobody steps in to do anything, If you own buildings and are on good terms with people running the city, your property can fall to the ground and you'll be okay. It's so obvious.

mybufalo, M&T Bank is a Fortune 500 Company.

I applaud Croce for all of his accomplishments and contributions to downtown; an awful lot for one person.

Does anyone know if Croce also owns the white building next door to the Hertz building, on the corner?

These two buildings are prime locations that need to be developed.....