I'm pretty sure I know what most people would choose when presented with the following scenario. And that's the million-dollar question and answer that Ed Hogle, owner of Atlas Steel, is faced with. "I've been approached with this business opportunity," he told me. "I have been offered a proposal to build a home for sex offenders on my property. For a while this was my only real option that was presented to me. It was explained that this would be good for the community in that this would enable the offenders to be monitored... instead of living in a number of different neighborhoods throughout the city, they would be housed under one roof at the corner of West and Niagara (near where Niagara bends in two different directions)."
The housing for the sex offenders was the only option that Ed was presented with at first. Then, the plan went before the Riverside Business Association. At that meeting there were security guards from Buffalo State College in attendance. The guards reported the fledgling project to officials at the college who immediately took action by calling upon Councilman Joe Golombek and Assemblyman Sam Hoyt. It was then that an alternative plan was hatched that would circumvent the existing plan. "It was suggested to me," explained Ed. "... that the property would better suit land-use by the college. Instead of building a home to house sex offenders, would I consider building dorms that the college was planning on building anyways? I told them that even though I would not make as much money from the proposition, I would agree to move in that direction (see top rendering - right). I also decided, at that point, that I would go one step further and build a privately funded hotel (see top rendering - left). And if you look at the rendering, you can see in the front of the dorms that I have included an enclosure for student zero tolerance based activities."
At this point, after hearing the options, I must admit that I had pretty much decided which plan I was gunning for. But to cap it off, Buffalo State is supposedly also purchasing land nearby (a former City of Buffalo impound) to build a new football stadium. The stadium and the dorms/hotel could easily be linked. I called Sam Hoyt to ask him what we can expect from his camp and he told me, "I'm doing everything I can to set up hi-level meetings with officials at Buff State and SUNY. I've already conducted tours around West and the Scajaquada Creek area. I'm encouraging Buff State to come to an agreement with Mr. Hogle in the hopes that the college can capitalize on this current abandoned industrial wasteland for a northern expansion. I also believe that the college could benefit from the location to the water. With current efforts promoting the cleanup of the creek and the Black Rock Channel, these water features could be turned into navigable waterways. This would be an incredible private and public partnership based in Black Rock, and I will do everything in my power to see it happen."
As far as Ed Hogle is concerned, he is waiting to hear whether Buff State will accept his proposal or not. "I'm going before the Planning Board for the sex offender housing while I wait to hear about the dorms. I've been a good neighbor and I've invested in this neighborhood when everyone else left. I've been there since '81 and I've grown my company Atlas Steel. I understand why there is a need to house sex offenders under one roof, but I'd rather build dorms and a hotel. If Buff State accepts the proposal, I would even move my company and transition this great old industrial building (located across the street) into loft apartments for graduate students. Buff State now has a waterfront campus and students staying at The Hampton Inn because the college is short of housing. This property is not far from the campus, and a bus shuttle would make the trip to-and-from class very easy."
The Buffalo State proposal could be an incredible catalyst for jump-starting (in a big way) that section of Black Rock. This development (either way it goes) will end up affecting Niagara Street in both directions- one towards the Peace Bridge and one towards Riverside. With the recent completion of the bike paths and the continued investment into the Greenway Trail, this could be the wrong time to build housing for 30 (to start) sex offenders. According to Ed there are 228 living in Buffalo presently, and when paroled, the offenders must go back and live in the community that they are from. Ed is convinced that by housing the offenders under one roof it will get many of them out of the city neighborhoods. That may be true... but I'm not convinced that this is the best place for that sort of proposal. At this point, Ed wants to be the developer for the Buff State option. He also wants to see the hotel built that was never built at the corner of Elmwood and Forest. This decision is to be made as early as this coming week. It's a decision that will forever change the face of Black Rock, Niagara Street, Scajaquada Creek and nearby bike paths.