30-acre Parcel in North Buffalo Up for Grabs
A prime north Buffalo infill site is officially available. The City of Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency (BURA) is seeking a qualified developer or development team with the ability, development credentials, finance capacity, and experience to redevelopment eleven parcels encompassing 30 acres of former rail property behind the LaSalle light rail station. Proposals are due September 28th.
Depending on the number of proposals received, BURA may select three to five of the initial proposals for further consideration in a short list of finalists, or may select a developer without a short list. From a short list, finalists may be invited to make community presentations and ultimately, the City will award a developer exclusive development rights to the property.
The City of Buffalo owns approximately 6.75 acres of the property and the NFTA owns approximately 23.73 acres. According to the City’s request for proposals, preferred project components include:
• Mixed uses including residential, commercial, office, and retail space;
• Job development and business development opportunities for local residents;
• Bike/walking path connections;
• Respect for the Minnesota Linear Park connection; and,
• Improvements to Buffalo’s street network where appropriate.
The City is seeking firms with urban development experience, a commitment to quality design, prior experience in creating public spaces, and experience working with community-based organizations as well as public and private partners.
Early last year, suburban high-end builder Natale Builders floated a proposal for an infill development on the NFTA-owned parcels that included a mix of housing styles with new urbanism features. The proposal for “Northern Trails” drew a less than warm welcome from some residents since community plans recommended a bike path and greenway on the property.
In response to the Natale proposal, officials decided to combine surplus City parcels with the NFTA land and seek ideas from interested developers. Natale is expected to submit a proposal for the expanded site. The selected developer will be required to commence construction within 120 days of taking possession of the property and has two years to complete the project.
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allthingsbuffalo
this could be a great project for the rich and not-so-rich alike. new housing stock for ppl who want to live in north buffalo and a safe housing alternative for students who go to UB...maybe now there can be some frat parties with modern comforts ;)
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RonR
We need to make sure poor people get a fair shake of new housing in this project. Even if they are not able to pay for it. Whatever developer is selected, they must build section 8 housing into the plan. I say every 8th home should be a section 8 house. We must not let the rich build new homes in isolation anymore!
People should become more accepting of all classes of society. A family relocating from Amherst should and must get along with a family from the east side. In order to make sure of this, they need to live together, live next door to each other. With all of the great property values and stable tax base of Amherst and Clarence, the one thing they have not done will is incorporate section 8 housing. Shame on them.
/sarcasm
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datyslttam
section 8 just brings crime and people who cant and dont take care of their properties
besides the only people that benefit from section 8 are the landlords that own dozens of section 8 housing and leech money from a government welfare program
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Texpat10
I assume that the /sarcasm means that RonR's comments are sarcasm. I hope that assumption is correct.
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RonR
you are 100% correct textpat1 :)
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Texpat10
Phew. That isa load off of my mind! ;-)
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42nate
Given that the globe's remianing petroleum sits under nations that dislike us and the end of cheap gas is upon us, I think that parcel would make an excellent railroad right-of-way.
Oh, wait, that's what it used to be!
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Matthewjohnp
Yeah I wanna live next door to a crackhead too.
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urbanesque
The University Heights are mostly section 8 housing now anyway. Many of the older residents have moved out, leaving the streets to families looking to escape from the East Side, the landlords who previously rented to college kids are now renting Section 8 to ensure that they receive their rent every month.
This plan will be under more scrutiny from the residents of Tacoma and Parkside neighborhoods than the current transient residents of University Heights. Honestly, they have worked really hard to keep their property values up on that side of the tracks.
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SkaJack
The original plan for the Subway, was to use this land for the "Tonawanda Turnout". where you would change trains at the LaSalle Station. This second line would cross Kenmore, parallel Englewood and could go all the way to the canal in Tonawanda. You could park at Anderson's on Sheridan or Gander Mountain plaza and catch a train to the Sabres game, Convention Center or anything downtown. All they ever had to do was lay a new track on the existing railway. Google Earth to see what is just sitting there - waiting.
Now, with this new housing, that idea would be permanently wiped out.
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al-alo
relax rail lovers, part of the proposal must include a right of way for any potential metro rail expansion.
my question is where will new streets meet with existing streets, or will they be independent? the current disconnect of the two neighborhoods have created very distict areas, frankly i am fine with that. if i had wanted to live in University Heights, i would have bought a house there in the first place.
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42nate
Maybe so, al-alo, but as soon as you put housing right up against the right-of-way, you create an anti-rail constituency, people who rightly or wrongly have a sense of entitlement about their backyards, having just plunked down how many thousands to live there. They will fight rail expansion tooth and nail.
People on BRO regularly cheer for the increase of moneyed people in the city, forgetting that these are the people who can most afford lawyers for their own kinds of obstructionism.
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al-alo
it is likely any new inhabitants would be against any expansion. im just saying that there is an allowance for said rail.
i like using the ex nyc right of way better anyway (just south of hertel). it actually had intra city passenger service previously. you can still see the station stairs on elmwood or colvin, etc. it could provide service to places people live, need to go (college, work), and want to go (the park, zoo, museums, shopping districts) a bit better than the northern route.
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mjs
I take it the NFTA has abandoned plans for a "Tonawanda spur" to the LRRT. WNY mistake number,....2,100.......... the amherst campus, rich stadium, and now the NFTA.
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Dan
> We need to make sure poor people get a fair shake of new housing in this project. Even if they are not able to pay for it
Ron, you forgot:
"There's plenty of vacant land on the East Side, Why don't they build it there instead, where it's really needed?"
As for rail, the ROW includes the former route of the Buffalo-Niagara Falls High Speed Line, an interurban line that carried trains with speeds up to 80 MPH. The High Speed Line was abandoned in 1937, but many remnants survive; the track grade and the catenary pole support mounts are the most visible.
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RonR
Dan,
I was being sarcastic. The sad thing is I tried to post something so ridiculous that it would be obvious that I was not serious. Guess the mindset is not that far off of ridiculous in WNY. :(
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Chief_Psychic
I guess CHRIS69 is on vacation this week! I would have expected the usual diatribe on UB's location in Amherst, the need for more railroads, and our future as a canal / railroad city.
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Dan
> I was being sarcastic.
I know. :)
Seriously, I don't think the site should be developed, because Frederick Law Olmsted had no vision for the area whatsoever.
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chiknlil
Ask yourself WWBID? What would Bashar Issa do? Could this be part of a greater scheme to bring the Central Terminal back to life? Could this be the final nail in the coffin for the East Side? Where will the homeless sleep? Where will the teenagers party? Questions left unanswered here at Buffalo Rising!
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tonyarmani
I think no matter what we do we should get tons of anti-development people who have no idea what the project is about to collaborate and make a few posters and bring a multimilliondollar potential expansion to a screeming hault....that would be Buffaloian at its finest :-)
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lulu
Where else can you snowmobile without leaving the city limits?
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NBJOHN
Build big expensive houses so we can drive up our property values and keep the scum out. North Buffalo is holding property values well and pretty close knit... I live too close to this for it to anything other than top nouch
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