Buffalo Rising Online

Hey Wendes,

We met when the Preservation Board came to your properties a few weeks ago. What a great project. I'll try to stop by on Sunday.

Harvey

This seems like a worthwhile endeavour. A couple points. First, anything that makes it more of a collaborative process would help. At least in my experience, it seems like your treated like you've done something wrong, before you've done anything. Secondly, anything that takes some of the 'surprise' out of a project would be beneficial. For example, if you buy a double at auction, and the current build does not match the plans on hand at the city, how is this supposed to be resolved? Because there are so many unknowns, it increases the risk of a project, and drives down the amount of money a developer can risk on a project.

Good luck with this.

I suggest that you try getting in touch with Jad Cordes of Integrated Realty and Development Corporation located at 11 Summer St. Their main phone number is 716 883 - 5070. The reason that I'm suggesting him is that he was head of a Buffalo Niagara Partnership committee that worked on reforming the City of Buffalo Permit Process for a number of years.

benfranklin

Decrease the risk of having poor or NO information by hiring an architect to verify the existing conditions, soup to nuts. Then also retain them for the necessary or desired improvments and renovations.

The city will then have an updated set of drawings for at least the existing home/building, available on file for later or immediate imrpovements. This should help the process for review as well when the actual refurbishing begins.

An architect working in the city of Buffalo will also know the work involved to get the review process flowing more effieciently, whereby providing the necessary information all up front instead of waiting for the request for info from the city.

I am stating all of these things becuase there are architects interested in this work, and somehow we were left out of the main articles' invite for Sunday - I'm sure architects would be welcome though.

We also need to make sure that during this process we don't pander too much to the developers desires. Often they are more than willing to cut corners and safety to save a buck. We don't want to be exactly like the suburbs with new homes cracking and people dying in fires (Rosa's) because we want to be easier for development.

I totally agree that there are many many places to improve the process, that example about contractor licensing is ridiculous. Stuff like that should be state wide. We have a state license for architecture, a state building code... why shouldn't the people excepted to actually build and follow those laws be state wide. But we shouldn't just try to speed up a process that would leave us looking in hindsight wishing we could have done a better review of this or that because now there are families of dead people looking to sue the city for negligence.

What we really need to do is separate out the politics from the development. Politicians are NOT planners, they are NOT architects, they are NOT developers. They are not the ones that should be left to make these types of decisions. Why we allow this is annoying. They have trained professionals on staff but for some reason they don't need to listen to them but a part of that problem is each admin just appoints yes men to these positions which compromises the judgment of the whole process.

I think the idea is great. I am currently employed and have a finance degree and invest in real estate in the city. I am looking to transition my career into real estate development and would be interested in being contacted by anyone who sees a need for an ambitious individual who is very capable and eager to learn. If nothing else, could I participate in the group and be active?

Just a thought: If the executive branch bureaucrats are resistant to changes, to say the least, have you also considered trying to work with the Common Council to legislate some changes into law? Probably many aspects will always be left to decisions of mayoral appointees and civil servants, but maybe there's at least a few things that legislation could force to happen in terms of opening up the processes or consolidating some of the hoops that need to be jumped through.

Look around at the rest of America. Is that what you want for Buffalo? Come on! Is that what you REALLY want for Buffalo?

Of course, the whole process is insanity. Developers run rough shod in almost every place over citizens and government, and then complain about the "difficulty of doing business" in _________ you add the place name. Doesn't really matter. Taxes, government procedures, insufficient incentives (like no truly-fair commercial-property taxes for 10 years-- by which time they've long moved on to "greener" pastures).

This country has become a joke. So over-rated in every way. and so obsessed with telling itself every day how special it is. Buffalo is just a much a patsy as the idiotic area in which I live.

Can anyone name one Council-led initiative that was worthwhile in recent years?

Score: 1500 Resolutions and Certificates of Appreciation, ZERO programs with positive results.

MichaelB, for a well structured traditional real estate transaction, your approach is best. Unfortunately, many transactions of small properties don't give the opportunity for this type of due dilligence. Many are short notice auctions, or other distressed sales, where not as much time or information is available. For others... well, witness the guy on this site trying to give property away.... when the end result of a project has such low value, I understand an architect should play a role, but I'm not sure there's enough value in alot of these projects to warrant the cost.