Buffalo Rising Online

I look forward to checking out new Irish Pub when back in Buffalo and finally hang out in one of Buffalo's coolest spots! We finally will have a desintation to go to for games at HSBC..I just moved to Cleveland for work...good luck to WJ Morrissey's

I know that mentioning the "c" word will start another debate, but hopefully there will be even more development like this before the casino opens. If we have to live with it, then hopefully there will be cool places nearby like this pub to visit too. Hopefully the people going to the casino will have some other things to do in the immediate area (unlike at the Falls where there is suprisingly little development nearby). I hope we don't end up with a casino district, but a real neighborhood that people will want to go out of the way for. And an extended loop of the Metro might help too.

I believe the casino in this area would just be a part of the new excitement here. It'll be another attraction for both local and out of towners to enjoy.

Congrats to Savarino, Jacobs, Carmina and all involved for landing a tenant for this space. And by the way, the renovated office building down Mississippi looks awesome! Any takers or interest in taking over and rehabbing the buildings across from the arena along Illinois? Any interest in developing the paved parking lots on the other side of Mississippi? One can envision all sort of exciting possibilities for this new neighborhood. Keep it coming!!!

Andrew Kulyk> Believe it or not the buildings across the street from the HSBC Arena are not vacant. I'm sure for the right price the old school machining & fabricating companies that are housed in there could be bought out and condos/apartments could be added. The relocated businesses could easily find space in the Exchange St. area only a few blocks away.

Rue-- I am very much aware that the buildings are leased and used...and quite frankly, having a blacksmith shop mixed in with a bodega and a sports apparel and memorabilia shop along Illinois would be kind of funky and cool. As for the rest of the businesses...especially the 5 story building on the corner of Perry and Illinois...they are sitting on a gold mine in terms of potential resues for the buildings for other than light manufacturing and storage.

Thanks for the update man!

You can all thank the Savarino crew, especially Sam, Chris Dirr, Dave Pawlik and Eva Hassett and don't forget Chris Jacobs for making this a happening place. They are doing what many others are just talking about. All the prop's to them.

before I left a couple months ago I was riding my bike around that area and saw the new development and wondered why there wasn't any fan fare for it. I am glad to see that they are getting some of the props that they deserve.

Now about those parking lots. What a great site for future development. Open slate, do what you want (almost) type of site where there are no redevelopment costs. We should be able to market those whole blocks as developable lands.

I assume anything would have to at least keep the number of parking space dedicated for HSBC events since I think they have that land leased, but if you built a parking garage in the middle of the site there would surely be enough room for new development on the Perry and South Park sides. Condos, apartments, built new in an urban style?

So where is the local movement to extend Buffalos Light Rail along South Park to patronize this community.

Why does there have to be parking right at the HSBC arena? Why not a Park&Ride further away from downtown off of South Park?

The Light Rail for the Southtowns was always planned as an extension along South Park and with the new development...it only makes more sense. The Light Rail could serve the Casino, Benlin, HSBC Arena with a Park&Ride and it would justify the new Buffalo Convention Center being off South Park too.

Talking to Geiger at the Convention Center....the Eastside is getting ECC downtown Campus and the southside is pretty much guarranteed to be getting the new Convention Center. The sooner we extend the light rail...the sooner the southside will get the convention center.

The Light Rail Extension and the new Convention Center are absolute musts for NEW BUFFALO!

To me, the interesting thing about this neighborhood is that it's being built up (nearly) from scratch. There is a mix of open lots and many many empty industrial buildings to rehab. It started with highly successful pioneering projects like Elk Terminal (and the presence of major venues like HSBC and underdeveloped assets ; the water, the cobblestone streets) and now we get to see a residential/light comercial/entertainment district grow up from scratch. I hope that this contiinues because if it does it means that the casino won't be end up being "casino island" with nothing around it. If a neighborhood chock full of amenities is more or less in place (or at least growing as it seems to be on track to do) then the casino will be just another thing in Cobblestone, instead of THE THING overpowering everything else.

In fact Edward Street, Your absolutely correct and it should be said that Buffalo's elected officials (city, state and federal), the Business Community, the Preservation Community and residential community...infact most if not all communities want this to happen. Especially after the Senecas submitted a blue print of the Buffalo lands surrounding the casino that they intended to buy and add to the reservation. and especially after the questionable (if not illegal) land tradings the Senecas dummy corporation and the Seneca Reservation. You know the one buying millions of dollars of land by the Seneca Corporation and selling it to the Seneca Reservation for $1.

The more land that is owned privately and pays taxes the more the Casino becomes just one more downtown amenity and not an unfair bully buying land and opening business after business that uses its sovereignty to unfairly compete with local businesses or deprive our city of taxes which the rest of us have to compensate.

I think alot of people will make peace with the casino if the Senecas stay on their existing footprint and restrict themselves to the casino business.