Issa Buys Future Tower Site
The proposed $360 million, 40+ story tower is a mixed-use development, consisting of street-level shops, a half million square feet of office space on the lower twenty floors, 300 hotels rooms on the middle floors, topped by 80 condo units on the upper ten floors priced from $500,000. 800 underground and structured parking spaces would be provided.
Construction is not expected until 2009 at the earliest.
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Comment Options
Sean
one small step for man...
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gaustad
I sincerely belive this project would make dollars and sense - just have to build it -
Mark my words, one good project will act as a catalyst for many more - I don't belive anyone really wants to take that first big leap of faith - build something new in this town and it always fills up.
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Fudgeworth
How can you fit a large building onto a lot that small?
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sbrof
it is amazing what you can do when you actually design something properly and leave the parking out of the site plan...
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kelly
Nice to see some activity on this. Half a million for the condos? Wow... Seems like, with that market, this would be a great place to bring some really high-end retail shops, too.
Honestly, for this type of development, I think a smaller footprint is better. Who wants to drop half a million on a condo that has windows facing one direction only because there's a ton on every floor? Better to have four or less, that way every homeowner gets light and breezes from two directions.
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BROKEEPSBLOCKINGME
WHAT ABOUT THE VIEWS OF ALL THE HIGH RISES AROUND THIS TOWER? WHAT ABOUT THE ADDITIONAL CURB CUTS THIS MONSTROSITY WILL FORCE? WHAT ABOUT THE WIND AND BIRD MIGRATION THIS WILL AFFECT? WHAT ABOUT THE HUGE SHADOWS THIS BUILDING WILL CREATE? THAT FOOTPRINT IS WAY TOO SMALL FOR A PROJECT OF THIS SIZE...WAY OUT OF PROPORTION TO OUR PRECIOUS TERRA COTTA BASED URBAN FABRIC WE ALL COVET SO HIGHLY... IM SKEPTICAL...LETS CALL TIM TIELMAN FIRST AND SEE WHAT HE THINKS
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Smicha2161
Another great project to help catapult Buffalo into our economic future. As always my only concern is the whiners in the city who have nothing better to do than complain about anything.
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STEEL
I thought he already owned the site
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MisterChips
Contrast this with Carl Paladino who can't knock buildings down fast enough (AM&As, attempted demo by neglect of the Webb Building, Harbor Inn), who thinks that 50% of downtown devoted to parking is not enough. Now that we have an example of the real thing, can we all stop calling Paladino a developer? He's a demolisher first and foremost.
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HandMeThatPiano
Hint: If you type in all caps to publish on paper or post to the web, nobody will take you seriously, & many won't even bother to read what you type.
TuRn OfF yOuR cApS LoCk!!!
If you don't know how, get off the road until you learn to drive.
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urbanesque
But wait... I heard that no one develops on parking lots and shovel ready land. What happened, isn't anyone going to do something about this?
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getbacktobuffalo
From what i've read I think this project will have a major positive impact on Buffalo's economic future. I currently live in Charlotte, NC, but am trying to move back to Buffalo, my hometown. Projects like this are exciting and hopefully will draw more people back to Buffalo.
- Pat www.getbacktobuffalo.blogspot.com
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MeliQ
First of all, BROKEEPSBLOCKINGME, I hope that's some tongue-in-cheek humor because your post is pretty funny. And to the people who are concerned that the space is too small, keep in mind, in Buffalo, we need to build upwards!!! Not outwards. Tall is good, spead out is bad for the city. No one says, "Wow, what an impressive 4 story building!'. Good job Bashar--I hope this really does work out for all of us!
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AnnapMike
Thanks, BROKEEPSBLOCKINGME. Every post I read I can't wait for the bird migration comment. It gets me every time. I was laughing so hard I spit a little of my cereal back into the bowl.
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Balth
Unlike the Park Lane Condo Tower, I think that this project will have more of an easy time getting pushed through. I'm also quite confident that he will obtain the 40% commitment level he is seeking in order to start construction. We just have to hope for the best on this one.
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Hospitable
Shouldn't have much trouble filling up.... the costs of business in major metro's is enormous. Just look at Citibank for example...this a prime example of an asset Buffalo can capitalize on... cheap business while still in a U.S. big city..
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Spaulding97
That whole area is building up nice, can't wait to see a crane up in the air.
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atypical
Any word on the marketing materials and web site address for the promotion of this building?
ps: I thought he already owned this plot, as well...
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jerkface
BROKEEPSBLOCKINGME, that was priceless! You forgot to ask what would happen to New Era's "airflow" and what it would do to Ellicott's radial street plan.
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Spoiled
Are these build to suit condo ????
What brand hotel is going in ???? Bet it will be nothing less then perfect. There was one hotel I was in that even had flat screen TVs next to the tub and white-cream tiles everywhere.
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Ike
This is perfect, by 2010 I should have enough money saved up for a down payment for one of these condos! I'm going to be the coolest kid in school
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dude
Personally, I think the building would look much cooler on that big empty site on the corner of Delaware/Huron, but it's not my money, lol.
Whatever happens, I hope this gets built! Slowly, but surely the west end of Downtown is seeing tons of new investment. Delaware Ave. soon will be downtown's main drag: 285 Delaware, Statler + Dulski renovations, New Era...I'm sure the list will grow.
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SteveP
If Issa fails we can always recruit this guy....absolutely amazing.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=459208&in_page_id=1770
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hashma
Just the fact that the lot cost $1 million seems to prove he's serious- you don't spend that much without thinking you're going to do something with it! Good luck Bashar!
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BROKEEPSBLOCKINGME
IT COST 1million, but owner is carrying with options and drop dead dates... What will this do to the Ellicott Radial Plan, isnt this site sacred, I could have swore McKinley smoked some weed here, or pounded some hooker here, yoiu know there are tons of CraCkHeAd hookers here in this area....it must be PRESERVED!!!!!! I WANT TERRA COTTA FACADES MANDATORY!!!!! hhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmm
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chris69
Issa Basshars projects DON'T deserve the same sarcasm and toxic pessimism that surrounds so many others in Buffalo! Issa reflects my values....he appreciates historical buildings...and he appreciates modern buildings.
What will this do to the radial street plan? I think its going to create ALOT of inertia for the convention center to relocate and for mohawk street to be reopened!
Does anyone see a trend emerging? Statler, HealthNow, Dulski and now City Tower all have views of Lake Erie and the Niagara River. South Elmwood rapidly enters residential historical district of Allentown so the future of Elmwood is limited...but the future of Niagara Street IS NOT and I have been telling BuffaloRising readers...that sooner or later developers are going to find those streets between the Niagara River and Niagara Street.
PS....Why is Palladino silent on the Statler and City Tower but vocal on AM&As .... well part of the reason is that Palladino owns a significant historic building within a short distance of both called the Greystone which could catch an updraft from both projects going from low rent 1 studios to high dollar luxury apartments.
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davvid
no one cares about your values
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RPreskop
This is definately the best proposed new project for downtown Buffalo, finally our stagnant downtown skyline is getting a major skyscraper addition and the best thing about the 40 story CityTower project is that a shovel ready site covered by asphalt pavement is finally getting a long overdue infill development. Hopefully Issa is very successful in getting the required occupancy so he can start construction on this spectacular, beautiful new skyscraper project.
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BROKEEPSBLOCKINGME
OHHH THOSE POOR BIRDS...HOW WILL THEY SURVIVE???
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Andrew
The fact that the Statler is moving forward and he just dropped another million on the project site should keep the pessimists at bay for a while. Have I mentioned yet that he is my hero?
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newskylinebuffalo
wops, no longer going to happen!!!
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just1fix
Does anyone know the latest on this? If Issa already bought this lot and nothing is going to get built here, I would think that is a big waste of money for him.
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just1fix
Does anyone know the latest on this? If Issa already bought this lot and nothing is going to get built here, then I would think that is a big waste of money for him.
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