The Common Council Community Development Committee will be discussing the redevelopment of the former Budwey’s market at 416 Kenmore Avenue. Joe Dash is proposing to turn the vacant building into a storage facility and construct seven self-storage buildings in the parking lot. The Committee meets at 1 pm on Tuesday 24th in the Common Council Chambers.
The University Heights Collaborative held a meeting on February 10 to discuss the storage facility and the community consensus was that it was not the preferred use for the site. Letter below:The University Heights Collaborative prepared this timeline regarding Dash’s 416 Kenmore Avenue site:
October 2013
Frank Budwey announces Kenmore Ave. site will be sold
November 2013
Frank Budwey sells Kenmore Ave. site to Joe Dash
Joe Dash announces plans for renovations of Kenmore Ave. site
Joe Dash considers closing Hertel Ave. site to consolidate with Kenmore Ave. site
January 2014
Joe Dash opens Dash’s grocery store at Kenmore Ave. site
North Buffalo neighborhood and business associations protest closing of Hertel Ave. site
Joe Dash announces that Hertel Ave. site will remain open
May 2014
Joe Dash closes Kenmore Ave. site for extensive renovations
Joe Dash announces that Hertel Ave. site will ‘never close’
July 2014
Joe Dash announces that Kenmore Ave. site may not reopen as a grocery store
November 2014
Joe Dash announces to UHC that Kenmore Ave. site will become a public storage facility
University Heights residents express anger over proposed change
Joe Dash indicates desire to improve ‘aesthetics’ of Kenmore Ave. site
University District Councilman Rasheed Wyatt states commitment to community view
Nov 2014 – Jan 2015
Heath Street BC leads effort to collect approximately 300 signatures protesting change
February 2015
Joe Dash and lawyers meet with community advocates to discuss proposed change
Community advocates state need to meet in open forum to discuss options
UHC announces February meeting purposed for open community dialogue
Spring 2015
Rails to Trails/Linear Park improvements construction scheduled to begin Kenmore Ave. site is adjacent to Rails to Trails/Linear park improvement project Kenmore Avenue construction is scheduled to begin.
Under the existing zoning code, the parcel is zoned C2 or Community Business District, which does not allow self storage as a permitted use. Joe Dash would need a zoning variance to construct a self storage facility on the Kenmore Ave. site.
Under the proposed Green code, the parcel is zoned DS or Retail Strip, which allows self-storage as a permitted use. Joe Dash would not need a zoning variance to construct a self-storage facility on the Kenmore Ave. site.