Kaleida Health is one step closer to pinpointing a developer for the Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo’s Bryant Street complex. The five developers that have submitted proposals are Ciminelli Real Estate, Ellicott Development, Pyramid Brokerage (Syracuse), Sinatra & Company Real Estate and Uniland Development.
“The response has been great and the proposals are high quality,” said Michael P. Hughes, senior vice president for Kaleida Health. “This sets up strong competition between the developers which, in turn, will only benefit the community.”
The proposals range from housing to retail. There’s a lot to consider when evaluating the best fit for the 617,000 square foot Bryant Street facility. The complex in question also brings into question 87 Bryant Street, 125 Hodge Avenue and the two-acre parking site on West Utica Street.
“This process was guided by community stakeholders, and because of that involvement, we have a document which clearly lays out the community vision for reuse, and expectations for developers,” said New York State Assemblyman Sean Ryan. “I am thankful that Kaleida Health has valued public input as this process has evolved. We could have had a very top-down approach where the community did not have a seat at the table. A process like that would have had a very negative impact on the Elmwood Village community. Thankfully, Kaleida Health created a process which values community involvement and engagement.”
Moving forward, over the next 90-120 days, Kaleida Health, its Board of Directors and its Project Advisory Committee will be scrutinizing the projects closely, trying to figure out which plans best suit the site. There will also be a a public exhibition presented, where the community will get a chance to view the proposals. That should be a very interesting presentation, as this is a huge project that would greatly impact all of the Elmwood Village, both residential and commercial.
It’s The Project Advisory Committee that is responsible for offering advice on the direction of the final project. Robert G. Shibley, the Dean of Architecture and Planning at the University at Buffalo, chairs that committee, which is comprised of upwards of two dozen neighbors and community leaders.
Anyone looking to voice opinions and concerns on the direction of the complex pertaining to its future use can visit www.kaleidahealth.org/Childrens/reuse/.