The City is seeking development proposals for the City-owned Broadway Barns property on the edge of the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor and six acres surrounding the LaSalle light rail station owned by the City and NFTA. To facilitate reuse of the Barns site, the Office of Strategic Planning is asking for proposals for development of a consolidated Public Works Campus. It is also seeking a new location for the Buffalo Animal Shelter, allowing for future redevelopment of the current 380 N. Oak Street site.
Some information from the Request for Proposal documents:
LaSalle Station
The NFTA and the City of Buffalo (“City) are issuing a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) seeking qualified developers for the redevelopment of the LaSalle Station property that consists of six parcels and seven acres. The qualified developer or development team must have expertise, development credentials, financial capacity, and experience to redevelop the property in accordance with The Green Code. While development plans have yet to be finalized, the City and NFTA envision an equitable transit-oriented development (ETOD), with affordable and/or mixed-income housing units, an activated first floor, and vibrant streetscapes and public spaces that will complement the surrounding residential area.
The LaSalle Station property, which includes the NFTA-Metro Rail LaSalle Station and the adjacent Park-and-Ride lot, is made up of six parcels: 3000 Main St, 447 Beard Ave, 3030 Main St, 3010 Main St, 3018 Main St, and 3036 Main Street. Proposals are due June 3.
Broadway Barns – 195 Broadway at Nash
The Broadway Barns presents a unique opportunity to revitalize a historic building at the edge of the Michigan Avenue African Heritage Corridor (MSAAHC), located in proximity to Buffalo’s Medical Campus and the downtown central business district. Originally known as the Broadway Arsenal and then the Broadway Auditorium, the building has historical significance within the community as a former sporting venue. It is considered one of the oldest surviving buildings in the country to have hosted professional hockey.
The public works garage occupies a 4.67-acre site and includes 181,150 sq.ft. of space. The City does not suggest what uses it would like to see on the site but says any proposed development “must be consistent with local plans – must prove to have impacts on the extent to which the project will be an asset to the neighborhood, the city, and the region.”
In February, MSAAHCC released a community-informed Strategic Action Plan and Economic Development Strategy. According to MSAAHC, the goals of the plan include identifying “short-, medium- and long-term actions that will work to create a unified tourism destination; strengthen the corridor’s cultural assets and the surrounding neighborhood; support the sustainability of the Commission; and further develop assets to facilitate increased visitorship and additional private investment.” Developers should consider findings from Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor Strategic Action Plan as they craft their proposals which are due July 29.
Consolidated DPW Campus
The City also issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to establish a combined DPW Campus. It is the preference of this request that the DPW Campus include the consolidation of the following locations to one combined site:
• Maintenance, Streets & Sanitation – currently at Broadway Barns
• Mechanical Services – currently at 1326 Seneca Street
• Engineering Garage & Shop – currently at 1120 Seneca Street
• Parking Department/Auto Impound – currently at 166 Dart Avenue
• Mayor Impact Team – currently at 441 Beard Avenue
• New Fire Training Tower
The RFQ is seeking Qualifications for a build-to-suit with lease purchase agreement from a qualified developer or development team with expertise, development credentials, financial capacity, and experience to plan, design, develop and construct the project within the city. Proposals are due June 3.
Animal Shelter
A new location is being sought that is suitable for or can be built to suit the needs of the City of Buffalo Animal Shelter. The City wants to expand its current facility to increase the quality of care and expand amenity offerings, improving quality of life and treatment for sheltered animals.
Sites should include a minimum of 13,000 sq.ft. of building space, dedicated and gated green space for a dog park, a minimum of 30 parking spaces, and garage parking for four to six City vehicles. The City is seeking a ten-year lease with an additional ten-year lease renewal option. Proposals are due July 29.