Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Back in March, Braymiller Market formally requested a city grant of more than $500,000, signaling potential trouble for the future of the downtown location on Ellicott Street.
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During Tuesday's Buffalo Common Council meeting at City Hall, Braymiller's request for the grant was brought to the table for discussion and formally denied by the Council.
"I know the importance of a grocery store. Trust me. I live on the East Side, I grew up on the East Side. I know the importance. I know there are those who feel like, and I've even read where it says the fate of Braymiller rests with the Common Council. I vehemently say that is an error," said Council President Darius Pridgen during Tuesday's session. "It's a private business, and I think it's unfair to make it as if this Council does not vote for a $500,000 grant or loan, and then say their business is on our heels. It's not. It's on the business's heels. At the end of the day, the $500,000 was supposed to go to smaller businesses."
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Pridgen acknowledges this decision was not made in any effort to spite Braymiller, but it's more to do about business. He says what the Council has heard from people living in-and-around the market is residents don't usually do their grocery shopping there.
While Pridgen hopes to see Braymiller survive their struggles, he says denying the $500,000 grant to the market is about doing the right thing for the community.
"One of the things I was disappointed to read was that this was the only place they were waiting for money from. If I needed to keep my business afloat, I'm not waiting for months, two months on the Buffalo Common Council, who did not bring this to the table in the first place, to give me $500,000. I'm beating at every door, I'm selling everything in the store I can, I'm advertising, I'm going door-to-door and knocking on doors," Pridgen said. "This is not on the Common Council, and I don't appreciate, at the end of the day, whether it's media or anybody else saying the fate of Braymiller is at the hands of this Council. It is absolutely not. It is at the hand of the business owner."
A number of fellow Councilmembers agree with Pridgen's decision to deny Braymiller its request for the downtown market. This includes University District Councilman Rasheed Wyatt, who is also Chair of the Finance Committee.
Wyatt feels a huge reason for the denial of grant money to the market was the uncertainty of its financial position. Because of that, Wyatt feels uncertain about the market's future in Downtown Buffalo.
"I do know that some of the conversations we have had, it doesn't look too bright, because it seems as though they were depending on $500,000. If you're just depending on $500,000 and you can't get it from elsewhere, you're looking for the city to give you something, I think you're in trouble already," said Wyatt during an interview with WBEN.
While he, too, does not want to see Braymiller downtown close and go out of business, he did not feel comfortable giving out the $500,000 to one entity when there are plenty of other small busniesses, especially in his district, that could use just a chunk of that money for capital with their ongoing concerns.
"I think we made the right decision," Wyatt felt. "I think it's up to the district council member, and working with the administration to try to find another suitable grocery store or something to fit in that space. But I think that's something that is also an East Side conversation as well, because we only have one grocery store there. I think there's a larger conversation, but specifically regarding this one, I'm hopeful they can come to some agreement with some other entity."
Wyatt believes the Braymiller model didn't adapt to downtown well, especially when some items they were selling were not items everyday people living in downtown necessarily need.
In addition, Wyatt was uncertain with the fact that even if the grant was given to Braymiller Market, why should anyone believe the business wouldn't flounder even after the $500,000 ran out?
"There was, from what I understand, some uneasiness even with the bank and changing their positions on things. There were so many questions, as well as, again, I don't think they were suitable for the marketplace in that area. It just seems as though some businesses can adapt and adjust because they're a wholesaler. They didn't seem to make that transition," Wyatt said. "And to make the excuses or the comments about the pandemic and those things, although fair, you still should be able to adapt even in those changing environments. Again, we didn't have any other grocery stores come to us asking for half a million dollars, and they all seemed to thrive and do well, even in the midst of the pandemic."
In the time leading up to the opening of Braymiller in Downtown Buffalo, Mayor Byron Brown lauded the idea of a grocery store like the Market opening downtown. Upon hearing of the Council's denial to give Braymiller its requested grant, Mayor Brown was certainly disappointed with the decision.
"Braymiller Market is very important in providing fresh food to residents living on the lower West Side, the lower East Side in our growing downtown community," said the mayor during an appearance with Susan Rose and Brian Mazurowski on WBEN. "Having a market downtown is important to continuing to grow the downtown community, and create the 24/7 live, work, play environment that we want in downtown. That benefits the entire city and the entire region. It helps us to attract more jobs for our residents, better paying jobs for our residents."
Brown is now hopeful that the Common Council will take another look into the matter and reconsider the approval of the grant for the downtown market.
"I don't take council members to task for voting in a way that they think is right. Hopefully we can provide them with more information, and have them take another look at this," he said.
As for whether or not Councilman Wyatt feels there will be any reconsideration for Braymiller Market, he says is hard to say due to some very questionable information the Council received.
"I think many of us have heard from the community and other small businesses, to give a half a million dollar to a private entity is just not the right thing to do," Wyatt said. "We have to spread those dollars out, and as a matter of fact, I'm gonna be putting a resolution forward asking for that money to be re-allocated for other districts and other businesses in those districts. If they bring us some different information, there may be something that we can do. But at this point in time, in my mind, I'm kind of made up that I want to see those dollars go out to the street, and I want to see them in our various districts and our business corridors."