Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Tuesday was a special day for the City of Buffalo and the family of the Mark Croce, as the city honored the late Buffalo developer by dedicating the street adjacent to his beloved Statler City as "Mark Croce Way" between Franklin Street and Niagara Square.
Croce was killed in a helicopter crash back in 2020 along with Michael Capriotto when the Robinson R66 model broke up in-flight and crashed in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.
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"You all know Mark loved the people of Buffalo, he loved the City of Buffalo, and he put heart and soul into making Buffalo a better place," said Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown during a special ceremony on Tuesday. "Very importantly, he believed in Buffalo. He invested in Downtown Buffalo when no one else was investing at that time. He saw the future of what downtown could become, and he demonstrated that he saw the future with investing heavily in this community."
Mayor Brown felt Tuesday was the perfect day to celebrate Croce with his the new roadway, as it is expected for the Statler to re-open later in 2023. Brown says Croce fought to keep the Statler alive before it was set to meet its doom at the hands of a wrecking ball.
"In the three years that have passed since Mark's death, like many of you, I'm still reminded of Mark every time I come downtown. Every time I drive any place in Downtown Buffalo, I walk any place in Downtown Buffalo, I think of Mark. I think about our conversations, I think about his passion for the community," Brown said. "In his time on Earth, Mark took steps large and small to improve the quality of life here in our community. For his family, and for all of us. Mark's contributions to our city's Renaissance were immense. I can think of no more fitting way to greet residents and visitors than with the words 'Mark Croce Way' here at Niagara Square, because as you all know, Mark did it his way, and he made big things happen."
State Sen. Tim Kennedy had a close personal friendship with Croce that he will forever remember. Kennedy says Croce invented downtown entertainment, and his legacy will forever live on with this honor.
"I will forever remember him, I will forever recognize him and the impact he's had, not only on our community, but on my own personal life and the work that he did in Downtown Buffalo, the City of Buffalo and all of Western New York and New York State," said Sen. Kennedy. "He is a figure that touched lives throughout our city, our state and our nation, and he is forever remembered by those whose lives that he impacted."
Buffalo's Common Council President, Darius Pridgen has served his role with the city for several years, and has plenty of fond memories working with Croce during his time in office.
"When Mark had a vision and a dream, he would not take 'no' for an answer," said Pridgen during Tuesday's ceremony. "He would call you at 1 in the morning, 2 in the morning, 3 in the afternoon, and he would rattle off these ideas. I've been from the top - when I say the top, he made me go out on the roof of this building - all the way to the basement and the vaults, and we walked through, and it was freezing cold. Same way in every one of his buildings, he wanted you to see it from the beginning. The fingerprint of Mark Croce can never be matched, and we are thankful to his family for lending us Mark Croce."
Also in attendance for Tuesday's ceremony to honor Mark Croce was his wife, Jessica, and his two sons. Jessica says she was grateful to be a part of Mark's life, and was appreciative of how unique he was, as well as his passion for Downtown Buffalo.
"He was truly passionate about seeing Buffalo just become and evolve into what it is today, and what it's going to be in the future," said Croce about her late husband.
"I just think it's a true honor that his kids and all his beautiful friends and family, and everybody that he's been on this journey with get to remember him every single day when they come downtown and they see Croce Way. He was truly, truly passionate about this city. He just woke up with Buffalo on his brain, and he went to bed with it on his brain. It's just truly an honor to be a part of it. I love that everybody downtown now, coming down to the Convention Center that's being re-done behind us, gets to be reminded of Mark and his visions."
More from Tuesday's ceremony dedicating the old Genesee Street as "Mark Croce Way" is available in the player below: