Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - The City of Buffalo has won a court battle allowing it to take control of the Templeton Landing restaurant site next to the Erie Basin Marina along the waterfront.
A State Supreme Court Judge ruled that the California company that owns Templeton Landing - Specialty Restaurants - did not hit the benchmarks set in a lease-to-own deal it signed with the city all the way back in 2003. At the heart of the city's complaint was that the restaurant wasn't open most days, and was only used as an event hall.
"This was not up to productive use," said Fillmore District Council member Mitch Nowakowski. "Our lawyers were able to demonstrate in court that this was only open to specialty events. It had no density, no vibrancy, and my constituents that live on the waterfront, boaters, people that go down there always complain about it being desolate and nothing really happening."
The city will now have an opportunity to bring in a new operator starting next summer, pending an appeal of the ruling.
"Our lawyers were able to demonstrate in court that this was only open to specialty events" - Mitch Nowakowski
"Our lawyers were able to demonstrate in court that this was only open to specialty events" - Mitch Nowakowski
