Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - The Buffalo Planning Board has accepted the amendments made to the original planned multi-use development requested by the developers of the Elmwood Crossing project and will now face the Common Council for approval.
The $150 million dollar project is currently in process of development by Ellicott Development Co. and Sinatra & Company Real Estate, who are looking to ditch their original plan approved several years ago for a grocery store and a boutique hotel on West Utica and instead add more apartment space as well as preserving a home built on Bryant, which locals argued to keep rather than demolish. 187 Byrant Street will now be renovated with a pocket park.
"A couple of waivers in the initial submission basically allowed us to have some zoning variances that related to the grocery store that we had planned and some of the vacant land areas, but the grocery store just didn't pan out at the end post-COVID and the general interest just wasn't there. We actually removed two of the waivers as it relates to some of the transparency issues, and the large blank wall that would be featured on the grocery store. We essentially are asking for less and are moving towards are more residential density," said Matt Connors, Vice President of Development and Sinatra and Company Real Estate.
Two phases of the project are already complete, the EduKids building on Hodge and the The Pardee apartment complex has already been built. 140 Hodge, a former maternity building is currently in progress for apartment spaces developed by People Incorporated.
How can we build new and restore while maintaining the neighborhood feel? Tim Tielman of Campaign for Greater Buffalo and local resident says its important to attract people within walking distance of the project.
"Focus on the types of businesses and housing that can attract people and be dependent on people only within walking distance. Don't create big-box retail, that's going to require people drive to the site to create enough business for whatever the retailer is. I think we'd be interested in much smaller retail spaces, things that a neighborhood could use and what we have on Elmwood already. Focus on pedestrian paths within the development," Tielman said.
This development without the proposed grocery store will call for 240 apartments, 27 condominiums, 50 townhouses, a day care, boutique shops and offices, which will span three streets.
"We've been moving forward with the various approvals necessary as part of our overall project. We've had multiple community meetings, just for some of the adjustments to the various infill developments that we have on West Utica. To explain some of our approvals from a historic tax credit standpoint, we are well underway in some of the interiors of the buildings for interior demolition. You'll see a little less activity on the exterior, aside from the recently completed 451 Elmwood, which is on the corner," said Connors.
What's to come
"We have some infill development for some townhome rentals that will be included along with Utica. We have more apartments. As I mentioned, a lot more residential density. We have the towers, where we will be doing a ton of work to that and then also some of these pocket-parks that we've introduced, that will add some nice greenspace and artistic elements to the project," Connors said.
The Buffalo Common Council will hold a legislative session and public hearing on Tuesday, July 5th and another hearing will occur July 15th. The developers are continuing to work with the local community to provide the best spaces for residents, "We will be back there on Tuesday for a legislative hearing and then on the 15th of July, we have another public hearing. We will also be having another community meeting with some local people in the neighborhood," Connors adds.
"We remain committed to the project and we want to see it complete as much as anyone else does, probably more so. So we're looking forward to kind of wrapping up this final comments from the public and getting the approvals in order so we can proceed with this really historic project."