Grand Island, N.Y. (WBEN) A large swath of vacant land on Grand Island once considered for a massive Amazon regional distribution hub has been returned to its ancestral owner, the Seneca Nation of Indians.
Acquest Development, owned by father-and-son team William and Michael Huntress, sold 207 acres between Long and Bedell roads, just west of Interstate 190, to the Seneca Nation for $1. The transaction was formally approved by the Seneca Nation Council.
“We have lost tens of thousands of acres of our homeland throughout history, so any time we are able to return any portion of our homelands to Seneca Nation ownership for the ultimate benefit of our people, it is an important step forward,” Seneca Nation President J. Conrad Seneca said in an emailed statement. “On behalf of the Seneca Nation and all Seneca people, I want to thank Bill and Michael Huntress for generously helping us create a path for new growth for our Nation.”
Seneca said the Nation has no immediate plans for the property.
“A site of this size and in this location creates a number of potential economic development opportunities,” he said. “Land is a vital asset.
We’ll take a strategic look at how we can put this newly reclaimed site to the best use in meeting the long-term needs of our Nation.”
Acquest has owned the land for nearly 20 years. Between 2019 and 2021, the Williamsville-based developer pursued Amazon as a potential tenant for a regional distribution hub at the site.
Strong pushback from a segment of Grand Island residents ultimately led town officials to reject the proposal.
In 2022, Amazon chose to build a five-story distribution hub in the Town of Niagara. That facility is under construction and is expected to open in mid-2026.
The Amazon project would have generated more than $2 million annually in new property, town and school taxes for Grand Island. Because the land is now sovereign Seneca territory, it will not generate tax revenue for the town.
About 141 acres of the property are zoned for industrial use, while the remaining 66 acres are zoned residential.
Historically, all of Grand Island was sovereign Seneca territory.
Michael Huntress said donating the land back to the Seneca Nation was a recognition of that history.
“We believe it is the right thing to do,” he said.