AMHERST, N.Y. (WBEN) - To say there hasn't been much progress at Station 12, the old Northtown Plaza in Amherst, lately, would be an understatement.
The new lifestyle center has barely gotten off the ground.
"Station 12 is a problem for us. It's a problem for the town," said Amherst Supervisor Brian Kulpa. "They're losing anchors and I don't see a sign of life over there. It's really disconcerting. I'm just glad the town doesn't have any tax abatement's or anything like that tied up in this," he added.
WS Development, the Boston-based developer, has promised that Station 12 will be a first of a kind project for Western New York. But there has not been any significant work on the property since before the pandemic hit.
A construction fence, some foundations and partial buildings make up the Sheridan Drive property.
Ground was broken on Station 12 in November of 2019.
Kulpa believes the hold-up has to do with the volatile retail landscape. "You have groups that are unwilling to commit to leases. It makes it hard to get your lending in place. And if you can't finance your project, you can't continue construction."
Whole Foods is the only retailer operating at Station 12. It opened in 2017. Kulpa has additional concerns because Whole Foods' contract demands joint tenancy.
In all the time that has elapsed with the project, at least two prospective retailers have pulled out. "Marshalls and L.L. Bean are going to the plaza down the street to The Boulevard, a Benderson-run shopping plaza.
To say Kulpa is frustrated is also an understatement. "It's go-time. They [WS Development] indicated to us that they would be re-starting construction in June. They're not.
Kulpa says the town is going to have to exert every pressure point they can to get things moving.
It's been a few weeks since Kulpa last communicated with the developer. In contrast, he said that developer Douglas Jemal is a different animal. "Douglas talks to me constantly. When I want to talk to him, he would meet me whenever I want. I get constant updates." Jemal is redeveloping Boulevard Mall in the town.
