Buffalo, NY (WBEN) Developer Gerald Buchheit cites the changing economic circumstances in suspending development of Queen City Landing. The project will no longer proceed through the City of Buffalo review process as scheduled.
“There comes a point where the economic realities of a bold venture like Queen City Landing and the political realities of what is needed to make the project viable need to align with one another,” Buchheit said. “Unfortunately, we are unable to bring those various components together. After several discussions with city leaders and extensive internal review, we are simply unable to bridge a significant gap in order to deliver our plans for Queen City Landing as envisioned.”
“With everyone’s focus appropriately on the ongoing COVID-19 response efforts, it is unreasonable to think any significant progress could be made in the near term,” he added. “That fact, coupled with other business opportunities currently under consideration, make it difficult for me to keep pursuing Queen City Landing. I think the time has come for me to move on.”
In 2016, Buchheit unveiled plans for a 23-story residential tower located on the former Freezer Queen property, which he purchased in 2008. The project received the approval of the Buffalo Common Council and the Buffalo Planning Board. Buchheit completed substantial environmental remediation on a portion of the former brownfield, and also successfully defended the project against multiple lawsuits and appeals aimed at stopping the development.
Over the past several months, he brought forth a more comprehensive plan for the site that not only made significant improvements to the original plan, including lowering the height of the tower, but also encompassing a development vision for the entire site. The updated plans included a 20-story tower, with a mix of residential, restaurant and retail uses; a significant commitment of approximately 2.5 acres of dedicated green space on the sites northern edge and more than 4,100 linear feet of publicly-accessible trails and amenities throughout the entire site; two six-story buildings with residential and retail spaces; and a cluster of proposed three-story townhomes near the westernmost part of the site. In all, the plan represented approximately $180 million in private investment and development to occur over the next 12 years.
“I have spent the past several years working to transform our 20 acres – one of the precious few sites where Outer Harbor development is possible – into a dynamic destination for residents and visitors alike. It was a risk, but I was committed to advancing our vision because of what it could mean for Buffalo and our region. We did have discussions with the City about ways to assist the overall development effort to help ensure our ability to construct the all-important first phase. In the end, there was a gap that we simply could not bridge.”
Queen City Landing had received enthusiastic support among members of the community, in the local media, and among City officials. More than 200 people had signaled their interest in living in the 20-story tower at Queen City Landing when complete.
“There are a lot of people who share my enthusiasm for Queen City Landing, and I am incredibly grateful for their support and encouragement throughout the past several years,” Buchheit said. “Revising the project to make it less dynamic would be a disservice to them and to our community. At this point in time, without a viable path to realize the full potential of Queen City Landing, as envisioned, it makes little sense to continue along the review and approval process.”
Buchheit has no specific plans for development at the site at this point in time.
“The site is private property and will remain so,” he said. “I haven’t decided what the future holds.”