BUFFALO | Development Thread

[ecoasttransplant]

Douglas Development purchased 61 Terrace from the City yesterday for $1.071 million where it is planning a parking ramp for 300 cars topped by 148 apartments.

[Innsertnamehere]

Live literally in the middle of a freeway interchange! Wonderful!

[benp]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

Live literally in the middle of a freeway interchange! Wonderful!

All of the residence floors are at least 2 floors above roadway level, so no drivers approaching your balcony. Unlike these apartments in a different city known for its car culture.

There have been serious discussions and proposals to tear down the Skyway (and this off ramp) but it's years away, if ever.

[Wigs]

Originally Posted by benp

The revised Statler plan has been re-revised, as the plan submitted to the city was an earlier revision. The final plan will have 443 apartments and 218 hotel rooms.

I think that was a smart move
Almost nobody in Western NY wants to live in tiny ass micro unit apartments. And with downtown Buffalo's high hotel occupancy rate the area could use another hotel. Hopefully we see other restaurants and bars pop up nearby and that it encourages more development of under utilized sites (*ahem surface parking lots) or buildings in the vicinity.

[Wigs]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

Live literally in the middle of a freeway interchange! Wonderful!

Living on Barton or Burlington St in Hamilton yet alone King or Main you'd get much more traffic zooming by than this ramp gets. seriously.

[Wigs]

NYS DOT could delete this ramp and besides people having to adjust to a new route it'd be no big deal as so few cars use it and other ramps are 1/3 mile or less nearby
Traffic Data Viewer: https://www.dot.ny.gov/tdv

As of 2019 the Buffalo Skyway itself only gets around 36,000 cars/day total combined (if not less in 2023 with more work from home folks), down from its peak of 2x (or more) that number when the steel mills and all industry were humming decades ago. That's only ~18k each way or some combination totalling 36k.

Using 2019 NYS DOT estimates:
For the Skyway to Pearl/Seneca off-ramp aka Exit 7, only ~900 cars/day use it.
For the Skyway to 1-190 on-ramp less than 11,000 vehicles/day use it.

The green 'x' marks the development site, adjacent to Doug Jemal's Seneca One Tower in the middle of these Skyway on/off ramps

The yellow circle on left is on and off ramps for I-190 literally 1/3 mile to the North of the development site. The yellow circle on right is on and off ramps for the Buffalo skyway literally 1/4 mile to North of the development site.



Google Earth

[Innsertnamehere]

11,000 cars a day use the circular ramp? That's actually a pretty decent volume for a small ramp like that. To accommodate it by making cars turn left onto Church Street would likely involve adding a lane to Church and making it a double or triple left turn lane at the intersection.

Not impossible - but 11,000 a day for a left turn movement is very high and can be challenging to accommodate.

[ecoasttransplant]

The Marine Drive Apartments makeover downtown along the Buffalo River will include 730 apartments when done.

The $225 million first phase will consist of two, 12-story apartment towers to be built on the current surface parking lot on the east side of the complex adjacent to the Skyway. The towers, with 296 apartment units, will be linked by a five-story, 300 space parking garage fronted by four-bedroom townhouses. There would also be three community rooms, including one on the top floor of each tower with an outdoor patio. Laundry facilities will be located on each floor rather than one facility in each building. Three small commercial spaces totaling 5,000 sq.ft. are proposed as well.

[Wigs]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

11,000 cars a day use the circular ramp? That's actually a pretty decent volume for a small ramp like that. To accommodate it by making cars turn left onto Church Street would likely involve adding a lane to Church and making it a double or triple left turn lane at the intersection.

Not impossible - but 11,000 a day for a left turn movement is very high and can be challenging to accommodate.

Approximately 900 vehicles use the circular ramp that this development is proposed to be in the middle of

Approximately 11k use the Skyway to I-190 ramp

[Wigs]

Marine Drive proposal looks decent. Although I don't understand the 2 storey townhouses instead of say 4-5 storey buildings

[benp]

A few developments not previously posted, and some updates since last year's posting.

Rails on Main - new construction and conversion of former metal shop building and offices into 312 apartments. Expected completion 2024.



John Kam Malt House conversion to 80 apartments. Expected completion early 2024.


Wood & Brooks Piano Key factory conversion to 55 apartments. Expected completion 2025.



Pilgrim Village Apartments - 237 apartments in 2 buildings. Expected completion 2024.



Trico Factory conversion - 243 apartments. Expected completion 2024.



Monarch 78 Apartments - former School 78 conversion to 47 apartments completed 2023. In the last 10 years there have been 14 former schools inside the city converted to 499 apartment units, with an additional 3 schools and 110 units in work, and 2 more proposed for an additional 275 apartment units.


Barcolo - former Barcolounger factory conversion to apartments and commercial spaces - 119 apartments. Expected completion late 2023.


Silo City - former grain silo and malt house conversions to apartments - Phase 1 completion of 158 apartments expected 2024. Phase 2 with additional 92 apartments to follow.



Eckhardts Apartments - former department store converted to 28 apartments and first floor commercial. Expected completion 2024.



Heritage Point - 64 apartments at Canalside. Expected completion 2025.


Simon West - existing building conversions and new infill for 94 apartments. First phase of additional conversions and infill in surrounding area to eventually reach 500 to 550 apartments. Expected completion of first phase is late 2025.




61 Terrace Apartments - 148 apartments. Expected start date late 2023 or early 2024.


Elmwood Crossing - Final phase - conversion of former Children’s hospital tower to 136 apartments, making a total of 351 apartments from all phases. Expected start date 2024.



Perry Homes Phase 1 - 405 apartments replacing vacant projects. Expected start date 2024.




Main Street Lofts - 147 apartments. Expected start date 2024.


The Lawrence - 131 apartments. Expected start date 2024.


West Tupper Apartments - 42 apartments. Expected start date 2024.


McCarley Gardens - Phase 2, 220 apartments. Expected start date 2025.


Outer Harbor Amphitheater - up to 8000 capacity. Completed 2023. Park of larger Outer Harbor expansion project.


Great Point Studios - soundstages and offices. Expected completion 2024.


D’Youville Academic Building. Expected start date 2024.


Also, previously posted items not included in the above
- Hispanic Heritage Center
- Marine Drive Apartments
- Hotel Statler conversion
- Canalside North Aud Site development
- Ralph Wilson Park improvements
- Waterfront Village condo developments
- maybe a few others...

[mstem58]

Big AI investment by Tesla at riverbend and State of NY at UB Engineering School. NYS effort to create high tech hub across upstate NY through Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse.

[benp]

Historic restoration and infill, preserving the facades along Elmwood Avenue in the Elmwood Village neighborhood, adding new apartments


New construction and renovation/conversion of former metal fabrication company buildings in the the Rails (312 apartments) on Main Street, in the Lasalle neighborhood. Currently leasing with occupation beginning this month.




Final work underway (completing sky bridges and courtyard) in the conversion of former Trico Wiper factory into mixed use including 243 apartments. Leasing underway, with occupation this summer. Medical Center area.



Final work underway in the completion of Phase 1 of the Silo City conversion for former grain and milling facilities into mixed use including 158 apartments. Commercial offices are currently being occupied, with residential soon to follow. Along the Buffalo River.




Former Barcolounger factory complex (5 interconnected buildings) converted to mixed use campus including 119 apartments. Recently completed and occupied. Old First Ward neighborhood.


Former malt house conversion to mixed use with 80 apartments nearing completion, currently pre-leasing. Black Rock neighborhood.



Former Children's hospital complex conversion to mixed use including 136 apartments when completed. Currently in Phase 4/5, with final phase completion of tower conversion. Elmwood-Bryant neighborhood.


Noles Court and 1100 Michigan apartments (237 apartments) construction completed and now occupied. Medical Center area.


Pan-American Square with 160 apartments, under construction in North Buffalo neighborhood.


Main Street Lofts with 140 apartments and 7 townhomes now under construction on Main Street, Mid-Main area.



The Lawrence, 132 apartments, now under construction. Michigan Avenue, Medical Center area.



Work has begun on the Simon West conversion of existing office buildings and new construction to mixed use with 62 apartments.



Perry Homes, Phase 1, 405 apartments in multiple buildings, currently under construction in Old First Ward neighborhood.



Canalside Gateway, new visitor center and management office, under construction.


Ralph Wilson Centennial Park, former Lasalle Park, undergoing massive $150M+ redesign with shoreline redesign and protection work ongoing.


Not shown:
- interior work continues on the Statler Hotel conversion to 443 apartments and 200+ hotel rooms, although no schedule for completion has been given
- Eckhards Building conversion to 28 apartments and mixed use is expected to be completed this summer. Broadway-Fillmore.
- work has paused mid-construction on the Heritage Point apartments at Canalside, with no new updates since last reported still expecting 2025 completion
- work has paused mid construction on D'Youville Medical School building, with no updates on when work may resume.
- $50M rebuild of Main Street to include dedicated bike lanes is funded and scheduled to begin next year.
- $100M rebuild of Bailey Ave including BRT lanes is funded and scheduled to begin next year.
- permits have been opened to begin next phase of former Millard Fillmore hospital conversion to apartments, trailers on site, but no work yet begun.

[mstem58]

Benp, thanks for the updated photos on all these projects, quite a lot happening..

[benp]

A street level look at the recently completed apartments on Best and Michigan in the Medical Center area.

[ColDayMan]

Thank you for all these updates.