BUFFALO | Development Thread - Page 31

mrussell83 · #**601** Posted **Mar 20, 2007, 8:46 PM**

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) -- A construction worker died this morning after he fell more than 30 feet at building renovation site in downtown
Buffalo.

Authorities say Jonathan Fundalinski, 24, of Elma was working at the nearly 120-year-old Webb Building when he fell around 7:45 am. He was transported to Buffalo General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.

Police say he was working on the second floor when he lost his balance and fell into the basement.

Investigators from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration were at the scene.

chevy064 · #**602** Posted **Mar 21, 2007, 6:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrussell83

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) -- A construction worker died this morning after he fell more than 30 feet at building renovation site in downtown
Buffalo.

Authorities say Jonathan Fundalinski, 24, of Elma was working at the nearly 120-year-old Webb Building when he fell around 7:45 am. He was transported to Buffalo General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.

Police say he was working on the second floor when he lost his balance and fell into the basement.

Investigators from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration were at the scene.

THIS IS SAD - I read it in the Buffalo News this morning.

Sounds to me like there were some safety issues going on with missing railings. Things like this should never happen in our modern world of technology and safety requirements.

BUFFALOVE!! · #**603** Posted **Mar 22, 2007, 5:14 AM**

I hope this accident at the Webb Building doesn’t do something to f-up the construction. Its sad that such a young man died but it was an accident, accidents happen. I am just waiting for OSHA to come in and pull the plug on the whole project and that building will sit empty for years to come.

ON A HAPPY NOTE: on buffalorising.com they cover a great article in newsweek mag. it’s about a man that was born and raised in Buffalo and hated it. But now after living all over the country w/ the air force he realized that its TIME TO MOVE BACK TO BUFFALO FROM LAS VEGAS with his family. On the buffalorising page there is a link to the actual article on newsweek. But look at some of the comments below the story buffalorising ran.

http://www.buffalorising.com/story/h...im_heading#sca

Derek · #**604** Posted **Mar 22, 2007, 5:40 AM**

^i like your name BUFFALOVE

mrussell83 · #**605** Posted **Mar 22, 2007, 2:52 PM**

OSHA and Buffalo's police and fire departments are investigating. The city's Commissioner of Permits and Inspection sent an inspector to the site Wednesday.

"He reported back to me about 11 o'clock today - that everything was in order, that the things he inspected for were safety-related issues. That he made sure that all the railings were up around the openings. All the shafts were enclosed, and all of the normal safety features were in place," said Richard Tobe, Commissioner of Economic Development, Permits and Inspections for the city.

Tobe says the inspector found all of the railings in the same place they were during the last inspection, which occurred within the past two weeks. Tobe also says the building was unstable. That's why Jonathan's employer, David Burke Construction, had to get approval for its plan to stabilize it with cables and girders.

"They had to demonstrate to us that they were doing that safely and that the results were sufficient," Tobe said.

Downtown Bolivar · #**606** Posted **Mar 26, 2007, 4:26 AM**

Well I'm going to broach the subject which I'm sure is on everyone's mind here on the Buffalo thread. Things are not looking good for the mayor, Rocco Termini, or the Webb Building at this point. When the FBI decides to get involved, it probably means that things haven't been done above board.

This begs the question though. Have things gotten so bad in the city that the only way for developers to move something forward through the permitting process is greasing the wheel? Does Issa even stand a chance in such a climate?

I'm not pushing the panic button here and I don't want to blow things out of proportion, but this is an embarrassment at the very least.

I'm really interested to hear what's on people's minds.

By the way, the aqua colored international style facade of Healthnow didn't do anything to snap me out of my bad mood either. What were they thinking?

westcoastperspective · #**607** Posted **Mar 26, 2007, 1:19 PM**

Breaking News: Developers Have Influence at City Hall

Shocking- hardly. Favors and pressure for the 'connected' happen on a daily basis- I could tell you stories about what happens in the county that I work in- developers rule the roost out here as we're the fastest growing county in California. A $9000 campaign contribution isn't much grease for a wheel.

I say let the investigations find out if anything illegal was done at Webb. If anything, this makes the administration look bad, not so much Rocco. Now if rules were bent and safety was compromised, thats another story.

Rocco produces, and in my book, that counts for something. If Issa moves forward, the city will be tripping over themselves to get it built. It needs the tax revenue.

BUFFALOVE!! · #**608** Posted **Mar 26, 2007, 7:00 PM**

They just need to get this investigation crap over with quickly. I have a feeling it will be drawn out for a long time while a beautiful building that was being remodeled will sit to rot. Investigate, pay the fine and move on with the renovation. And if people were shocked that Rocco was getting special treatment for giving a campaign contribution then you are pretty naive. It happens all the time.

And speaking of Issa its been really quiet recently. Any news on the Statler renovation or the Tower developments?

homestar · #**609** Posted **Mar 27, 2007, 1:25 AM**

Warehouse rehab project moves forward

Plans by a local development group to bring new life to a vacant Ellicott Street warehouse cleared a major hurdle.

The Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency closed on a $2 million loan Monday afternoon from its Livable Communities Loan Fund to 210 Ellicott Holdings LLC - key funds needed for the renovation of the former Seneca Paper building into a mixed-use facility that will include residential and commercial space.

210 Ellicott Holdings, a group led by Buffalo architect Jake Schneider, have been working in the building since January.

The seven-story, circa 1913 warehouse, has been empty for the better part of a decade.

Schneider plans to house about 8,000-square-feet of office space on the building's second floor and renovate the remaining floors into 30 market rate apartments. Two neighboring vacant lots are being transformed into a gated and landscaped parking lot.

"This project is taking a long vacant building and transforming it into lofts and office space, which will further strengthen downtown Buffalo's appeal as a 24/7 destination," said Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown.

http://buffalo.bizjournals.com/buffa...6/daily14.html

homestar · #**610** Posted **Mar 27, 2007, 1:27 AM**

NFTA sells property

A large swath of former railroad right-of-way land that cuts through North Buffalo is about to open up for possible development purposes.

In a deal that's been in the works for the past few months, the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority has agreed to sell 26 acres of vacant land to the Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency -- one of the city's primary economic development arms -- for $130,000. The city will then market the property to would-be developers, with some already expressing interest in the land.

The deal was formally approved by the NFTA commissioners Monday afternoon.

The property runs from near Shoshone Park to Kenmore Avenue with a leg that veers west towards Starin Avenue and almost parallels St. Lawrence Avenue. The NFTA had acquired the land with the eye towards extending Metro Rail or other service that would have feed directly into the Metro Rail line.

The deal does come with one footnote.

"If it is not sold or developed within the next five years, it will revert back to us," said Gregory Stamm, NFTA chairman.

With at least one developer already talking to the city about a mixed-use residential project along significant portions of the land, that scenario is not likely to happen.

...

Full: http://buffalo.bizjournals.com/buffa...6/daily10.html

Rue B · #**611** Posted **Mar 27, 2007, 1:35 AM**

City allows renovation work to resume at Webb Building
Developer pays fee; bank admits error
By Sharon Linstedt
Updated: 03/26/07 12:40 PM

The City of Buffalo rescinded its "stop work" order at the Webb Building in downtown Buffalo this morning, allowing work to resume at the site of last week's fatal construction accident.

Peter Cutler, spokesman for Mayor Byron W. Brown, confirmed the city lifted the stop work order that was issued Friday afternoon after the developer's permit fee check bounced. Rocco Termini's bank took the blame for the payment mix-up later that day, but city officials wanted more time to review the situation before lifting the order.

While the city edict was not tied to physical conditions at the 119-year-old building which is undergoing a $9.2 million conversion to apartments and a daycare center building inspectors visited the site shortly after 9 a.m. today.

Cutler said inspectors found no violations related to the permit, allowing work to restart.

Termini said construction crews probably won't return to 90 Pearl Street until Tuesday morning, when they can put in a full day of work.

Richard Tobe, the city's commissioner of economic development said the order was issued after the city learned the developer's $3,410 permit fee check, dated March 19, had bounced.

And while Termini immediately produced documents showing it was a bank error, along with a certified replacement check, Tobe said the events unfolded too late in the day on Friday to make an informed decision.

"Technically, I could have lifted the 'stop work' order, but I decided to sort it out [today] when I could meet with staff and make sure everything is as it should be," Tobe said.

The commissioner also said the review gave the city a fresh opportunity to have a building inspector make a site visit.

"We always want to be sure the work being done complies with the permit, but obviously this situation calls for extra care," Tobe added.

The death last Tuesday of 24-year-old construction worker Jonathan Fundalinski following a 30-foot fall in the Webb Building has raised questions about the crew's safety practices, as well as questions about the city's building permit procedures.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration is continuing its probe of how Fundalinski fell from the building's second floor to the basement. Meanwhile, the FBI and Erie County district attorney's office have initiated investigations into whether criminal negligence played a role in the fatal fall.

The investigations are expected to focus on whether Deputy Mayor Steven M. Casey interfered with inspector efforts to shut the project down for lack of permits in late February. The $9.2 million building renovation project got under way in early January after the city issued a permit for asbestos removal and related stabilization.

On Feb. 23, inspector Peter Kleman attempted to halt the project after determining the work exceeded the scope of the initial permit, enlisting the help of Buffalo police officers. Kleman claims when the responding police officer phoned the mayor's office to find out how to proceed, Casey took the call, waved off police and suggested Termini come to City Hall to resolve the permit stand-off.

Brown has denied claims Casey did anything improper. The mayor said Casey was "trying to avert a confrontation on the streets that had potential to escalate."

The mayor and Tobe both contend Casey didn't interfere with enforcement of a "stop work" order in February because the order was never officially issued.

The work-halting edict issued Friday relates to one of the permits that was approved following that City Hall meeting. Tobe said while the content of the permit is not at issue, the bounced check caused it to be null and void.

Termini provided The Buffalo News with a copy of a letter from the Bank of America he delivered to Tobe late Friday. In the correspondence, Anne L. Schule, the manager of the bank's Fountain Plaza office, states, "The funds in Mr. Termini's business account were in fact available, but a bank hold was placed in error."

The bank provided Termini with a certified check, which was presented to the city on Friday.

Tobe also said the city is penalizing Termini $500 a day for failing to pick up the permit after it was approved.

"There was verbal agreement they qualified for the permit, but they didn't pick it up and didn't pay for it, so we have concluded they were working without a permit," Tobe said.

The fine, which totals $12,500, covers the 25-day period from Feb. 22 through March 18.

http://www.buffalonews.com/258/story/40138.html

Cyburbia · #**612** Posted **Mar 27, 2007, 12:25 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Downtown Bolivar

This begs the question though. Have things gotten so bad in the city that the only way for developers to move something forward through the permitting process is greasing the wheel? Does Issa even stand a chance in such a climate

The one thing that strikes me about the development process in Buffalo is that it seems so ... well, unorganized and unpredictable compared to other American cities. Most have a very predictable planning and development review process; pre-application, in-house development review with a fixed calendar of what step of the processes to be done on what day, Planning Commission, and then the municipal legislative body if a rezoning or PUD is involved.

The British planning process is much different than that of the US/Canada/Australia/New Zealand, but it too is predictable; it's quite uniform across the country. Still, it won't be Issa himself taking his tower through the process; it'll be a consultant. In Buffalo, though, he'll probably have to get his hands a bit dirtier than if he proposed his tower in ... oh, Denver.

The development scene in Buffalo has so few players; nobody with national prominence, and only a few locals whose names seem to keep coming up over and over again. If the city wants to attract the attention of national developers, they need to start by cleaning up their review process.

homestar · #**613** Posted **Mar 27, 2007, 1:44 PM**

Possibly. But on the other hand, Issa's project is so huge for Buffalo that I think the city will make more of an effort to make sure it doesn't get lost in red tape like smaller projects might.

Downtown Bolivar · #**614** Posted **Mar 27, 2007, 1:55 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyburbia

The one thing that strikes me about the development process in Buffalo is that it seems so ... well, unorganized and unpredictable compared to other American cities. Most have a very predictable planning and development review process; pre-application, in-house development review with a fixed calendar of what step of the processes to be done on what day, Planning Commission, and then the municipal legislative body if a rezoning or PUD is involved.

The British planning process is much different than that of the US/Canada/Australia/New Zealand, but it too is predictable; it's quite uniform across the country. Still, it won't be Issa himself taking his tower through the process; it'll be a consultant. In Buffalo, though, he'll probably have to get his hands a bit dirtier than if he proposed his tower in ... oh, Denver.

The development scene in Buffalo has so few players; nobody with national prominence, and only a few locals whose names seem to keep coming up over and over again. If the city wants to attract the attention of national developers, they need to start by cleaning up their review process.

That is my point exactly. Developing in Buffalo is an extraordinarily arcane process that is highly unpredictable unless you have friends in high places. The presence of an FBI investigation suggests this is so. This scares away national players.

Jasonhouse · #**615** Posted **Mar 27, 2007, 6:09 PM**

People who insist on hijacking this thread will soon find themselves unable to post... And I don't care who it is doing it... I didn't spend hours and hours building this forum for people to fuck it up.

westcoastperspective · #**616** Posted **Mar 27, 2007, 9:51 PM**

Hijacking? Huh?

Development news has been slow...but with Spring coming, let's hope for some ground-breakings. News on Waterfront Place tomorrow on BRising, and some nice images of Warehouse Lofts too. Frustrating sneak peak: