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In Part 1 of this series, Newell Nussbaumer gets a slice of the history of Johnson Park from Marilyn Rodgers of the West Village Renaissance Group, and brings in developer Mike Hananel of Horizon Realty, who discusses why his LA real estate company thought Buffalo was a perfect fit. Mike is an example of an outside investor who far from being an absentee landlord, has become a partner invested in the community, not just the buildings he rents. Overcoming what some said could never be done, in one year he helped turn 49 Johnson Place from one of the West Side's most blighted properties into a fully-occupied building, complete with students and professionals. Now his company is reaching into other neighborhoods and working to expand growing neighborhoods, and bringing new investors with him.
In Part 2, we see the challenges Mike faced, including a full S.W.A.T. raid on the property two days after purchase, and a mental climate where it was believed nothing could be done. Get first-hand examples of some of the issues involved in redeveloping the property, with Roger's observations on how Horizon has managed.