Buffalo Rising Online

They can drive... its what Buffaloanians do... : )

Interesting project - is it being geared toward students because of property taxes like Kensington Village in Cheektowaga?

Windows are too small. Bigger windows please.

So, because nothing "fun" is around it, it won't work? Look at the Elk Terminal. It works well. In the article, it states that the project is open to everyone, not just students. Remember that density breeds development. This is a start toward that goal.

This is great idea. Students will eat it up. Although is isn't in the heart of chippewa it does bring the students much closer to the night life than they would be living in their suburban homes with their parents. It will give ECC more of a "college atmosphere" My one concern is safety. If i were the father of an 18 year old daughter I would definitely not be crazy about her living that close to east side housing projects. There will need to be 24/7 securuity for that building and a safe, nearby, well lit place to park. Concerns considered, I still feel it is a worth while project that will be sucessful.

I agree with CK just because it is dead now doesn't mean that this project won't bring others into the area to put in more developments. Students also have good legs they can walk the whole 3 blocks to places of interest or if they lucky enough to own a car drive those three blocks

It's plenty close to ECC. It's right across the street from the safety campus building and a whole block or two away from the athletic center. I'd hardly call this the east side. Sure it's on the edge of downtown right now, but if ECC does expand this will be a prime location for apartments.

The molding on this building won’t be enough for students to stay and pay $950 for a two bedroom apt. You could pretty much stay at the holling place for near the same price and get twice the apt. All im saying is that they need to re think the wallets of ecc parents. Most of them stay home to save money and I doubt this building will have as much attraction at the university rates. While it will be a good introduction towards downtown, it just seems like a broken reality from the start. The 4 bedroom is the only real deal. It would be a wild building.

I call BS to the premise that this project "will be geared towards students."

Somehow I don't see ECC students renting $900-$1400 luxury apartments-- especially not 18-25 year olds who still live with their parents in the suburbs...not exactly a prime demographic for this. There is a damn good reason so many commuter students live with their parents-- paying tuition (not everyone's parents can pay their tuition for them) and car payments leave little money left for anything else, much less high rent on a luxury apartment.

We have to take the comment about this location's relative isolation in account too. It's pretty much a desert, there's little to walk to except ECC (I just established above that most community college students can't afford luxury "lofts"). To put the block in proper context, there is a lot of ugliness and desolation in the immediate area.

I'm not completely trashing this project, I think it will happen and the units will definitely rent, just not to ECC students as developer is dishonestly states. Which brings up my next question....

What sort of subsidy is Regent getting for this project? I just know there HAS to be some sort of handout involved...I'm thinking the "will be geared towards students" ruse is an excuse to get a hefty chunk of pubic financing for this.

I dunno, I can't be too excited about this. There are WAY MORE EXCITING parts of the city to live in for half that rent. IMHO, an office conversion would be a better use for this building.

I think it isn't out of the question that two students could share a two bedroom apartment for a much more reasonable $475 per month. Also, for anyone who is used to doing any walking at all, this building is not located in a desert.

I say full speed ahead and good luck. Just to the east of there are subsidized, but very nice brand new town homes and new builds. I've walked the streets numerous times and don't nead lectures about all the "sensational dangers" that exist in that location. Adding people to the street and area will only make it safer with more eyes around.

I could care less who rents it. Be it public safety workers/ECC students or faculty, or someone who wants to commute to the 'burbs. If it fills it is a win, plus reusing an existing building.

Sometimes its hard to understand why everyone needs to rain on the parade.

Yes, it's a bit off the beaten path downtown but if the proposed coversion of the former spaghetti warehouse ever happens there could be the begining of a critical mass. And let's be honest, Main is only a short 2 block walk away. The real selling point of this project would be the awesome views of the skyline. That's why they need bigger windows and balconies.

No, critical mass is more like 6 consecutive blocked fully lined with occupied buildings, with very few to NO surface parking lots chopping the street fabric into a million little bits.

Until the Buffalo area experiences significant population and job growth, the construction to make this happen downtown will not happen. Still being in the decline bracket, we're just shifting chairs around the deck of a sinking ship.

Let's not forget that it also puts more people in convenient walking distance of Metro Rail. So they can go drink on Chippewa without getting behind the wheel and putting anyone's life in danger.

Dude is right about overall population loss, but if this is more evidence of population

Whoops, bumped my mouse and somehow sent this before finishing.

I'll try again: Dude is right about countywide population loss, but if this development is more evidence of population shifing to the urban center, I'm all for it. Nobody cared when the 'burbs gained population at Buffalo's expense. So if Buffalo is now gaining (hey, I can dream) at the expense of the 'burbs, I'm not wringing my hands, either.

maybe with any luck we'll get a group of closed minded anti development liberals to try to stop this project too! lol

Misterchips,

1. Metro Rail is no good for Chippewa boozers when the damn thing shuts down at 1am on weekend evenings. And I doubt very many people are going to make residential choices based on being able to ride a train a few blocks for the few occasions they get plastered each month

2. I'd like to see some stats to back up your assertion that the city is gaining population or if there is indeed a significant population shift form the suburbs back into the city.

I alays wonder how expensive it would be for the NFTA to run one train an hour for the 4 hours it is closed.

2am - 3am - 4am - 5am and then it starts its normal shifts about 6am. Anyone from NFTA out there listening? costs? We are not asking for good late night service just get people the option, and if you knew the train was one the hour every hour, even a drunk person can schedule that in.

but back on topic any developments like this are only positive for the city. This is one less building to be embarassed of, one less eye soar, 80 new units, hundreds of new people, win win win win win...

I can think of no better incentive for kids to study and pass their midterms than to look out at the South Division Projects or the...shacks along Swan.

Dude,

1. Stupid that Metro Rail shuts down so early.

2. No stats, just anecdotal evidence and wishful thinking, which I freely own up to.

As noted above, those shacks are gone. Swan and S Division are lined with new builds of single family homes and town houses all the way to Jefferson. But hey.....why bother with reality?

So there is a bit lacking in between this and anything else but if anyone watched cannon designs preliminary studies about the city you should consider that this will give people reasons to put things up in between the new building and the rest of the downtown core. great project

As a student who doesn't go to ECC.. but knows many who do I can't help but wonder why these units wouldn't sell? Ignoring the fact that they offer campus like apartment settings... ( multiple bedrooms = lower rent) but I can't count the number of students I know from out of the immediate area who piggy back on ECC to a higher education institution. I think this would be much more of a give-in.. if the expansion ( desperatly needed) took place as well