Buffalo Rising Online

The mock-up is nice, but that will not happen. WCHOB needs to have the center on the side of the hospital for its proximity to existing resources (via bridges). I would doubt that the hospital would be interested in potentially risking the well-being of children in favor of a few storefronts.

Sorry there is a site plan referenced in the article not shown (I will try to get this added) that illustrates a Hodge Street drop off with overhead walkway linked to parking ramp.

Ok - here i go again. Does Elmwood need more store front spaces. Based on the elmwood village website: EV Available Business Locations there are about 30 or so store front that need to be filled. I'm not being negative, but realistic. There should be more of a focus to fill existing stores then worry about creating new store fronts. Yes, down the line this may prove to be successful but on the flip side there will be more vacant space, which would not look good.

The intent was not to glut the market with storefronts. The retail here could contain amenities for both the Community and the Center, a coffee shop for this area, maybe a toy or children's store. Gross sq. footage can be mediated between first floor office and retail giving the chance to create a unique space for Elmwood (wide and shallow with lots of windows ... a dinner maybe.

Quite a few of the vacancies listed on the website on Elmwood are for 2nd floor offices spaces. In addition many of the vacancies are for inferior spaces that are in a house vs. an actual retail storefront.

There really isn't a lot of first floor, handicap accessible vacant store fronts on Elmwood, much of it is 2nd floor space thats been converted or less traditional, less useable space. This would be a very good edition to elmwood. It might even attract some national soft good retailers that would love to be on elmwood but haven't found a way to use 2nd floor space or non handicap accessible space.

I like this idea........

Joshua - you know what is good about extra store front spaces...price. Classic supply and demand, if the number of available spaces exceeds demand, price will change to meet the demand. You could setup a shop and sell your old baseball cards for $100/month rent payments!

building up the hospital on the elmwood side makes sense. but, the new parking ramp idea on Hodge -- where there are now three old and beautiful houses -- does not. according to the rendering, the new ramp would be built next to the old ramp (the City's ramp), which is next to the new massive surface parking lot. you literally would have parking on top of parking in a residential neighborhood. what gives?

hodgepodge i would look at the larger picture in this concept. Yes three older homes are being taken down but unfortunately they are are surrounded by the hospital or other ancillary structures (parking garage). No one likes to live with a 3 story parking garage out your back window and a hospital in front of you. The value on those properties have been dropping and proabbly is a very smart move to sacrifice them for the hospital to expand.

Also look at how Utica is given back to the residential fabric. Probably 10 houses (20 row houses) worth of space there. It would remove that horrid parking lot and plaza that have done nothing but wear away at the values on Utica over the years. Their old renderings and plans called for keeping this whole area parking. This plan calls for keeping some of it (fine..) but the important part is the fact that it is now hidden from the street front. It can be guarded, manicured and quite nice.

This proposal could also do a lot for creating a single place to park for Elmwood businesses in this area as well as the hospital. By putting a ramp on hodge you remove the need for the hospital to keep the city owned ramp providing for relief from what is a constant complaining of parking by suburbanites about Elmwood. the VERY sad truth is there are a lot of people who wont frequent anything on Elmwood because of parking. Now I hate parking, but opening up a ramp / with new signage . lighting and access to Elmwood via a beautiful pedestrian walk. Would really put and end to all those arguments for this area.

The only problem with this idea, was the loss of services building the new ambulatory building on the old one. that there is a gap where they wont have anything and I thought they said that was unacceptable. I would LOVE to be wrong about that because I think this plan is much better for the city than what the hospital is currently proposing.

The hospital allowed those houses to deteriorate to teh point of eyesore (which shows how thoughtful and conscientious a neighbor the hospital has been). They don't need to be razed. This concept is much better than the hospital's plan to build on Hodge.

tonyarmani - interesting perspective. Although, there is already more supply than demand now. So, If I can get rent for $100/mo, I will set up my computer store, hire buffawhat for web design/hardware and someone else for programming and hardware and live there. A heck of a lot cheaper than what I am paying now!

How did you know I used a Travelodge for the model ?

sbrof: those three houses are valuable. heck, my assessment on the same street has skr-rocketed, and there is no doubt that those three could easily be renovated and be assessed at $200k. look at the 2 house on Bryant recently sold by the Hospital which have been renvoated. And, dsack, my friend, the Hospital has announced their plan for the property btwn Hodge/Bryant: yes, that's right, a surface parking lot. what gives?