Mohan seeks moratorium on office buildings

[therising]

Mohan is trying to inflict policy based on things he doesn't understand. He wants to stop the IDA from granting incentives on spec office buildings, until the Town's office space is 95% occupied.

In theory it may sound like a great idea. You know the whole "we don't want vacant buildings" thing. But I challenge Mohan to find ONE substantial office building in Amherst that is currently vacant. There certainly is not a glut of them.

Secondly, he doesn't understand the "build it and they will come" theory. If you wait until every bldg is 95% occupied (how you would measure this is another issue), you would never have room for growth for expanding, or relocating companies.



Mohan seeks moratorium on office buildings

Plan would bar IDA on giving tax breaks

By DAVID ROBINSON
News Business Reporter
5/20/2006
Amherst Supervisor Satish B. Mohan is looking to put a damper on office building construction in the town.

Mohan is proposing a resolution that would bar the Amherst Industrial Development Agency from providing tax breaks to any new office building projects until all of the town's existing office buildings are at least 95 percent occupied.

The proposal from Mohan, who has frequently criticized the Buffalo Niagara region's IDAs for granting tax breaks for new projects that encourage sprawl or add to a glut of vacant existing space, would try to keep the Amherst IDA from adding to the surplus of space by encouraging further construction.

IDA officials reacted indignantly Friday to the proposal, arguing that the Town Board has no legal authority to control the agency's policies and warning that the proposal sends a strong anti-business message.

entire article here

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial...20/1026184.asp

[left wing]

The real problem is vacant retail space, not office space.

[Surface Tension]

You right on that but retail is hard to control! Part of the turnover is from small businesses that open without a good plan and sometimes on a shoe string budget. Also some busness is based on fads or the trends of the moment. The other problem is the larger retail giants who feel the need to plant one of their stores at every major intersection. They are serving a limited population. For example, how many drug stores do we need in a limited geographical area. Look at Harlem/Kensington - Main Steet and the worst of all Transit Rd.

How do you control this? Should you control it?

[NoCtUrNaL]

How do you control this? Should you control it?

Create a level playing field and let the market decide the winners and losers.

[left wing]

Create a level playing field and let the market decide the winners and losers.

The problem with the market controlling it (not that I am against that) is that you end up with a lot of empty stores when one prevails. Like we have now. And we have a lot of empty retail space in this Town - Transit Road, Sheridan, Maple & North Forest, others....

[Greener Pastures]

The problem with the market controlling it (not that I am against that) is that you end up with a lot of empty stores when one prevails. Like we have now. And we have a lot of empty retail space in this Town - Transit Road, Sheridan, Maple & North Forest, others....

Sad but true. Benderson Development, the predominant owner, of most retail plazas in Amherst/Williamsville forced the vacant retail spaces by driving small tenants out with unreasonable rent increases. A small business owner cannot afford to have their rent doubled or more then expect make ends meet.

[WNYresident]

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Mohan is trying to inflict policy based on things he doesn't understand. He wants to stop the IDA from granting incentives on spec office buildings, until the Town's office space is 95% occupied.

Good going Mohan

Is this the reason we have so many vacant buildings on union road is for "specing" in cheektowaga? Don't beleive me? Just drive from like Union and Walden to genesee street.

I even heard rumor they want to knock down the old brand names and put up another strip plaza....or something on that order.

Fill what you have before you take the towns trees away....

[WNYresident]

The problem with the market controlling it (not that I am against that) is that you end up with a lot of empty stores when one prevails. Like we have now. And we have a lot of empty retail space in this Town - Transit Road, Sheridan, Maple & North Forest, others....

Well i guess it's time to knock down the vacant retail shops and put offices there. Why kill a perfect tree?

No one has ever answered me this. If they did I missed it. DO ALL THOSE VACANT RETAIL buildings pay 100% accessed property taxes like the rest of the occupied buildings do?

[NoCtUrNaL]

The problem with the market controlling it (not that I am against that) is that you end up with a lot of empty stores when one prevails. Like we have now. And we have a lot of empty retail space in this Town - Transit Road, Sheridan, Maple & North Forest, others....

Sad but true. Benderson Development, the predominant owner, of most retail plazas in Amherst/Williamsville forced the vacant retail spaces by driving small tenants out with unreasonable rent increases. A small business owner cannot afford to have their rent doubled or more then expect make ends meet.

If that's the case, then all you have to do is look at an empty store while Benderson has to determine how it's going to pay for that empty store, no?

[therising]

Is this the reason we have so many vacant buildings on union road is for "specing" in cheektowaga? Don't beleive me? Just drive from like Union and Walden to genesee street.
y....

No, its not the reason. Those retail projects are NOT tax abated. Go to the ECIDA's website if you don't believe me. They show all projects.

I even heard rumor they want to knock down the old brand names and put up another strip plaza....or something on that order.

Why would you have a problem with someone demolishing a building that may be obsolete, and constructing a new one?

[left wing]

If that's the case, then all you have to do is look at an empty store while Benderson has to determine how it's going to pay for that empty store, no?

Empty stores make the Town look like it is not prosperous. Drive around Buffalo - some areas look like Beirut. I do not know how taxes are calculated for business in terms of property value. But retail space also generates sales taxes, which benefit the Town. And there is no profit from an empty store.

[WNYresident]

No, its not the reason. Those retail projects are NOT tax abated. Go to the ECIDA's website if you don't believe me. They show all projects.



Why would you have a problem with someone demolishing a building that may be obsolete, and constructing a new one?

Because there are 10000's of sqf empty retail space just on union. Do we need more?

Knock the brand names down seeing it's an eye sore being empty.

[therising]

Because there are 10000's of sqf empty retail space just on union. Do we need more?

Knock the brand names down seeing it's an eye sore being empty.

Here's what happened on Union - Benderson sold a lot of their plazas a few years ago; Consumers Square, Dick's Plaza, Top's Plaza.

They held onto some developable pieces, such as the old Auto Zone (or was it Pep Boys?), and a few formerly decrepit looking buildings across the street. Instead of just selling their Plazas, and leaving the area, they decided to continue to develop it.

I really don't see any harm in it. You do?

[LaNdReW]

How about doling out some of that IDA money to the overtaxed residents of Amherst?

[WNYresident]

Here's what happened on Union - Benderson sold a lot of their plazas a few years ago; Consumers Square, Dick's Plaza, Top's Plaza.

They held onto some developable pieces, such as the old Auto Zone (or was it Pep Boys?), and a few formerly decrepit looking buildings across the street. Instead of just selling their Plazas, and leaving the area, they decided to continue to develop it.

I really don't see any harm in it. You do?

Yep.. it's a lot of empty buildings people in the town don't need to drive by. It's odd though with all the building why are taxes still insist on going up in the town every year... I assumed all this business growth they talk about would offset cost increases by the taxes we pay...