Results 1 to 9 of 9

Thread: End of Amhersts sprawl in News today, good for light rail extension & existing owners

  1. #1
    Unregistered
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Posts
    2,646

    End of Amhersts sprawl in News today, good for light rail extension & existing owners

    End of Amhersts sprawl in News today, good for light rail extension & existing owners

    "The town’s comprehensive plan, adopted earlier this year, moves away from a “suburbanization” model that encourages the development of open land to a conservation model that protects remaining green space and encourages redevelopment of older, commercial parts of town, said Amherst Planning Director Eric Gillert.

    According to a Buffalo News mapping analysis of Amherst parcels, the town has fewer than 10 developable greenfield parcels with 50 or more contiguous acres — mostly to the north and developer-owned. While other large plots exist, most have been reserved for public recreational purposes or are located in the farming district."

    “Generally speaking, you’d be forced to look at redevelopment,” said Eric Recoon, vice president with Benderson Development Co. “Redevelopment opportunities are still not abundant but are more abundant than land opportunities.”

    I knew many people were on Sheridan and Niagara Falls Boulevard and Main Street that were sweating as Amherst continued to sprawl thinking their neighborhoods would follow Niagara Street, River Road and Military in decay, declinging property values, exodus of business.

    But now it looks like the older sections of Amherst and adjacent areas of Tonawanda, Kenmore, Eggertsville may get a reprieve and will need to concern themselves more with higher density development encroaching in their existing neighborhood. Higher density development is perfect to support the light rail extension.

    I CAN ONLY SAY THIS...IF ONE LOOKS AT UB SOUTH CAMPUS, UB NORTH CAMPUS AND BUFFALO STATE...ITS DIFFICULT NOT TO COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT MULTUPLE 20-30 STORY CONDO TOWERS WOULDNT SELL OUT QUICKLY (ESPECIALLY TO ALL THOSE DOWNSTATE COLLEGE STUDENTS).

    The love that this city has with 1 and 2 story colonial type rental properties is just....insanity! The few growth areas that Buffalo has and instead of building high density so there is room for future growth for decades...we immediately fill it with low density so that its completely built out and future growth is exponentially harder.

    UB building all those townhomes in Amherst now made future growth exponentially harder.

    But atleast developers are getting the religion of higher density development and infill redevelopment....and thats going to be very good for existing homeowners and a light rail extension.

  2. #2
    Member sharky's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Amherst
    Posts
    2,183
    UB's building those 3 story apartment buildings because they can charge a ton more for them than regular dorm rooms
    they really need to build some 3-4 level parking ramps

    it's good that Amherst is going to try to get people back into the empty plazas instead of building new ones way out from town
    Vote for freedom, not political parties.
    Politicians need to cut spending

  3. #3
    Member
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Amherst
    Posts
    6,426
    I'm wondering where the developers will go next in search of open space to build on.

    Lancaster would be my bet.

  4. #4
    Unregistered
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Posts
    2,646

    Your right...as I predicted growth in the Buffalo Metro is going to move east & south

    Your right...as I predicted growth in the Buffalo Metro is going to move east & south.

    But the immediate impact of this is in my opinion..I think your going to see more multi-story office buildings on Maple, Sheridan, Main, Niagara Falls Blvd, Transit, Millersport Highway, Bailey, etc.

    There is going to be a struggle in my opinion to convert more of this uncompetitive retail space to office space

    There is also going to be a struggle to add more multi-story condos and multi-story apartments and even demolish/rebuilds in struggling neighborhoods.

    This is really going to help keep property values stable and without it many retail, office, and residential areas would be at risk and unstable.

  5. #5
    Member Achbek1's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Inner ring suburbs.
    Posts
    4,207
    I do agree that there are areas of Amherst that need to be redeveloped for use that is different from their original use. The vacant plazas along Sheridan and NFB, as we have said before, could be torn down and redeveloped as offices, student housing, green space... Something.

    Remember, years ago the Crawford Plaza was a school. It was torn down to create the Freddy's plaza. Looking back, that's when the Hills store was there and was very successful, the developers probably wanted to piggy-back off of that...

    But Hills (and Ames) was successful before Wal Mart and (possiblt the bigger threat) Target came into the area... Now you see spillover development around the Amhrst NFB Target rather than on Sheridan...

    Remember, businesses like to open next to other successful businesses.
    I'm just here to make people laugh. And to confuse people. Oh, and to irritate people.

  6. #6
    Unregistered
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    On the edge of the SUWNY "penalty box."
    Posts
    9,372
    What green space? Too little, too late.

  7. #7
    Tony Fracasso - Admin
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Buffalo, New York, United States
    Posts
    64,948
    Quote Originally Posted by atotaltotalfan2001
    I'm wondering where the developers will go next in search of open space to build on.

    Lancaster would be my bet.
    The area isn't growing so it seems silly to just shuffle businesses around while playing the "incentive" game.

  8. #8
    Townsfolk
    Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by atotaltotalfan2001
    I'm wondering where the developers will go next in search of open space to build on.

    Lancaster would be my bet.
    They are already in Lancaster; Roseland Park, Summerfield Farms, Pleasant Meadows just to name a few. Akron/Newstead and Alden are upcoming towns ripe for development.

  9. #9
    Member
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Amherst
    Posts
    6,426
    Quote Originally Posted by Townsfolk
    They are already in Lancaster; Roseland Park, Summerfield Farms, Pleasant Meadows just to name a few. Akron/Newstead and Alden are upcoming towns ripe for development.
    Less, I think you are right. Mostly they'll bypass Clarence. That town is pretty serious about limiting growth.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. Replies: 0
    Last Post: October 11th, 2006, 07:27 PM
  2. Good News for those who think Bush is doing a fine job!
    By tomac in forum USA Politics and Our Economy - President Joe Biden
    Replies: 24
    Last Post: September 15th, 2006, 03:25 AM
  3. Good News for Biker - Highways Privatized!
    By tomac in forum USA Politics and Our Economy - President Joe Biden
    Replies: 23
    Last Post: July 18th, 2006, 11:37 AM
  4. Local News Stations are a bore
    By BuffaloEMT14216 in forum Morning Breakfast - Breaking News
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: April 30th, 2006, 11:54 AM
  5. Just some of the recent typical news headlines. "Business as usual".
    By avet in forum Morning Breakfast - Breaking News
    Replies: 15
    Last Post: April 16th, 2006, 02:01 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •