Benderson is trying hard to make sure they can go ahead with their lifestyle center on Maple where the former shooting range is today next to the Pepsi Center.

There are plenty of issues here…Amherst is already pretty developed-could afford to keep some open spaces, Amherst is more than well represented in terms of retail options and facilities, and Amherst is already starting to face some suburban decay as its inner ring starts to deteriorate.

I’m not sure what the chances are of stopping this project but I think its an inevitable look into the evolution of surburban design-specifically for shopping.

The very American concept of the shopping mall is starting to lose its flair as cities become sterilized and attractive to the middle and upper classes who cities have tried so hard to get back for so long. Because of this trend, developers are seeing the need to develop urbanized projects in suburbs.

The Maple Road project by Benderson would be a very town-village type place with mixed use and self-sustaining.

Its also a great location. Right next to UB and close access to the wealthier parts of Amherst.

And with this project will come the complete and utter demise of inner-Amherst, potentially falling into the same categories that made Buffalo so unappealing to many. Boulevard Mall will struggle to maintain its success since most retailers would much prefer to be even closer to 27,000 UB students, wealthier portions of the area, and the swankiest and newest shopping center in town.

It won’t happen overnight but look no further than the lack of interest in shopping plazas around Bailey and Sheridan and Eggert near the Boulevard Mall and realize that this decay will continue to slowly crawl until a bit before UB.

Development is cold and rational, and this is a good project that in an economic market like Buffalo-Niagara region will hurt some successful areas but will be applauded for its fake urban-village design that makes for a pleasant, sterile ‘urban’ experience.

Overall I think its a good project-it would be nice to see suburban Buffalo breakaway from the Post WWII standard suburban concepts of design…its’ just unfortunate to know that their success will be at the expense of well developed and long established areas. But so goes life in the Buffalo area.

The topic of Light Rail expansion always leads into passionate debate and then ends with the honest realization that there is no money or leadership available to push for it.

Since realizing Amherst wants no part of light rail- the NFTA has its hopes on one day being able to have a downtown-airport line. Needless to say if that was to ever happen it would probably have to go trough a lot of red tape in typical Buffalo fashion.

But what about a potentially cheaper compromise?

A Dick Road-Exchange Street express via Amtrak. The rail infrastructure is not only there but in use. Maybe one passenger car going back and forth from 8am-10pm on the half hour during peak times and then by the hour later on?

I can’t imagine it would be that expensive to operate. Cheektowaga is a pretty dense suburb, perhaps they wouldn’t mind having a ‘traffic’-free, easy commute to work and back everyday. Going to a Sabres game? Its a two-block walk from the station to the arena or just cross the street and take the LRRT one station over. Have a mini-shuttle that loops from the train station to the Galleria to the Airport and back to the train station. Then again-the Galleria has a tough history with public transport so maybe just a mini-shuttle from the train to the airport that is free with your train ticket.

Any realization of expanding rail service in America outside of the Boston-DC corridor is a tough sell, Buffalo especially…but in this case it could be seen as a rational and relatively cheap alternative to the process of having a LRRT expansion.

For as long as I’ve been riding the light rail-the advertising has consisted of plugging bus routes and HIV awareness-this is not a good sign in regards to the marketability and profitability of Buffalo’s light rail.

But hark! Private sector advertising!

Perhaps a good sign in regards to the rising usage of our light-rail system. Or some sweetheart exclusive ad deal with TimeWarner.

I hate that they use green but other than that the font styles are a real good 1800’s-industrial look, the glass photographs look real good too…although these interpretations sounded really tacky and cluttered when discussed I think they are starting to come together and make good sense as a whole as this project. If significant retail ever becomes a reality I think this will be quite the urban retail experience…even better than Baltimore’s (?)

In case you haven’t noticed over the years, this whole Mississippi St. project has been my most favorite development project since coming back to Buffalo. That doesn’t mean I’m telling people its anything as good as Toronto’s Distillery District like some other people are-in fact its nowhere close nor will it ever be. Regardless-it is a nice feeling to see the final and most prominent piece of the project come together at breakneck speed after being delayed for seemingly way too long.

PS. Its 2008. Can we bury all our electrical wires now plzthx.

Article in the Buffalo Biz Journal about Artspace. Nothing groundbreaking but its just nice to read about a previously terrible part of Main Street starting to become something good. Artspace might not be the cure for our economic ails but projects like this really help out the urban fabric.

While we’re talking about things I hate…

I do hate Hollister clothing but that’s not the point. Every time I come back to Buffalo I’m overwhelmed by the amount of people in the 14-30 year range wear this crap (why wear fake cali-surf-culture clothing when you’ve lived in Tonawanda your whole life?)…and it is nowhere nearly as worn around in the DC area or most places honestly.

And then my friend who just started working at the Galleria Hollister told me the CEO calls the store frequently to tell them to keep up the good work and how they are their best performing store in the nation.

So it really wasn’t my imagination…something about cheaper versions of Abercrombie clothing is very special to the youth of the Buffalo-Niagara region. As always-feel free to shed light on why this is the case.

I just watched a 2-part Family Guy tonight. And all i have to say is that Family Guy is to comedy as what Andy Warhol is to art.

That was painfully unoriginal. All that dependency on pop culture/catch phrases/celebrities/ad campaigns to make anything slightly amusing…I don’t understand why so many people love that show.

Feel free to explain.

In the Canal Side project, we’ve heard on occasion about the weird scoreboard-type objectthat was under-construction and then was ordered to stop being constructed until being allowed a chance to see the final product before deciding whether or not to take it down.

I’ve a had a bad feeling about what it will look like but I came across the image today and it actually looks pretty good. Whether or not the good design transpires onto every-day real world circumstances remains to be seen but I think the ECHDC made the right call to wait to see the final product.

Paid $250,000, might as well keep it.

Well at least Tor-Buf Wings…

My roomate wanted to order some food from Duffs and I recommended their beef on weck-one issue-the beef on weck wasn’t on the menu…??!?

Noticing that the menu is a bit pricer than I remembered, I clicked on “Locations” and saw two maps of different locales in downtown Toronto

and then an ‘oh btw’ of the original on Sheridan.

Apparently Duff’s franchised out to Toronto in 1998 and just recently opened a second location. Anyone else knew this? Completely caught me off guard.

And by the way…do Torontonians not want to experience beef on weck? Come on…