As you can see, the condo tower is coming up quickly and the first fewtownhomes are pretty much done at Waterfront Place.

An update on whats going on with the 20-year planning process of Paladino’s ‘50 Court’ in today’s Buffalo News

Someday, somehow this will get built. Obviously I want to see a 10-story building occupy a surface lot near city hall instead of a parking ramp for an underused office-tower owned by someone who couldn’t care less about Buffalo (Hotung) but it is clearly a symbol of the days in which City Hall let Paladino do whatever he wanted to do even if it meant some suspicious dealings (Hotung paid over a million for this site. Paladino…a dollar?).

The Dulski building is moving quickly and now they’ll occupy the first 7 floors and will share space with a 1st floor restaurant.

Visualizing this area of Downtown in 2, 3, 4 years is a pretty nice visualization I must say.

Walking up Washington Street, I saw some people in street clothes casually walking into the AM&A’s building. A double take was much necessary on my part. Turns out there were about a dozen people hauling out all sorts of random furniture arrangements from what remains of “Taylor’s”.

Does this mean that the rehab into apartments is imminent? Probably not. But the fact that New Horizons has bothered to stabalize the building a bit and now pretty much gut out the inside makes one think that they are serious about it…as slow as they might be.

UPDATE: So much for that… turns out that the materials being removed were what Taylor was supposed to have out before selling the building. No redevelopment plans have submitted to City Hall either. However, New Horizons has brought on another developer as a consultant though. (Info courtesy of WCP)

Waterfront Place is really coming along quickly. The townhomes are about done and bones of the condo tower are taking shape.

Rumors of a third tower after this one is finished. If so…you gotta belive/hope that there is finally some sort of retail component and overall urban design elements that make this place not be so anti-social. I feel genuinely uncomfortable walking here…as if I’m intruding on their god-granted wish for privacy/exlucivity.

That’s the gist of today’s front page article in the Buffalo News about all the good news happening downtown lately and in the future.

An article like this helps certify the fact that I am indeed not insane for believing in what is happening and what is in store for downtown Buffalo.

Even since I’ve come back here in the Summer of 2005, I’ve seen some serious although modest private sector investment consistently. Its beginning to snowball though. The small rehab project here and there is turning into block of rehabs (500 Main, Genesee Village), big rehabs (Statler, AM&A’s) with surface lots becoming office towers (285 Delaware, BCBS, City Tower, 50 Court), with the public sector finally getting serious and making sure things like the Courthouse and the Inner Harbor and the Peace Bridge actaully happen.

It’s good to know that sooner rather than later-Downtown Buffalo will be a place that the region can get excited about. Maybe it’ll put Sandy Beach out of a job? Maybe.

One of those rehab projects downtown that really makes you feel the tide turning. Its quite the good feeling to walk up Pearl Street with a spruced up/full of life Webb Building. Boy was there drama and even a life lost but Termini didn’t turn out to be a corrupt evil man afterall. In fact he’s quite awesome for his devotion to making downtown a place to live. His next project will be his most important one yet- 500 Block of Main!

Look at any Buffalo skyline picture in 1971. Look at one from 2001. Tell me if you see a difference. Key Towers? Check. Goldome? Check. Three modest additions since the Marine Midland Tower was up and running over the course of 35 years.

But what about 2011?

All of a sudden things are popping up.

The Federal Courthouse officially began construction today…

The Seneca’s unveiled their 22-story luxury hotel to be completed in 2010

The newest condo tower at Waterfront Place is under construction…

Usually forgotten in the mix is Paladino’s 50 Court. Which is apparently only being held back by a lawsuit by the Paul Hotung of the Liberty Group who wants and feels that legally-he should have the priority to that spot for a parking garage. Hopefully Paladino wins.

Of course, Issa’s “City Tower” which could see construction begin in 2009 depending on how Bashar is doing in regard to getting tennants.

And then way up town 33 Gates Circle after imminent years of lawsuit time could go up once all the old people against it die. (5-10 years?)

If all these projects occur-all of a sudden there will be a rush of new building stock in the city of Buffalo within about 5 years of each other after three decades of stagnation.

Not bad.

About a month ago my friends and I drove up Washington Street and I saw those infamous orange “Saperston” signs on the Icon.

A month later I see that the Buffalo Icon really is closing. In fact, the last show is tomorrow night.

391 Ellicott is a crappy old building. Pretty seedy looking in fact, especially being next to the Genesee Block.

The sound system was mediocre, it pissed off a lot of musical acts I saw.

But at the end of the day kids absolutely loved this place. And like a great song, it became a part of a lot of kids from the area.

I’ll miss it, and I’m really thankful I got to see the bands I saw there and have the memories I have from there in the couple of years I’ve been able to enjoy its seedy, quirky charm.

*Photo of This Day and Age @ the Buffalo Icon. March 7, 2006.

As someone who mostly experiences downtown by foot, with a little bit of light-rail mixed in…a mixed-use rehab on Main Street is more important to me than an office building on Court Street.

So my wishes are granted.

The loft front has been a bit quiet lately. The Webb and Warehouse lofts are almost done, Cobblestone should be underconstruction next spring, and the Fairmont Creamery is being gutted-but outside of that, slim pickins.

Yeah it is great to see some affordable lofts coming in anywhere downtown but this is one of the most important locations possible. Most of the loft projects are scatterd and isolated but this loft project can help create density and connect with the most concentrated downtown neighborhood that is located in/around the Theatre District. Not to mention its right accross from the Bellasario. With a residential density like that, we have a better chance at getting some respectable retail around.

Can not wait to see this project completed.

*Photos courtesy BuffaloRising