I just got the chance to ask Adam Schefter directly about Dwan Edwards and according to the ESPN Insider, he reported that Edwards has reached an agreement with the Bills but has not signed a contract. Given how often he breaks transactions in the league it’s not far-fetched for some reporters and websites to misuse [...]
LITTLE VALLEY -- Resolutions to dissolve villages in Randolph, East Randolph and Perrysburg were approved overwhelmingly in voting today.
The case involving an Elmira woman accused of killing her 21-month-old stepson is headed to Chemung County Court. The boy was born in Batavia.
Several years from now, when the old Aud site is still a flat concrete wasteland, we’ll look back to March 16th as the day the Canal Side scheme fell apart.
Today, the Common Council of the City of Buffalo decided beggars can be choosers. They decided they’d rather have theoretical good paying jobs that don’t exist, rather than lower paying jobs that do exist. They made this decision on behalf of the public, many of whom I’m sure don’t share their sentiment, the rent being due and all.
Today the Common Council adopted a number of requirements, lobbied for by various small advocacy groups that have the hubris to presume they speak for the public at large, that will scuttle the Canal Side development. Some of those requirements are laudable and reasonable – green building initiatives for example. But one particular requirement, that businesses larger than 20 employees pay a “living wage” – a completely unrealistic number not paid by retail establishments anywhere in the country, will be the nail in the coffin for skittish retailers wary of expanding anyway.
The City of Buffalo Common Council makes all sorts of ridiculous pronouncements, and most are easily ignored. Unfortunately, in this case, the Common Council has teeth. If they don’t transfer the land to the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp, then Canal Side doesn’t get built. And if they stick to their guns on this provision, the City will continue to own empty land. But don’t worry – there will be plenty of well paying imaginary jobs waiting to exist.
Last summer, two years after I moved back, I wrote about how 2010 and 2011 looked hopeful, because of a number of projects in the queue. Now, with Canal Side beginning the slow downward spiral, the Statler and Hotel Lafayette closed, and other projects stalling, I’m not so sure.
A couple of additional thoughts to head off arguments at the pass. First – what of the idea that such demands are justified since public money is involved? First, its not the City of Buffalo’s money – its the state, feds, and NYPA paying for the bulk of this development. If they demand a living wage, they are at least in a more reasonable position to do so. Second, the requirement is inconsistent and arbitrary – plenty of other projects, far less important, get subsidies and public money without this need. And third, hasn’t the city living wage requirement caused enough problems already? It’s already keeping groups like Buffalo Reuse from hiring workers to take apart more homes. It’s already driving out business (for- and non-profit) and raising costs, and Buffalo is no less poor. Perhaps it’s time to try a different tack, other than driving away jobs by making demands.
Second argument to debunk – wasn’t Bass Pro not coming already? After all, they haven’t signed any binding agreements? For two years, ECHDC and Bass Pro have been saying they can’t sign a binding agreement until all the environmental reviews are complete. We are days away from that being done. Now we’ll never know if they are telling the truth or not – Bass Pro has a gold plated excuse to no longer come. Congrats, City of Buffalo Common Council – you let Bass Pro off the hook.
Nursing students at the University of Buffalo have a new home. The school of nursing unveiled its renovated clinical facilities and research space Tuesday afternoon on U.B.’s South Campus.
The Buffalo lost their third consecutive games, falling in Atlanta 4-3 in front of a crowd that literally had more Sabres fans than for the home team.
Jim Slater broke a 3-3 tie at 13:16 of the third period on a shot by Niclas Bergfors that was directed off Slater’s leg past Patrick Lalime.
Buffalo played a [...]
ATLANTA -- The Sabres begin their four-game Southern swing tonight in Atlanta with valuable points on the line. The News' John Vogl keeps you up to date on the Sabres Edge blog.
The Common Council wants guarantees that the $294.8 million Canal Side project will produce specific community benefits before the city transfers more land for the development.
Two construction projects at major highway interchanges in Erie and Niagara counties will cause delays and headaches for motorists and require many drivers to use local streets for detours -- until the construction season ends in November.
What would you do if a restaurant (local or national) was going to move just a few doors down from you and it wanted to place a garbage shed in front of its business? Let's say that the garbage shed was to be positioned on the 'residential right of way' instead of on the commerce-side of the building. With the compliance of the operator, I would think that a mutual agreement could be arranged between the neighborhood, the business and The City. Often times when a restaurant moves into a formerly non-restaurant space, these problems can, and often do, arise.
This is the scenario that neighbors living on Wellington Avenue in North Buffalo are facing. Apparently the business in question is a Subway restaurant - a business that has had a spotty track record in this city at best. Remember the corner of Elmwood and Forest? I wouldn't have wanted to live near that business with all of the garbage that accumulated on a daily basis - they were not good neighbors. Then again, it's not a KFC. Frankly I have nothing against chains, and even encourage certain ones to open in Buffalo. That's not the issue. The issue is quality of life for the neighbors, and if this city had updated zoning requirements for these types of conundrums, then we wouldn't even be discussing this right now. Following is the lowdown from resident Dan Ryan who is concerned that The City has not done its due diligence when it comes to handling the garbage issue.
Dan states that,
"Ideally they would partner with the business across the street for the shared use of their dumpster, or perhaps store their totes in the City owned lot across the street. The fact that there is no place on their property to store their garbage makes the site unsuitable, but our argument is that if they must locate there, have their commercial refuse on the commercial side of the property, not the residential.
"The Subway restaurant chain has plans to open a location at Hertel & Wellington in North Buffalo. While there is general opposition to bringing what some call a "strip mall franchise " to a district of thriving sole proprietorships, opposition has galvanized around efforts by the chain to build a garbage shed on residential right of way on Wellington Road adjacent to the property. The City Planning board at first tabled the measure urging the franchise owner to meet with neighborhood residents to share architectural drawings of what was promised to be an "attractive garbage enclosure". Two weeks later the board approved the garbage shed without the neighborhood having input.
"A petition opposing the construction of the garbage shed on Wellington with close to 300 signatures of neighborhood residents, business owners and patrons of Hertel shop was shared with the Planning board and with Councilmember LoCurto. The residents are requesting that if the restaurant is to be allowed to store their garbage on city property, that they be stored on the Hertel side, next to the totes that are already stored there by the adjacent neighbor - North Park Florists. To date there has been no public hearing on this issue. Those who are opposed to giving up city right of way on a residential street for the construction of a garbage shed are being urged to contact Councilmember LoCurto at 716-851-5155."
Eastern Conference- Magic #
Brad Riter, Tom Schuh and Scott Wilson discuss the Sabres’ magic number, “American Idol,” the pronunciation of “Andra Davis” and introduce the “Tim Tebow is a Joke” fact of the day.
Kevin Sylvester of the Sabres broadcast team also calls in to talk about the team’s stretch run.
In memoriam of the Kaspers Korner game on Riter Radio, Brad Riter and Scott Wilson have put together a countdown of their five favorite posts.
I still can’t believe we got a 3rd and 4th round pick for Clarke MacArthur’s expiring contract. That’s a total fleecing – and I don’t care if he scores a goal a game until the end of the season. Go Sabres.
