The 500 Block of Main Street is literally outside the back door of one of Buffalo’s premier hotels, The Hyatt. […] Many are surprised to see that most of the storefronts on that block of Main Street are either vacant or closed. Some are filthy. Others are covered with rusty, old cages.
That is the situation that downtown Buffalo is facing – dilapidated buildings that have not seen any occupants or maintenance for years. Plans were hammered out a few years ago to redo the entire area:
A few years ago [Rocco] Termini unveiled a $15 million dollar plan called Century City Lofts. It would have transformed several of the vacant buildings into high-end apartments with retail shopping and restaurants. But the plan never made it out of the design phase.
[…]
“It looks like Beirut,” he said. “As a matter of fact, I think Beirut may look a little better.”
I’m pretty sure that Beirut looks a lot better than Buffalo. I will be dispatching Rocco Termini’s Looks Like Beirut certificate shortly.
500 Main Street, Buffalo, New York