There's a lot of buzz on social media about an old proposal in Buffalo's Elmwood Village. Many wonder whether the proposed hotel and mixed use building at the corner of Elmwood and Forest Avenues is back on the table.
The original proposal included retail, 125 hotel rooms, and parking. It failed after restrictions said the area was meant for residential use. But a Supreme Court judge overturned that decision several years ago making the project viable again.
Still, city officials confirmed with 7 Eyewitness News that developer Chason Affinity hasn’t submitted anything new.
Arthur Giacalone is an attorney who represented a group of concerned residents in the area back when the project was being considered. He still consults with them often and said the developer needs to start from scratch if it wants neighborhood support.
“Their particular proposal can't be tweaked to make it fit into the Elmwood Village,” he said. “He has to start over. He has to do something that in my clients mind and in my mind he would need to be willing to invest in the existing buildings.”
