Apparently the Seneca Nation has run out of development land on its Buffalo Creek Territory on the edge of downtown Buffalo and plans developments off-territory.Details are far from clear, but Ellicott Development CEO William Paladino says his company has a deal with the nation. Property owned by Ellicott in that Fulton/Perry/Michigan Avenue area bumps against land belonging to the Senecas.
At Tuesday's Buffalo Planning Board, Paladino asked permission to build what he calls a temporary 139-car parking lot to serve the company's Fairmont Creamery building on Scott Street, bulging with staff from Liazon and Pegula Sports & Entertainment.
Paladino said the new parking lot will be in the heart of the rapidly developing neighborhood, as the Seneca Nation decides what it wants to do.
"In the next 12 months we should be all sorted out," Paladino said. "Until that time, we will need a temporary lot. Part of the lot right now is currently on Perry Street. We're looking at putting barriers up. There is no access to the lot from Perry, so the access point - which would be part of this project - would have to be switched to their side of Scott Street."
Paladino said his development company is planning an addition to the Fairmont and will be back before the board with details soon. He said the deal with the Senecas would allow Ellicott to buy the nation's property if there is no plan to go forward - at least with a parking ramp.
"Currently, we have the right to use that as a temporary parking lot until such time as they move forward with the development plan," he said. "I think they closed probably about seven months ago and they have about 12-18 months to bring plans to the City of Buffalo to develop not only their parcel, but this parcel also would be included in that development, in which case it would probably be some type of parking structure."
The neighborhood is rapidly developing around Ellicott, the Senecas and First Amherst's The Lofts at Elk Terminal.
