For many local residents it was a Saint Patrick's Day they would like to forget. On March 17, 1995, the doors closed for good on what was once AM&A's department store on Main Street. "It was probably the lowest point in downtown Buffalo," said Jim Fink of Business First during his monthly appearance on WBFO's Press Pass. For Fink, the anniversary serves as a reminder of how downtown life is on the upswing.
"Let's fast forward. The downtown of 2015 has a new energy," said Fink, acknowledging that downtown has become a "different type of destination" than it was 50 years ago.
The former AM&A's structure has been purchased by a group of Chinese investors which plans to spend $50 million to install 300 hotel rooms, apartments, a spa and other amenities. Fink says the new owners have filed their paperwork with city officials. A community eye sore appears on the verge of becoming a shining example of a transforming Buffalo.
According to Fink, it's one of many projects in the works:
Ellicott Development is building 14 upscale town houses in Waterfront Village, the former location of Bison Storage on Niagara Street is being transformed into 40 apartment units; Ciminelli Real Estate bought the UB EOC building at Mohawk and Washington, which will be renovated into 45 apartments.