"New Faces" written by Dragonfire1024 on estrip.org

03/07/06 09:23 - 25ºF - ID#21938

New Faces

We are always hiring and firing people at work. Hell, a lot quit too. But I like it when a new face comes along. Especially when its someone you know and worked with before.

My friend jen, who i have not seen in a year, just got a jo at the resturant. We used to work together at City Grill, downtown. That resturant is part of a few chains. They used to own Ya-Ya's on Main Street, across from the old Marcella's, but it has since closed. I hear none of their places are doing all that great, and I am glad I got out of there before I was out of a job. BTW, I worked at Pano's for two years then quit to go to City Grill. I was there for a year exactly and went back to Pano's where I am at now.

I am glad to finally see someone I know, and like again. It's about time we got some reliable help :)

Jason

Permalink: New_Faces.html
Words: 167
Location: Buffalo, NY

03/05/06 09:10 - 29ºF - ID#21937

Right

(e:Dcoffee). Nice. Build the hotel on elmwood and north. If you think its gonig to be so great, tear down E,mwood and north. If you think its going to be so great, put it where your house is. Tear your house down and close the shops you use. Destroy yor neighborhood.

The redesign sucks. If I wanted toi see the old west, I would go to it. I sure as hell do not want to see it on my corner.

So lets reward all the slum lords in buffalo by allowing them to INTENTIONALLY neglect their properties and let them rot. If this were anywqhere else, Hans Mobius would be inb jail.

dcoffee writes at 12:39:56 03/06/06 - Comment #5351: Hans Mobius is a jerk and should be in jail, but what does that have to do with a successful commercial district increasing the vitality of its businesses by bringing in more density and more people?

Sure build it here in Allentown, good. But you need it more than we do, we already have the businesses we need to survive down here. Where's your grocery store, hair salon, diner, cafÃ©, or place to get a coffeemaker or electric heater? Probably in the sprawl of north Elmwood and Kenmore Ave. where pedestrians are not welcome, or south toward Allentown and beyond walking distance.

And why screw Buff State and Albright Knox out of convenient access to a much needed hotel.

Sorry progress in Buffalo happens to be rubbing you the wrong way this time, but this hotel is a good thing. Donâ€™t exaggerate your own preferences into dire neighborhood problems, or the end of life as we know it. Or at least save it for the downtown casino.

uncutsaniflush writes at 09:55:51 03/05/06 - Comment #5346: Serious questions that deserve answers:

How many times have Mobius's tenants complained to the appropriate City, State and Federal agencies?

What has the response of the City, State, and Federal governments been?

How many times have Mobius's tenants taken him to court?

What was the outcome of the Court cases?

Do you have any personal knowledge of any tenant, residential or business, calling or writing a complaint to the City Code Enforcement department?

What was the result of these calls?

Do you have any personal knowledge of anyone, you included, calling the media to bring attention to the terrible conditions experienced by the tenants of Mobius?

What was the result of these calls?

The recent hotel proposal would have been a wonderful opportunity to make the media aware of the horrible conditions in those houses.

Even if the local network affiliates and the Buffalo News and the Art Voice ignored the story, I would bet that the Beast would love to rake some muck and embarass the City of Buffalo.

For that matter, (e:dragonfire1024) you are a bright guy, you know how to use the internet.

Building Codes aren't all that complicated. And run-down buildings with problems are easy to document with photos. I'm certain that you, personally, could write a story on the horrible conditions while highlighting specific code violations in Mobius buildings and post it on the internet - on Wikinews, here, etc.

You could force the City to do something.

You have that power. You could get the City to condemn the buildings with your reporting skills if you are correct about all the code violations.

But then again, I suspect that his tenants don't complain because they know that the City might condemn the buildings if conditions are as bad as you claim.

I suspect that his tenants don't complain because they know their rents would go up if Mobius actually improved his properties.

What do you think would happen if Mobius was thrown in jail and his buildings condemned?

Would his properties be magically made better while he was in jail?

No one would be allowed to occupy the buildings until the code violations are cured.

So throwing him in jail for code violations might result in the very thing you say you want to avoid - all the residents and businesses are displaced.

On a related note: I've noticed that you have not answered my question about Rocco Termini whose proposal you support - Has Termini committed in writing to allowing current Mobius tenants to continue to rent from him at their current rents once he renovates the properties?

And another thing, wouldn't Mobius profit if Termini buys his properties?

Permalink: Right.html
Words: 114
Location: Buffalo, NY

03/05/06 02:12 - 33ºF - ID#21936

Ok..."so no hotel"

Well lets see. Maybe wthe city should o their job and put Hans Mobius in jail for the laws and codes he has been breaking for the past 20 years by again INTENTIONALLY neglecting his properties soi there would be no choice to tear them down. So we again, let him get away with this. Then we are rewarding him for what he did and encourages others to do the same.

The City needs to stand up and get these slum lords.

I am AGAINST Pano expanding hios resturant too. If he includes the Atwater House (all of it) then let him expand. I will also add I work for him. He is also my land lord and he is WELL AWARE of my stance being AGAINST his expansion and AGAINST the hotel. And he respects that. Just like he respects you ( (e:Uncutsaniflush) ) not eating there.

As I said, I do not care where in Buffalo you live, but this is more a community/nieghborhood issue than a city issue. As I said before, if you do not use the shops, never have, and you live in Williamsville, Amherst or Cheektowaga ETC., and you want this hotel, build it in your own city.

I am a Kenmore resident, true dat. I think you could put the exact same building on Kenmore's Delaware strip and it would be no less successful than if it were on Elmwood. I think it would be excellent to have that building in my neighborhood. - (e:zobar)

Good...then build it there.

I think it would be a shame if the city reinforced its reputation as
hostile to new development and lost yet another opportunity at urban
renewal and tax income to the suburbs - but it would not be the first time,
and it will not be the last. If it were to come to that, I can only
hope they would consider building on Kenmore's Delaware strip rather than
nowhere at all. -(e:zobar)

Hello? Bass Pro? Last I heard the city wanted Bass Pro...and where are they? I am afraid Bass Pro is to blame on this one.

zobar writes at 04:12:32 03/05/06 - Comment #5341: > Hello? Bass Pro?

Now I am very confused. I was under the impression that the only thing Bass Pro did wrong was to rely on our government to actually do something [improve infrastructure, give them money - where they would get that I couldn't tell you]. All Savarino needs from the government is their stamp on the deed - no public funding, no wheeling and dealing, no nothing. Seems to me that's the only way you can ever get anything done around here anyway.

- Z

mrdt writes at 03:52:15 03/05/06 - Comment #5339: tourism is one of the third larget businesses in north america. buffalo needs to start capitalizing on this. unfortunately, every time te city begins to change and grow like a healthy city (ie TO, NYC, Chicago) the residents always seem to be scared of it.

metalpeter writes at 03:42:34 03/05/06 - Comment #5337: You bring up a good point. The city and state fuck things up enough with out all the citizens making it hard for businesses that they personaly don't think will fit in. Well that scares off other places. I admit paul does make a good point that soon the people who live near elmwood or on elmwood won't be able to afforid it. But I think you have let businesses come to Buffalo and elmwood who want to. There needs to be a mix. Mostly Local shops and some bigger shops with a name that draws people to the area. I could be wrong about this but I don't think most local places could stay open with only local money for the neighboorhood.

zobar writes at 03:14:51 03/05/06 - Comment #5335: I think it would be a shame if the city reinforced its reputation as hostile to new development and lost yet another opportunity at urban renewal and tax income to the suburbs - but it would not be the first time, and it will not be the last. If it were to come to that, I can only hope they would consider building on Kenmore's Delaware strip rather than nowhere at all.

- Z

Permalink: Ok_quot_so_no_hotel_quot_.html
Words: 359
Location: Buffalo, NY

03/05/06 01:59 - 33ºF - ID#21935

clarify you guys

I may have come across the wrong way. "you Guys" was in reference to those that commented on my blog. Perhaps I was a little haresh but nonetheless, I should have made it clear to Who I was referring to.

Permalink: clarify_you_guys.html
Words: 40
Location: Buffalo, NY

03/05/06 10:53 - 22ºF - ID#21934

Response to you guys

Ok sure...let demolish the houses build a hotel, to which no one in buffalo will use, destroy the urban setting of elmwood. While we are at it lets tear down the whole block. While we are at it why not the Atwater house? Lets just tear everything down put up a even bigger hotel because so many tourists come here. To even think this hotel is going to create any jobs is stupid. What jobs? 72 rooms is not jobs. Bass Pro is jobs...1,000+ jobs to be exact.

I like a lot of things in Buffalo, the art gallery is one of them, but do enough people go there YEAR AROUND to justify a hotel? Do enough peole stay at Buffalo State College YEAR AROUND to justify a hotel? The festivals on Elmwood are a good example, when they are going on. They are not a year around event. I like the art gallery, however; If I am a tourist, I don't think that Buffalo is on the top of my list to visit. No offense, but we have to look at it realistically. A hotel, a 72 room hotel, with 55 parking spaces 2 over priced shops and a resturaunt is not an attraction. And the Falls...well are they in Buffalo???

Last I checked there were not enough "conventions" or "seminars" in Buffalo YEAR AROUND to support even the hotels down town. In fact the ONLY time any of the hotels down town are full is during an event. Otherwise they are 60% full on average.

So we destroy viable businesses, that the COMMUNITY uses, to put up something we will never use. What's the sense in that?

This is a COMMUNITY issue. A NIEGHBORHOOD issue. Not a city issue or a tourism issue. If it was the hotel would be somewhere else and much much bigger. If you live in Amherst or Cheektowaga or Williamsviille or anywhere other than Buffalo or the surrounding NEIGHBORHOOD, and you want this hotel, then build it in your own damn city. Personally if you are that concerned about your family and friends then you would want it closer. So stop telling ME whats good for MY/OUR neighboorhood. You move here, and you use the shops and then you can tell me what is good for MY/OUR nieghborhood.

Also last time I checked everyone who lives in the IMMDEIATE area of this hotel is AGAINST it.

I remember a quote by Sam Savarino on the first and so far only community meeting on the hotel, and which I have on tape, saying:

"Some people have gotten emotional about this project. And I want to let the community know that we will listen to what you have to say. We're not forcing this down anybody's throat. If this is not something this community wants, we do not want to have it here."

The COMMUNITY does not want it. Knock on the doors all around Elmwood, Granger, Penhurst, Claremont, Ashland, you will see...they don't want it, and neither do I.

Permalink: Response_to_you_guys.html
Words: 505
Location: Buffalo, NY

03/05/06 08:51 - 22ºF - ID#21933

Journal Comment response

Well here is a response to a comment posted on my latest blog. The bold is what he said. And its the whole comment...nothing deleted or added.

"wait you are trying to tell me that because they tore down a hotel on Forrest and Elmwood in 1901 because it wasn't financially viable, there's no way that one could be successful in 2006?"

1. it's Forest. One R.
2. No I am not saying that. What I am saying is that any hotel for the last 106 years that existed in the general area around Elmwood and Forest, has not been financially successful. Not one. In fact, tell me one hotel that is in the area here. If you had read it properly you would see that a hotel existed right on Forest and Lincoln parkway. Where is it?

"I applaud your research and dedication, but give me a break. This hotel is essentially a sign of Buffalo's turn around,"

1. Turnaround? You need to have something here people want to come to from out of state etc. Do you think someone is going to come stay at this hotel to go to Coles or India Gate?

"It will enrich your neighborhood by helping your local businesses to thrive. take India Gate for example, they have amazing service and fantastic food, but they can't afford to upgrade their dumpy blue awning."

1. What businesses? The ones I really like will be demolished. Businesses that I already shop at and use. Right...where will people shop at on this end of Elmwood when these are gone? We Never Close? The current shops are original and thats what Elmwood stands for. Mom and Pop stores. I know that a storefron in a 7 million dollar hotel is going to cost a pretty penny or a trillion. So how would I be able to afford going into these "shops"? Also note that there are only 2 storefronts and a resturant in the new design. Right...i see a lot of shopping going on. Furthermore, how will a hotel benefit me when it wil be less than 5 feet from my house? I am not going to stay in it.

"An influx of customers from the new hotel will help them thrive and expand, Iâ€™m sure all the businesses in the area will flourish, and that is a good thing."

1. Again. Where are the "influx of customers" going to come from? Do you think someone is sitting in California saying, "hey they just built that new hotel in Buffalo. Lets go and stay in it." No. You need to have something here they want to come to first.

Plus the homes theyâ€™re tearing down are dumpy, not architectural treasures. Let this project move forward.

So we are supposed to reward a landlord (Hans Mobius) for neglecting his properties INTENTIONALLY for 20 years? Tell me, whats right about that? Thats why they are a dump. You need to yell at him about that. He is a slum lord. If the city had forced him to keep them up to code like the city is supposed to, they would not be "dumpy". Also, any improvements done on the properties were done by the business owners and residents or non-profit groups (the grop I forget the name, did all the neon lights you see that are not working anymore mostly....look over coles, you will see them there too...all down the street) Dumpy? I can name a lot more worse looking places in Buffalo...

zobar writes at 10:29:36 03/05/06 - Comment #5313: As I recall, there was a local paper that interviewed one of the tenants that would be displaced :::link::: :

I knew sooner or later Mobius was going to sell and Iâ€™d have to move. But, you know, Iâ€™m still not happy about it. You kind of believe itâ€™s never going to happen. After all, heâ€™s had the property up for sale for 11 years. I know Iâ€™m going to die someday, too, but I donâ€™t believe that either. It just sucks because I donâ€™t where Iâ€™m going to find space this cheap, except in some neighborhood I donâ€™t want to be in. And the thing is, people really like this store.

- Z

jenks writes at 10:13:39 03/05/06 - Comment #5312: Just one quick point-
The proposed location is near: albright knox, delaware park, buff state.
I.e. not just india gate and coles.

uncutsaniflush writes at 10:12:50 03/05/06 - Comment #5311: One of the reasons these businesses on Mobius properties have been able to survive is that their rents are way below market value.

Does anyone honestly think that if Mobius was forced to renovate his properties, the rents he charges wouldn't go up at the first opportunity?

Does anyone honestly think that if Mobius sold the properties to, say, Rocco Termini 5 or 10 years ago and Termini renovated the properties that any of these businesses would still be there now?

I don't think so. When a landlord, no matter how naughty or nice, spends hundreds of thousands of dollars to renovate a property, he or she is going to want a return on their investment. And raising the rents is one of traditional ways to insure a higher return on investment.

It is have been reported, and anyone please correct if I am wrong about this, that the businesses in question can't afford to move elsewhere on Elmwood because they can't find new spaces at the same low rents.

This seems to prove my contention that the rents Mobius charges are low for the area.

If he was a better landlord and renovated the properties, these businesses wouldn't be there for the community to love because their rents would have been much higher than they are now.

So, ironically enough, the Elmwood Avenue community has benefitted from Mobius's refusal to upgrade his properties and impose higher rents on his tenants.

Of course, ultimately, that has very little to do with the desirability or lack thereof of a hotel on that corner.

It shouldn't matter if Mobius, Termini, or even Pano himself owns the properties.

It shouldn't matter if the landlord is the Devil incarnate or an avatar of Vishnu or even Michael the Arcangel.

Either it is a good idea to have a hotel at the corner of Elmwood and Forest or it isn't.

Everything is just window dressing.

But that is just me, as always, I could be wrong.

zobar writes at 09:59:55 03/05/06 - Comment #5310: The most terrible part about this argument is that it is predicated on the assumption that Buffalo is a worthless shithole that nobody in their right mind would be caught dead in, unless they were born here and couldn't scrape together the bus fare out. It is insidious because once you believe this, any urban revitalization at all is pointless.

There are many reasons people come to Buffalo:

- Family and friends. The biggest reason people have for leaving Buffalo is that even though they like it here, they can't find a job. These people constitute a large and often overlooked proportion of Buffalo's tourism industry. When they come back to visit, they need a place to stay. Sometimes, this is a couch in the living room. Sometimes, this is a hotel [especially for, eg, weddings & reunions].

- Parents of college students, on Move In Day, Move Out Day, and Shit Hide the Reefer It's Parents' Weekend. Ever wonder why there's always a cluster of hotels around college campuses? Ever wonder why there isn't a single hotel near Buff. State?

- Conventions, seminars, and symposia. This is another large, overlooked piece of Buffalo's tourism industry. As cruddy and weird as our convention center is, they're booked solid, for everything from the Civic Empowerment Awards to the Myofacial Release Seminar. I ain't never heard of myofacial releases, but I bet the people who have make tons of money, and they'll all need a place to stay while they're here.

- Actual tourism. Weird. Aside from one of the seven natural wonders of the world, we also have: Several festivals, including the largest outdoor art festival in the country, drawing exhibitors from all over the United States [all of whom need a place to stay]; architecture that looks like Art Deco himself barfed all over our downtown; sports, including major-league football and hockey teams, fishing, and, oddly enough, surfing :::link::: ; and countless other reasons you might find yourself wondering where to spend the night.

- Z

Permalink: Journal_Comment_response.html
Words: 581
Location: Buffalo, NY

03/04/06 11:17 - 22ºF - ID#21932

Hotel to be or not to be?

Well I have done some real in depth reporting this time. And I think some of you might be suprised.

There was NO hotel on the same site they want to build the Elmwood Village Hotel. There was however; one right across the street where the Mobil gas station is.

My Latest article I wrote:

Rocco Termini writes a letter to the Buffalo news, and it was published 3 hours ago:

That TEMPORARY hotel was called the Statler Hotel, or Statler's. It was built in 1901 for the Pan-American Exposition and ONLY for the exposition. It was taken down with 90% of everything else for the exposition and that was that.

The hotel I might add, was a failure, financially. According to documents he took what little money he (Ellsworth Milton Statker) made and built the next temporary hotel in St. Loius for their exhibition in 1904....that one was successful.

It also shows that there were no hotels or rooming houses in the area prior to the exposition, and after. To this day, any hotel or rooming house that was documented in records at the Buffalo Historical Society, in this area, does not exist anymore, and no hotel since then has existed in this area and to this day there is not one.

So tell me, if a hotel has not been financially successful for 100 years, why would it be now?

Sign the petition to STOP the Elmwood Village Hotel and put and end to this madness: Petition:

Permalink: Hotel_to_be_or_not_to_be_.html
Words: 277
Location: Buffalo, NY

03/02/06 07:32 - 26ºF - ID#21931

Old friends

Well...I have heard stories about people who joined MySpace and then out of no where someone from their childhood of 10-15 years ago e-mails them. I never thought it would heppen to me.

I opened my mail on Myspace and saw two messages from two girls. I read them and they both said that they went to elementary school with me. I mailed them back and turns out that I was best friends with both of them through most if not all of my elementary school days. I was quite impressed and shocked. They were apparently bored and were looking through names of people they went to school with and such and I popped up. I think its so cool!!!

Anyways, one had to mail the other to believe it :) So now I am glad to have met up with old friends and hope to hear from more.

Now for the hotel. We managed to delay any decision on the proposal for a maximum of thirty days. The Common Council is expected to meet on rezoning issues and allow the public to voice support or opposition in a public hearing this Tuesday at 2pm in City Hall 13th floor, Council Chambers. I will be there.

Here is my latest news article on the hotel:

Also, there is LITTLE time left to sign the online petition to stop the hotel here:

If you are against it, please sign it if you have not already. And spread the link :)

Jason

Permalink: Old_friends.html
Words: 274
Location: Buffalo, NY

02/27/06 03:12 - 23ºF - ID#21930

BREAKING Hotel News! Meeting tonight!!

Sources that want to remain anonymous have said that a meeting for all OPPOSED to the Elmwood Village Hotel is to take place TONIGHT at 7:30pm at 55 Penhurst off Forest Ave. just west of Elmwood. Sources say that Joel Golombeck is also going to attend this meeting. Please spread the word

Permalink: BREAKING_Hotel_News_Meeting_tonight_.html
Words: 51
Location: Buffalo, NY

02/27/06 12:25 - 21ºF - ID#21929

New Article..if anyone cares

Well I interviewed Eva Hassett, VP of Savarino construction. My latest article is here:

Also, time is running out to sign the Stop the Elmwood Village Hotel development petition:

One thing I like that she said:

We would be happy to do one more big public meeting. We will be talking to Forever Elmwood about that on Monday (February 27, 2006). We would like to see if there is support for the new design and we also want to honor the public's request for another meeting. I am hopeful that meeting can take place the week of March 6th.

Also, time is running out to sign