Greater Lockport Development Corporation (GLDC) board members told the Common Council on Wednesday that affordable downtown rental housing will spur business growth in the city and that PathStone Development’s proposed renovation of the Bewley Building is in line with the city’s economic development strategies of historic preservation, supporting job creation, growing the workforce, and providing housing.
“You have to create demand,” said Becky Burns, GLDC board secretary, who previously conducted feasibility studies for hotel companies. ”The idea is, if I live in that building, I don’t want to go shopping on Transit. If there’s 100 apartments, there’s a lot of people who eat and buy groceries. Young people aren’t driving today.”
Bree Bacon, who represents SUNY Niagara’s Small Business Development Center on the GLDC board, said SUNY is strategizing its operations around the finding that only one-third of adults aged 18 to 24 have a car, a driver’s license, or the desire to own a car.
“The entire SUNY system is adjusting their strategies,” Bacon said. “They’re already moving forward with how to attract them. Downtown is such a perfect opportunity to attract that workforce. I think that’s a major consideration.”
Board member Kevin McDonough said the bus stop on Locust Street near Main Street makes the Bewley Building, along with Harrison Lofts, well-suited to attract and serve renters.
The Bewley Building is now at 35% occupancy, according to Matt Martin, property manager. PathStone’s proposed renovation would create 100 apartments on the upper floors, and leave most of the ground floor preserved as commercial space.
While the project proposes affordable apartments aimed at working people, comments from community members wrongly assume that the project would create subsidized housing.
The Bewley Building proposal lists rents between $875 and $1,054 a month for one-bedroom units. Charlie Oster, vice president of real estate development for project consultant Edgemere Development, said the two-bedroom apartments would rent for $1,048 to $1,352.
For a single person making $20 an hour or $41,600 a year, $875 a month is 25% of their income.
According to NYS Employee Salary Lookup, a starting salary at a school district or for a city worker can be near $42,000. Last year, Police Chief Steven Abbott said that the police officers’ union contract was renegotiated because of low salaries, which started officers at $41,000 or $19 per hour.“All the GLDC-funded projects are right in that neighborhood,” said Jennifer Murphy, vice chair of the GLDC’s board of directors, referring to the Historic Palace Theatre, Big Ditch at the Historic Post Office, the Locks District and other DRI projects.
“People who live and work in that neighborhood would have access to all those things.”Murphy said PathStone is a “very reputable” property management company and apartments at the Bewley Building would be managed by an organization “with a stellar reputation.”
“Once more people are here, more businesses will come,” said Vicki Smith, president and CEO of the GLDC.Regarding concerns about Urban Park Towers residents lingering along Main Street, Murphy said a group should be formed to determine their needs and ways to meet them.
Mayor John Lombardi III expressed his appreciation for the GLDC board’s input, which included a status update for each project underway as part of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative.“A lot of this information I wasn’t aware of,” Lombardi said. “I didn’t think the GLDC approached residential.”“I feel from everything here that it is very positive,” said Kathryn Fogle, 4th Ward alderman. “You probably vetted PathStone very well before we even knew what was going on.”
Kathy DiMillo, immediate past chair of the GLDC’s board of directors, wrapped up the discussion with several recommended action items. The first, she said, is for Lombardi to attend more GLDC board meetings “to improve communication with your council.” DiMillo noted that as mayor, Lombardi holds a seat on the GLDC board but does not attend its meetings.Another action item, DiMillo said, is a “more intimate” meeting with PathStone that creates a dialogue.
“I’m waiting for them to get a hold of me,” Lombardi said. “This is the first time I’ve seen the GLDC meet with a council.”
DiMillo said the GLDC board will take action to form a small business forum for operators to express their concerns. The final action item, she said, is for PathStone to submit a complete proposal to the city.“The Bewley Building is falling apart,” DiMillo said. “Something worse is going to happen that building sooner or later.”