Douglas Development has won the rights to redevelop the City-owned Mohawk Ramp. The ever-busy developer beat out competing proposals by BFC Partners/CB Emmanuel Realty and a team made up of SAA EVI, McGuire Development and Passero Associates. The 629-space parking ramp, which was built in 1959, occupies a 1.1-acre site along E. Mohawk Street between Ellicott and Washington streets.
Douglas Jemal’s winning proposal calls for a phased approach to reusing the site and is tied to his larger plan to redevelop the nearby Simon Electric properties with 400 residential units.
The first phase calls for 150 apartments in the Burns Building at 23 E. Huron Street and a new build east of it (Simon West above). Preliminary work on the Burns redevelopment started in December. Jemal is planning to convert 50 of the Mohawk Ramp parking spaces into retail space, a café, and an “innovation and transportation hub” while adding two additional parking levels with 300 spaces to serve his Simon Electric plans.
Phase Two of his plan is to redevelop the Simon properties on the east side of Ellicott Street with 250 additional apartments and retail space. And finally, Douglas would add four floors to the ramp with 200 new apartments. At least ten percent of all of the apartments would be restricted as affordable.
The BFC Partners/CB Emmanuel proposal called for 203 affordable units, 285 parking spaces, plus 23,000 sq.ft. of commercial space on the ramp site. SAA EVI, McGuire Development and Passero Associates submitted plans for two buildings linked by a skybridge totalling 233 apartments with 168 income-restricted, 268 new parking spaces, 6,500 sq.ft. of retail plus a 13th floor restaurant.
Published by Buffalo Rising
