After two years in the pipeline, Williamsville plaza plan is approved

A plan to tear down an aging Main Street plaza in Williamsville and replace it with a three-story retail and apartment building has been given the endorsement it needs after nearly two years in the pipeline.

The Williamsville Planning Board approved site plans last week for the mixed-use project at Main and Hirschfield Drive, which will include retail on the first floor and upscale apartments on the second and third floors.

Architectural designs still need to be approved by the Village Planning Board. But the go-ahead given last week coupled with site plan approval from the Amherst Planning Board in August paved the way for demolition and construction to begin by next spring or summer.

This is exactly the type of project were looking for in the village, said Williamsville Trustee Christopher J. Duquin. Its mixed-use, set to the street, commercial under residential, and parking in the back.

Since the project was proposed in March 2013, it has generated some opposition. That includes the owners of two nearby businesses Main Street News & Tobacco and Alterations by Lena who area concerned that the new development will squeeze them out of their already limited street parking.

Im worried about the overflow from them, said Ben Galletti of Main Street Tobacco and News. If you dont have somewhere to park, people arent going to come in.

Duquin and Williamsville Mayor Brian J. Kulpa have invited opponents of the project to the Village Board meeting Tuesday to discuss the project. However, the project doesnt need approval from the board, and the discussion will be more of an opportunity for officials to explain how this venture fits into the broader picture for Main.

At the end of the day, we think we filled the planning objective of both the Village of Williamsville and the Town of Amherst for the redevelopment of properties in this section of Main, said Sean W. Hopkins, the attorney representing the developer.

The redevelopment project is proposed by Dr. Lawrence N. Teruel, an Arizona physician whose father for years had owned this property located directly across from Williamsville South High School.

The proposed L-shaped brick building would come up to the sidewalk and anchor the corner of Main and Hirschfield with 18,600 square feet of retail space on the first floor and parking in the back for 98 vehicles.

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After two years in the pipeline, Williamsville plaza plan is approved